Live Review: Shania Twain, Bastian Baker

Thousands of denim and leopard print-clad fans congregated at Qudos Bank Arena to catch Shania Twain, the artist who made country/pop crossover a thing way before Taylor Swift, in her first Sydney show in almost two decades.

You’d think performing in front of an arena full of people who, for the most part, had never heard of you before, with nothing but your acoustic guitar to back you up would be daunting, but confident and charismatic singer-songwriter Bastian Baker made it look easy. “I thought I had a standing ovation, but they’re just taking their seats... Perfect timing, the first two songs were rubbish,” joked the Swiss musician as punters funnelled into the venue, before winning over new fans with new song Stay and a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. 

Thundering drums announced the arrival of the Canadian megastar herself, who appeared at the back of the arena in a glittery, sequined dress and matching hat – Shania Twain sure knows how to make an entrance. She made her way to the stage, which had been set up with giant video cubes and a leopard print curtain, through a crowd of eager, adoring fans, opening with Life’s About To Get Good, the lead single off of her latest album Now.

It appears that being a super-talented multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer are prerequisites for joining Twain’s band - one member managed to play keys, bass, fiddle and accordion throughout the incredibly dynamic set. The show consisted of perfectly cheesy country tunes like Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? - performed appropriately with cowboy hats - that had everyone dancing, as well as more emotive, sentimental tracks like I’m Alright that allowed Twain’s voice to shine.

As the world’s all-time top-selling female country star, Twain has quite the back catalogue, but she managed to deliver the perfect balance of old and new. Any Man Of Mine (1995) and Honey, I’m Home (1997) were well-received, but nostalgia levels peaked when the riff of That Don’t Impress Me Much played out and Twain walked on stage dressed in a leopard print costume, reminiscent of the iconic '90s video clip.

Twain moved to a rotating seat on a small stage set up towards the back of the arena. Getting a closer look at her audience she noted, “I see a lot of different ages out there... this song is 21 years old now, so I know for sure some of you would have been little kids…  and 21 years later you’re all grown up,” introducing You’re Still The One, which had the arena lit up with phone lights.

A top hat and coat were swapped for a beautiful gown for ballad From This Moment On, showcasing Twain’s powerful vocals, before Bastian Baker made his way back on stage for fun duet Party For Two.

Encore requests were met with massive hit Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, the perfect way to close out a show that proved that even after a long break from music, Shania Twain remains an incredibly impressive and entertaining live performer.