Review by Markus Hamence & Jeff Smith – Performance date: Saturday 14 December 2024, Adelaide Festival Theatre, Adelaide, SA
A Decade of Blackbird: Dan Sultan and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Soar at the Festival Centre
Saturday night was a balmy one in Adelaide and outside of Adelaide Festival Centre on the riverbank, in Elder Park, Adelaide’s Carols By Candlelight was well underway. But, inside Adelaide Festival Centre, some thing else major was set to occur…
Dan Sultan, one of Australia’s most powerful and soulful voices, joined the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) at the Festival Theatre to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his acclaimed third studio album, Blackbird. This wasn’t just a music performance of brilliant standards – it was an extraordinary reimagining of a career-defining record, brought to life with the grandeur of a full orchestra.
The result? A deeply moving, transformative performance that paid homage to the original album while elevating it to breathtaking new heights.
A Landmark Album, Reimagined
Released in 2014, Blackbird marked a pivotal moment in Sultan’s career. The album won him two ARIA Awards and showcased his unique ability to blend soul, blues, and rock with deeply personal and culturally resonant storytelling. Revisiting Blackbird with the ASO wasn’t just a celebration of the album’s legacy; it was a testament to its enduring relevance.
The live performance retained the emotional weight of the original tracks while adding layers of orchestral sophistication. Songs that were already rich in texture and emotion became cinematic masterpieces, filling the Festival Theatre with an energy that was both intimate and monumental.
The Performance
Sultan’s Commanding Presence
Dan Sultan has always been a magnetic performer, and this night was no exception. Walking onto the stage with his signature blend of humility and confidence, he immediately had the audience in the palm of his hand. Sultan has this unbelievable self assurance and confidence that is mixed with a truckload of humbleness and gratefulness, albeit, wrapped in lashings of insane vocal prowess and musical ability – It adds up to being a rare remarkable human. His gritty, soul-soaked voice was as powerful as ever, effortlessly filling the expansive venue with raw emotion.
Sultan’s performance of tracks like The Same Man (The opening song) and Nobody Knows showcased his vocal range and emotional depth, while Kimberley Calling was a haunting highlight, with the orchestra adding a swelling, cinematic quality to the already evocative song. Argh! His beloved audience were in heaven and the hecticness of finding a car park due to the ‘Carols’ outside were long forgotten.
The ASO’s Majestic Contribution
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Aaron Wyatt, was nothing short of phenomenal. From the opening notes of Blackbird, it was clear that the ASO wasn’t just accompanying Sultan – they were in conversation with him. Strings soared, horns punctuated key moments, and woodwinds provided delicate counterpoints to Sultan’s gritty guitar riffs and resonant vocals. Does Adelaide have one of the best orchestras in the world?, possibly. It is finely tuned and crafted out of born talent. They are tight and the sounds they created in the acoustically exceptional Festival Theatre were most unworldly at times.
The ASO’s arrangement of Chance To Lose Control & It Belongs To Us were standouts, turning the bluesy-esque pop anthems into sweeping, almost operatic pieces that left the audience spellbound. The interplay between Sultan’s soulful delivery and the orchestra’s lush harmonies created an unforgettable listening experience.
Highlights of the Night
- Loving’s Just For Fools: Hauntingly good, tragic and a performance that recalled our past relationships effortlessly.
- Can’t Blame Me: Already a gut-wrenching rock ballad in its original form, the orchestral version was utterly heartbreaking. The strings wove an aching melancholy that amplified Sultan’s raw, emotional delivery.
- Gullible Few: Sultan’s storytelling prowess shone in this track, and the ASO’s arrangement added a cinematic flair that made the song feel larger than life.
The arrangements, by Alex Turley, were sublime. A honed eye for detail, Alex’s keen attention to the finest and most delicate note was was not over-looked. A slice of perfection.
Kudos to ‘Lighting’ also. It was the layer of icing that made the night of music complete. Nailed it.
A Connection Beyond the Music
What made the evening even more special was Sultan’s connection to the audience. His dry humour, his smirks, his nods, his eye gazes engaged us with sense of familiar ease. Between songs, he minimally shared reflections with relevant bantered conversation. His warmth and authenticity created an intimate atmosphere, even in the grandeur of the Festival Theatre.
Sultan’s reflections on his Indigenous heritage and the role of music in telling his story resonated deeply, adding another layer of meaning to the performance. It wasn’t just a celebration of Blackbird; it was a celebration of identity, resilience, and the power of music to connect and heal.
The Audience Reaction
From the first note (even though he confessed to picking up his child’s cold – If this was Dan in bad form, he doesn’t want to see me in good form haha)) to the final standing ovation, the audience was enthralled. There were moments of pin-drop silence during Sultan’s most tender performances and eruptions of applause after the night’s most powerful crescendos.
For us in attendance, it was a journey through memory, emotion, and the evolution of a beloved artist. Fans of Blackbird were reminded of why the album resonated so deeply a decade ago, while some newbies were introduced to its brilliance in a way that felt fresh and immediate.
One of Australia’s finest voice, quite possibly. A good human, undoubtably.
A Collaborative Review: Jeff Smith
Dan Sultan’s 2014 album Blackbird holds a special place in my musical memory, so a pairing with the magnificent Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) to mark the albums tenth anniversary was always going to be an unmissable event. The winning combination of the ASO and Sultan’s powerful vocals made for a new experience of this album, where Alex Turley’s arrangements wrapped themselves effortlessly around these much-loved songs. Divided in two halves, the first set celebrated Blackbird, with the ASO adding a new dimension and beauty to the material with Sultan’s captivating voice and storytelling at the forefront of the show from the first notes of The Same Man.
The Blackbird set presented multiple highlights including It Belongs to Us, Kimberly Calling, Can’t Blame Me and an achingly beautiful and tender reinterpretation of Nobody Knows. Under the baton of conductor Aaron Wyatt, Sultan had the audience mesmerised with the power and raw emotion of his performance. Stunning visual projections by Sultan’s long-term friend Jarra Karalinar Steel created an immersive experience that complimented each song perfectly.
The second half showcased a career spanning set with Sultan and the ASO hitting new heights. This was a natural collaboration, and the mutual admiration of the incredible musicianship and song writing was evident tonight. Second set highlights included Time Won’t Take, the showstopping Fire Under Foot, Old Fitzroy and the encore debut of a new unreleased new song, with Sultan solo at the piano.
Dan Sultan and the ASO delivered in every way and was every inch the memorable showcase of one of our most loved artists and celebrated albums. The performance was a fitting way for the ASO to wrap up their 2024 season and we can only hope that the two meet again in the not-too-distant future.
Final Thoughts
Dan Sultan’s tenth-anniversary celebration of Blackbird with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was a reimagining and celebration that brought new life to an already remarkable work of art and more importantly an album that brought more connection to all us folk that live on this beautiful land called Australia.
Sultan’s unmistakable voice, matched with the ASO’s unparalleled talent, created an evening that was as moving as it was unforgettable. It was a reminder of the timelessness of Blackbird and the transformative power of live music.
All this is said with out even mentioning the encore song though… It was a moment that was a gift for us that were there and no words can reflect the energy that he manifested in that moment as he sung at the piano, solo, no accompaniment. Just a man, his voice and his fingers on the keys. Mesmerising.
For those lucky enough to witness this incredible collaboration, it was a night that will linger in memory -a testament to Dan Sultan’s artistry and the enduring magic of Blackbird.
Bravo, Dan Sultan and the ASO! Just, BRAVO 🎶
Side note: I then headed back outside to the river bank. Even the joyfully loud and rather chaotic atmosphere of the ‘Carols’ could not diminish what occurred to me during this outstanding show. Currently, writing this review on the sofa and listening to Dan’s latest musical offering on vinyl, purchased at the ‘merch desk’ as i left, with a happy vibe in my heart, knowing I had seen a music industry force.
Check out these cool professional pics below. Credit: Bri Hammond
