Opening for Grammy Award-winning American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer from Atlanta Georgia, Leon Bridges, was Sydney artist, Milan Rose, whose sultry voice mastered the room right from her opening notes. Rose’s authentic lyrics, clever use of synths and hot guitar licks set the tone for Leon Bridge’s Melbourne tour de force.

From the moment Bridges stepped out onto the stage at Hamer Hall, the feel of an olde time Baptist revival meeting took over the room. Slow songs had heads bowed. His robot dance moves had the crowd ecstatically crying for more. Faster rock numbers had the diehards up on their feet and dancing in their seats. Although I heard no “Amen”, the hands in the air and solemnly nodding heads seemed almost to infer it anyway. 

Playing to a full house, it is fair to say that Bridges had the audience hanging on his every note; positively salivating as they willingly ate out of his hand. There was no doubt that this was an event long-wished for here in Melbourne, ever since his last sellout tour back in 2019. It felt like the soul revival for a new age. Bridges returned to perform songs from his new album, Gold Diggers Sounds, which received widespread acclaim from critics and debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 chart and peaked at number 25 on the ARIA chart. The album was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Bridges has also collaborated with John Mayer, Lucky Daye, Kacey Musgraves and Diplo, and has performed for the former US President Barack Obama.

The accompanying seven-piece band were slick throughout the evening, and a highlight was Bridges’ display of his skill as a multi-instrumentalist when he showcased his guitar talents. Track ‘You Don’t Know’ was awesome when Bridges performed it with his backup singers, Brittini Jesse and Brandon Marcel, and ‘River’ and ‘Beyond’ were a joy to see performed live. It’s little wonder why Bridges won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his song, ‘Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand’.

Despite hiding behind his pair of black-rimmed sunglasses, that have become a signature look for Bridges, he had the audience captivated from beginning to end. No doubt Melbourne will miss Leon Bridges, until his return to summon the congregation once more.

Written by Belinda Nolan-Price & Tamara Goldsmith. Edited by Lara Antonelli-Leorke.