Arriving at the B.E.C last night, Conrad and I walked into a sea of mixed human beings. I always love seeing the demographic of people who come to see their favourite singer/bands. Last nights mix was quite diverse, split 60/40 female-to-male and with most attendees over 20 with a fair pecentage above 50.

For those who don’t know, Conrad is a major hardcore rocker who is in a band called The Lynch Mada from the Gold Coast. He’s fully into music of all different sorts and often frequents venues to see other artists in action. However last night was his first big pop/rock star concert, so we spent a bit of time exploring the B.E.C and it’s vastness. Before long, the support act Simon Bruce came on stage and we listened to his acoustic set of mellow, poetic songs for half an hour. Simon did alright for a 19 year old finding his feet in the folky, relaxed music genre of today.

After Simon finished, our excitement levels were raised as our anticipation to see and hear Dido increased. The lights dimmed and the lightshow began. Piercing rays of solid light flashed through the crowd as a strong bass and rythmic music package tickled our ears. Dido made her way onto the stage as the crowd greeted her with massive applause. The atmosphere was truly magnificent with Dido’s real life beauty truly trumping the moment.

After finishing her opening song, Dido spoke to the crowd. A moment I thought I might cringe at. Previously I had heard her speak on a television interview and remembered her voice as being really annoying. I don’t know why I thought that, as after hearing her speak last night I was enchanted. I want to hear and see more of this wonderfully normal person. Dido showed herself as an everyday girl who loved to talk to the audience as if she was talking to just you. She opened herself up and invited you to get to know her a little better as she shared the inspiration for most of her songs. Dido seems like the fun girl everyone knows. The one who enjoys to party, makes your laugh, looks stunning and has a unpredictable love life.

Dido and her truly magnificent band played a truly moving set, making sure not to forget all the favourites. Hearing Dido in concert magnified her talent. You could see in her eyes the pain/happiness/anger/anxiousness of each experience being relived as she sang each song. While the audience would have been content to see Dido by herself, she had an amazing band to add to the experience. The bass and rythym section providing real energy to each song. Along with the standard drummer there was a dedicated female percussionist who showed real talent. It was great to see all the pop effects provided with real instruments instead of a backing track.

As the the evening drew to a close, I walked away feeling like I just made a new best friend.

stickfly.com rating: 10/10