An impeccable evening embraces Sydney, with the kiss of golden hour brushing the Opera House, where Chet Faker brings his 10th anniversary concert celebrating 'Built On Glass', the first concert of the On The Steps series this month.
Mallrat kicks off the night (2 December) with a bang, the electronic drums kicking through the speakers and right into the strong crowd assembled on the steps.
After launching in with a fan favourite, she keeps the sky-high mood rolling along. 'Hideaway' is a highlight of the set and a perfect sing-along between patrons. From siblings to parents to lovers, Faker has drawn a wide mix who bop and sway to the thumping rhythms.
Mallrat ends her set dramatically, dropping to the floor of the stage as she bashes her mini heart-shaped guitar mercilessly. It's theatrical and engaging. "Thank you," she says as she exits.
The sunset shifts from soft gold to lighting the clouds' edges with pink outlines – there isn't anywhere else in the world you would rather be. The crowd bubbles with conversation as delectable smells drift between the food trucks and bars. First aid and security answer questions with a friendly smile; even they're having a great time.
Chet Faker enters with a guitarist and saxophonist, shades on. He gently presses a jazz chord and croons "I need somewhere". The warmth of his heavily reverberated vocals hit you like a warm hug.
Voiceovers then play atop distorted wind sounds, the screen grainy and yellow showcases the band. "Release your problems," Faker incites but you don't have any. Jazzy organ floats over the bouncy kick drum as the saxophonist changes to drums for 'Melt'. The song ebbs and flows with intensity before rolling drums push into 'Blush'.
An extended experimental section endures akin to musical foreplay before '1998' kicks in with racing drums. The crowd explodes. "What's up Sydney?" Faker asks. "It's awesome to be back on."
The stage darkens apart from a few red lights backlighting Faker for 'Far Side Of The Moon'. It is perfectly sentimental, as Faker strums his electric guitar. The song melts into pulsing blue screens for 'Birthday Card', which turns the dials into party mode.
"I open my mouth but you hear me wrong," Faker sings desperately in 'Cigarettes & Loneliness', the song ending with Faker aggressively strumming his guitar in front of the lights.
"This next one, I need some help from you guys," Faker says initiating the chorus line from 'Drop The Game', and the crowd goes wild. 'Get High' jives along as the stage smoke melts into purple as Faker bounces over the keys. The man can certainly play.
'No Diggity' is a crowd uniter, Faker encouraging "sing it for me now". 'To Me' brings the energy up with the high notes ringing out across the landscape. It really is a perfect venue.
Faker brings down the end of the regular set with 'Inefficient Love' as the crowd begs for more. He re-enters solo, playing 'I'm Into You'. After an elongated intro, the saxophone plays the familiar riff of 'Talk Is Cheap'. It is a laidback rendition, the crowd singing every word. It would be nice to see the song arranged with a little more energy for such a crowdpleaser.
'Low' follows under white lights, ending with a flurry across the keys, before 'Gold' closes the encore with beaming faces as the moon shines down. Chet Faker's music is perfect for a Tuesday night. Warm, inviting and intriguing, Faker plays a show that you easily want to visit again.
