Main image: @Qudos Bank Arena @glenn_pokorny
Right from the start when she entered, Olivia Rodrigo did not miss a beat, putting on a VERY high-energy show for almost two hours, singing fan-faves from her GUTS and SOUR albums. Team TG have been to their share of concerts, but ‘Livies’ are LOUD. You think you know from watching clips online, but trust us, it doesn't compare to experiencing the Olivia Rodrigo effect IRL. Livies sure know how to sing their GUTS out. In a sea of cowboy hats, bows, sequins, cropped and slogan tees, shiny mini skirts, pleated plaid skirts, and of course purple, fans showed up for the occasion and were READY to go. They were screaming along to EVERY single lyric, cheering, jumping about and stomping their feet. There truly wasn't one moment of silence from the crowd.
Watching Olivia for almost two hours, one thing is clear – she knows how to put on a show. She is a talented singer, song-writer and musician (she plays a couple of tunes on the guitar and piano throughout the concert), and effortlessly interacts with the audience – whether it’s through the fan cam (on Sydney Night 1, she mistook siblings for a couple and it was hilarious), appreciating fan signs and gifts, or just some good old banter. We also need to shout out that Liv has an all-female band and back up dancers – she really is a champion of girl power!
Olivia kicks off the show in a silver two-piece with fan-fave from GUTS, ‘bad idea right?’, bouncing onto the stage with high energy that sets the tone for the rest of the night. Every time she encourages the crowd to sing back to her, they do it whole heartedly, like a big group therapy session. The crowd is riled up as Olivia then goes into the pop-punk ‘ballad of a homeschooled girl’. It’s an epic singalong when Liv launches into single ‘vampire’, followed by SOUR classic, ‘traitor’. She then takes to the piano with breakout hit ‘drivers license’, where the crowd’s enthusiasm as they sing along proves that it’s a song that truly will never get old. This is then followed by ‘teenage dream’ with a cute montage of young Olivia clips playing on the screen behind her.
Then it’s time for the first costume change of the night, where she changes into a black two-piece. Cue ‘pretty isn’t pretty’ with back up dancers and then ‘love is embarrassing’. The high energy is still bursting, before Liv slows things down with ‘making the bed’, but the crowd’s enthusiasm doesn’t wane.
Then we enter the next act of the show, which is pretty cool – stars hanging above start to move and with a sparkly mesh slip thrown over her two-piece, Liv then climbs onto a giant crescent moon. It slowly travels around the arena above the crowd, giving the superstar more of an opportunity to interact with the crowd sitting further in the arena. The crowd of course goes WILD, to which an awe-struck Olivia describes them as “deafening in the best way”. On the moon, she performs ‘logical’ and ‘enough for you’ (with a screaming competition in between the two songs, haha), before returning to the stage for ‘lacy’ with back up dancers.
Liv once again shows off her musical talents, donning a guitar (purple, of course) for ‘so american’, before interacting with the crowd, admiring signs and fan gifts (including a hilare Deja Roo shirt on Sydney Night 1 and Sunny Angels on Sydney Night 2). There’s a bit of banter with one of her guitarists before they launch into ‘jealousy, jealousy’. She then takes to the stage floor with another fellow band member, Daisy, and they strip things back with just a guitar and Liv singing as they perform ‘happier’ and ‘favorite crime’. Fans – especially the OG Liv stans who followed her during her High School Musical: The Musical – The Series – then absolutely lose their minds when they decide to play ‘All I Want’, which is an Australian exclusive to the GUTS World Tour. Yassss! Then we’re back up on our feet dancing and screaming during ‘déjà vu’ and ‘the grudge’.
Next is a costume change with Liv in a red halter dress for ‘brutal’, and then grabbing an electric guitar for ‘obsessed’. So much high energy, jumping and screaming – it’s a vibe! The ultimate scream session takes place in ‘all-american b’, and if you haven’t been deafened by the screaming by this point, you have now. Totally worth it though and very therapeutic, haha! And then Liv, her band and dancers disappear because the end of the night is near and it’s time for the encore.
Returning to the stage in blinged hotpants and a customised tank top (‘Kiss My Aussie’ on Sydney Night 1 and 'I Wanna Get Him Outback' on Sydney Night 2), Liv launches into ‘good 4 u’, before ending the night with ‘get him back’, complete with a confetti canon. What a night! Letting out our teenage angst and heartbreak has never been so satisfying and empowering. We hope to do it again – come back soon, Olivia! If you’re lucky enough to attend one of Liv’s final shows of the GUTS World Tour in Sydney, you are in for a treat and are going to have the BEST time!
Let us know in the comments if you went Olivia's GUTS World Tour, or if you're going to one of her last shows!
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