Live Review: Leo Sayer, Jason Ayers

Hundreds gathered on a chilly Valentine’s night in Mundaring to watch ‘70s pop phenomenon Leo Sayer bring the house down with his sheer charisma and showmanship.

Jason Ayers was first up. Armed with an acoustic guitar, the Perth local kicked things off with a cover of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know, and while his vocals were technically competent, they lacked the emotional intensity required for such a tune. His original tracks found more success than his covers, with songs like Troubles Of My Own proving to be far better suited to his country twang. Familiarity always goes down a treat, and this was evident when his cover of John Mellencamp’s Jack And Diane prompted an audience singalong. One last cover drew Ayers’ set to a close – Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer. Once again, this countrified rendition failed to match the energy of the original. However, the audience seemed to love it all the same.

By this stage the crowd was already buzzing – and a little tipsy. A curly black wig made its rounds amongst the crowd, and several audience members relished the chance to don Leo locks for a moment.

Circus music kicked in and everybody promptly found their way back to their seats. After much anticipation, Leo Sayer stepped onto the stage, fittingly dressed in a silver sequinned ringleader jacket. Equipped with a band of seasoned musicians, the 67 year-old launched straight into The Show Must Go On, and the audience erupted into applause. A sizeable crowd had formed around the modest standing area at the front of the stage by his second track, One Man Band, and Moonlighting had more fans clamouring to get to the front of the stage.

Sayer was naturally dynamic on stage; his sheer wit could charm the pants off any 20-year-old. His audience interaction was equally as entertaining as his performances, and the man did everything he could to ensure his fans felt loved. He took a moment during More Than I Can Say to shake the hands of several people, undoubtedly fulfilling decades-old dreams in the process.

Sayer busted out the pelvic thrusts in You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, before local legend, guitarist Lindsay Wells, made a surprise guest appearance and helped the audience rock out to Long Tall Glasses. He could have easily rested on his superstar status and phoned the night in – like many of his fame do nowadays – but Sayer didn’t. A four-song encore culminated in an epic riff-off between the band and Sayer’s harmonica, leaving fans absolutely gobsmacked. If there was anything to take away from the night, it’s that Leo Sayer is like a fine wine – he only gets better with age.