I’m not the first, and I certainly won’t be the last, to admit that Dean Lewis is shaping up to become Australia’s answer to Ed Sheeran.
On Monday (6 May) was the first Australian show in his 'A Place We Knew' tour and it was completely sold out. Never mind the fact he had to tack on a second instalment on Tuesday (7 May) to meet demand.
Or that this is his debut, full-length record. Or that support act Winterbourne has spent longer on the circuit than Dean has.
Click here to read our recent interview with Dean.
They’re gracious about this, however, knowing full well that opening for artists such as Lewis only introduces them to a new crowd. Winterbourne deliver a set that’s catchy, energetic and, at 40-minutes long, way too short for their back catalogue.
Winterbourne - image © Ashley Mar
New tracks 'Better' and 'Take The Golden' are shined up with the accompaniment of an electric cello, while oldies 'To Get To Know You' and 'Cold' send fans into a reminiscent spin.
Click here for more photos from the show.
But all that clamour is nothing compared to the hold Lewis has on these punters.
After a few false alarms, the screams reach deafening levels as he struts onto the stage with his guitar slung around his neck, sending fangirls and fanboys into early ovulation. They’ve had less than two months to warm up to his record, but every, single entity in the theatre knows it word-for-word.
Dean Lewis - image © Ashley Mar
So it’s a good thing then that Dean has come stocked and ready to belt out every single track off his new record (and then some), starting with 'Hold On Me', 'Need You Know' and 'A Place We Knew', and crashing down with '7 Minutes' and 'For The Last Time' before the encore of 'Straight Back Out' and 'Waves'.
He “strips back” a handful of his loved-up winners back, including 'Time To Go' and 'Don’t Hold Me'. It’s not quite a solo effort, with drums and keys still playing a part, but it’s a slower pace than the norm and takes the punters down from jump to sway.
Dean Lewis - image © Ashley Mar
Somehow the man of the hour manages to blast out 15 songs in just over an hour while still managing a little chit-chat, albeit in a slightly breathless manner.
He lays out stories and oddly enough feels inclined to introduce each and every song. It’s like he doesn’t quite realise the magnitude of his fame yet. Or perhaps he simply relishes in the energy the crowd returns when they hear another favourite is about to be sung.
Dean Lewis - image © Ashley May
Whatever the case, Sheeran should definitely be worried.
