A humid night swaddles Sydney, and it's about to get a whole lot warmer inside the ICC where Lauren Daigle is bringing her Kaleidoscope Nights tour down under.
Chatter fills the packed arena (14 November) as patrons wave to each other from miles apart. Tekoa begin the evening the right way with breezy acoustics, their harmonies bouncing off the walls. 'Altar' features stunning vocals, that reach down into your soul.The lights gently dim as 'Drink Water' by Jon Batiste plays, before they drop fully, only to blast out a spectacle of light right at the crowd. A brass section plays from the darkness, bringing the energy high. Daigle bounces onto the stage, waving as she begins 'These Are The Days', her vocals gritty and soulful.
"How you doing?" she asks. "You're gunna have some fun tonight!" She starts a sing-along: "If it's not good, then it's not over," that has the whole crowd singing and clapping.
'Waiting' sees the stage flood orange, as a massive light beam shoots across the front of the stage. The song ends with brass stabs, a thudding kick and an elongated vocal note from Daigle that rips through the air.
"I don't see the old you, I just see the new," she sings from 'New', her grey hat donned backwards as she sports a white jacket and pant combo that appears to have childlike drawings all over it.
"Do you dance? Do y'all like to have a good time?" she asks. "We're a little rowdy in Louisiana, we like to dance. So you do whatever you want tonight, you dance if you want!" she emboldens. The crowd need no further invitation, jumping to their feet as they sing. The trumpeter rips out a ridiculously impressive solo to end the infectious track.
"Where are you now?" Daigle sings from 'Look Up Child', as the crowd erupt in cheers. It's another infectious track that has everyone's feet moving. She synchronises her dance with her backing vocalist, as the band build epically into a sudden climax.
"I will trust in you," Daigle's vocals flow effortlessly smooth as pink and yellow lights flash. A false ending runs into a sax solo that feels sweet as summer rain. A trombone solo begins the reggae-inspired 'Your Wings', as the show drives ahead full steam with non-stop joy.
'This Girl' pulls the heartstrings, as Daigle cries: "I've searched the world to find my heart is yours." Lauren is sentimental and emotional, and the song touches and turns something deep within you.
"I'm on my way to salvation mountain," Daigle sings for 'Salvation Mountain', the kick drum thudding right into your chest in a deliciously gospel track that builds into the stars.
A beautifully sombre yet hopeful trumpet solo then plays out under a blue spotlight. The solo goes for minutes, yet you wish it would never end. It is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen and felt live. The audience is almost too stunned to clap.
'Hold On To Me' flows as Daigle says: "Man I love singing that song. I think this is the first time I've ever sung it here. I know what that song meant during 2020, so it's an honour to sing that for y'all." Her humility is endearing.
"I'm a college dropout, so for all those of you who say, 'I'm never gunna make it', I'm doing fine!" She then gets very excited to find sone fellow Louisians in the crowd.
Daigle shares how she wanted to study law to do pro bono for human trafficking victims, as the intro for 'Rescue'. Something spiritual floods the air during the song that is hard to quantify. 'Thank God I Do' followed with many holding hands and hugging around the arena. "You're gunna be ok," Daigle sings before exclaiming, "oh my gosh, I sound awesome," in a refreshingly honest live moment.
"I was asked what question are you trying to answer with your life," Daigle shares. "For me it was, am I valuable? We wrote this song because, if you feel like your life is not worth living or God made a mistake when He made you, this next song is for you. It's called 'Valuable'."
'O'Lord' has the crowd clapping at deafening levels in a life highlight, before the band solos feature the best in the bizz showcasing, as the guitarist runs away despite calls to his solo, but wow it's incredible. Her backing vocalist also stuns with vocals that are shockingly good. 'Still Rolling Stones' brings the energy right back up, before 'You Say' turns the arena into a massive choir.
Infectiously joyful, with a great set list that didn't stop, Lauren Daigle brings a show that moves your feet and your heart, and her and her incredible band ensure you leave wanting more.
