Vanessa Lam
1 September 2016: Off the back of a whirlwind European and North American tour, music festivals in South Korea and Japan and shows in New Zealand, YouTube star turned international pop star, Troye Sivan brought his Blue Neighbourhood tour to the University of Canberra Refectory on 4 August. From the moment he stepped on stage it was clear, Sivan with just the right mix of charm and enthusiasm, lives and breathes his music.
The Refectory was filled to the brim with devoted fans – many under 18 and had been lining up since 11am – and there were more people still queued-up outside when his support act, electro-pop singer and producer Nicole Millar opened her set. She had the already excited crowd singing along with her collaborative hit 'High', originally performed with Canberra band Peking Duk. While Millar's latest single 'Tremble' showed off her electronic dance music roots and prepped the crowd for the man of the hour.
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This is the first time Troye Sivan has performed in Canberra on the UC Refectory stage. Photo: Vanessa Lam.
Up next was surprise guest DJ Tyde Levi, Sivan's younger brother and fellow YouTuber, who was met with a chorus of screams of enthusiasm. His 20-minute set was a combination of dance beats mashed up with top 40 songs. The audience's energy was high but Levi's felt higher, encouraging everyone to jump and dance along with him before tossing his jacket into the mosh pit, much to the delight of fans.
Building the anticipation until the crowd was chanting his name, Sivan finally took to the smoke-filled stage performing his track 'Bite' from his debut album Blue Neighbourhood, which reached No.6 in the ARIA charts. In an instant, a sea of phone screens popped up from the crowd of eager fans, hoping to record a glimpse of the moment.
With more than a combined total of 16 million followers across YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, this is the first time Sivan has played a show in Canberra and his first national tour of his adopted country. Born in South Africa, Sivan and his family now live in Perth, Western Australia where he began his road to international stardom making YouTube videos in his bedroom.
Face adorned with glitter and dressed in a simple turtleneck t-shirt and baggy pants, he transitioned into 'For Him' and 'Fools' with passionate fans singing every word right back at him.
In a heart-felt moment before launching into his song 'Heaven', Sivan explained the meaning behind the song and dedicated it to LGBT+ audience members. Sivan has been a prominent member of the LGBT+ community since he came out in 2013 via YouTube.
"I wrote this song when I was 19 about how I was feeling when I was 15 and was starting to realise that I was gay. I had to ask myself all these terrifying questions about what my future might hold, am I ever going to find someone or have a family? Screw all that stuff. All that matters is that I'm happy and feel good about who I am!"
Swaying, popping and dancing to the beat of his music all night. Sivan sent the crowd wild with 'Wild', accompanied by his female keyboardist for the new arrangement of the single, featuring Alessia Cara. He then slowed the night down with a stripped-back cover of Dua Lipa's 'Be The One'.
With his mother and brother looking on proudly from the top of the Refectory, Sivan told the audience it was his parents' 25th wedding anniversary and said he hoped to find a love like theirs someday, which elicited many 'awes' of approval from the adoring crowd.
Taking selfies with the crowd on a fan's phone, blowing them kisses and accepting gifts throughout the night, Sivan decided to read one of the letters handed out to him, before starting he giggled, "this is weird, is it not?" It's clear in this moment the connection Sivan has with his fans, he cares for them as much as they adore him.
With the lights dimmed, he went on to perform an acoustic version of his first single 'Happy Little Pill' from his 2014 debut EP, TRXYE, the crowd went crazy.
Before he even stepped off the stage the crowd was screaming for more and Sivan returned for an encore. Thanking the crowd, he drew the night to a close with 'Lost Boy' and finished with a bang by getting the crowd to chant "my youth" before his hit single 'Youth', arguably a song that will serve as the soundtrack of this generation. With a pride flag in hand Sivan proved that he's not only a talent to watch, but is a global superstar on the rise.
