Shawn Mendes
25th November 2017
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
On a cloudy but rather humid early Saturday evening in Auckland, an endless train of parents and children interwoven with groups of teens wound its way to the doors of Spark Arena. The excitement in the air was palpable as young fans, tickets clenched firmly in hands fidgeted endlessly waiting for the doors to open to what for many in attendance would be the night of their lives. Not only was Shawn Mendes – one of the hottest acts in the world – playing tonight right here in their home town but in addition was Julia Michaels whose debut album Nervous System released just this year has taken the world by storm.
Once inside fans were greeted with the sight of not one but two stages; a smaller one set with a stunning black grand piano located just in front of the sound desk. A huge inflatable globe hung from the middle of the room and an impressive set up on the stage had fans salivating for what they may be about to witness. Bounding out with a light that seemed to beam from within her, Julia Michaels was greeted by a wall of screaming fans; immediately her face lit up with a smile as wide as the arena itself. With her name emblazoned across the big screen behind her and her four piece band in place, Michaels looked ready to take on the world as she sang ‘I Love to Make You Anxious’ to her adoring fans. Dressed in a red and black mesh top over the cutest pair of blue jeans that featured a cut out heart on each leg, Michaels appeared to be having just as much fun as her audience – if not more so.
“Hello Auckland! Guys this is my first time ever performing here” the entire audience voicing their appreciation of this fact; Michaels in turn joking with them of how she would only be playing one more song.
‘Just do it’ featured a rather epic little break down complete with an outstanding performance from her live drummer while ‘Worst in Me’ saw Michaels request everyone to “get their cell phone lights out” her beautiful whimsical nature shining through as she smiled and said “please … for me?” Watching thousands of lights simultaneously light up the arena was certainly a sight to behold and one that appeared to take even Michaels back as she exclaimed “Oh my goodness!”
The twenty-four year old may have only released her debut album this year but she has been penning Top 10 hits since a rather early age, beginning with songs for TV and Film before moving into the realms of the pop elite. As a small example of her songwriting talents Michaels performed a medley of hits for her fans which included the catchy ‘Bad Liar’ from Selena Gomez as well as ‘Good For You’ through to Justin Biebers ‘Sorry’ and Gwen Stefanis ‘Used To Love You’. Luckily for her continually growing army of fans; after Michaels wrote her now debut single ‘Issues’ she just couldn’t “picture anyone else singing it” and therefore decided to record it herself. So it was rather apt that she finished her short – but thoroughly impressive set with it.
By now the arena was just wall to wall of people; several Canadian flags were dotted about along with a couple of giant cardboard faces of Mendes himself. With many in attendance tonight being of the under thirteen persuasion it was brilliant to see that the floor section was also fully seated. Sure they would probably stand anyways but it was a clever way of ensuring that the younger ones were protected from the usual crush of the GA section.
Crackling into life the giant globe hanging from the arena ceiling began to display projected images of Mendes media snippets as the fans erupted in screams that reverberated around the room. Striding out in a simple but stylish outfit of slightly unbuttoned grey shirt and black jeans, Mendes smiled as his fans jumped to their feet and wildly cheered his arrival. Accompanied by a four piece band, Mendes wasted no time as he opened with ‘There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back’ that featured a nice little rocked out section towards the end. Mendes then trading his acoustic guitar for an electric to deliver ‘Lights On’ but not before acknowledging the audience and thanking them for coming, telling them all “I hope you enjoy the show”.
At just the age of nineteen, Shawn Mendes has already accomplished outstanding achievements. Teaching himself to play guitar through YouTube tutorials at the age of thirteen, Mendes was soon posting covers on Vine. It wasn’t long before the young Canadian was discovered and by 2014 he had already produced his first EP. What was to follow was his outstanding debut album Handwritten in 2015 which he quickly chased with Illuminate in 2016. With both albums debuting at the top of US Billboard 200, Mendes soon found himself to be one of only five artists to ever debut at number one before the age of eighteen. And judging by his performance tonight it is easy to see why. Just like the name of both his album and current tour, Mendes illuminates the stage every time he smiles, there is genuine warmth to his on stage persona, even when he’s singing about affairs of the heart.
With his live band providing multi-faceted layers to what are already wonderfully constructed melodies it seems that the show could not be any stronger; but this is the Illuminate tour so what better way to really raise the roof than to have some of the most exquisite lighting and media installations that the arena has ever seen. From pixelated versions of Mendes himself strolling through forests to waterfalls of light bathing him in a soft glow as he serenades his admirers; there is no shortage of visual delights throughout the show to wow his fans. By the time Mendes plays ‘A Little too Much’ regaling the audience with a short anecdote of how he began writing from a young age the room is filled with an overwhelming feel good vibe. Handwritten notes fill a virtual music room projected on the back screen as clouds rush by overhead. Each of the visual designs somehow providing a small insight into the musical mind of Mendes himself, making his fans feel that much more closer to him.
Understandably the big singles such as ‘Stitches’ result in en masse singalongs, Mendes encouraging the audience to sing as loud as they can. “Scream it out!” he shouts, and unbelievably the volume level of the audience increases, Mendes beaming every time. ‘Ruin’ which began with a beautifully drifting guitar soon turned into a humongous chorus of voices as Mendes spoke of his newly acquainted friend Khalid who had told him that Auckland audiences were some of the loudest he had ever heard; Mendes asking his fans to prove it tonight by singing the line “Do I ever cross your mind” which they did with undeniable passion. For his cover of Ed Sheerans ‘Castle on the Hill” Mendes made his way down to the smaller stage and played piano as the globe above him was magically transformed into a blue tinted moon. It was certainly an enchanting sight, and for those fans lucky enough to be close enough to the stage it soon turned into a magical experience as Mendes took the time to come to the edge, crouch down and take their hands as he sang.
Back on the main stage and Mendes has barely broken a sweat, his soft brunette curls still in place as he swings straight into ‘Mercy’ another big hitter of the evening. Finishing on ‘Never be Alone’ Mendes and band leave the stage momentarily as images of water and tour footage play out on screen. Once again taking the stage Mendes begins to sing ‘Use Somebody’ by Kings of Leon before cleverly shifting into arguably one of his biggest hits ‘Treat You Better’, smiling the entire time as the audience give it everything they have knowing that this is their last chance tonight to do so.
Cherished memories forever etched in time
Shawn Mendes:
Julia Michaels:
Were you there at Spark Arena for this superb pop double header? Or have you seen Shawn Mendes perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Shawn Mendes Setlist:
- There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
- Lights On
- I Don’t Even Know Your Name/Aftertaste/Kid In Love/ I Want You Back
- The Weight
- A Little Too Much
- Stitches
- Bad Reputation
- Ruin/Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
- Castle On The Hill/Life Of The Party
- Three Empty Words
- Patience
- Roses
- No Promises
- Understand
- Don’t Be A Fool
- Mercy
- Never Be Alone
- Use Somebody / Treat You Better [encore]
Julia Michaels Setlist:
- I Love To Make You Anxious
- Just Do It
- Worst In Me
- Bad Liar/Love Myself/Good For You/Used To Love You/Sorry
- Uh-Huh
- Issues
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