High energy, fun humour, sensational voices and full of love - Callea and Campbell bring it all in bucket loads
Presented by: Markus Hamence
Reviewed: 19 May, 2023
Not doing anything this weekend? If you are, cancel your plans. Anthony Callea and Tim Campbell’s Up Close and Unpredictable concert tour is in town, and it’s a must see. Local producer Markus Hamence has brought this brilliant concert to Adelaide, and it is clear to see why there are only limited tickets left for the remaining shows, not just here in Adelaide, but around the entire tour.
Part biographical, part concert and a whole lot of entertainment, this tour is their first joint adventure in their sixteen years of being together. Callea and Campbell weave stories of their careers and life together with an eclectic mix of songs in a 2.5 hour performance that only leaves you wanting more. This show gives audiences a glimpse of what it might be like to live in the Callea/Campbell household.
The show opened with the title song from the musical RENT before moving into an equally impressive cover of Playing To Win. Their banter is hilarious, natural and very honest, and nothing seems to be off limits. To top it off, Callea and Campbell’s voices blend beautifully.
During Melbourne’s never ending lockdowns, Callea and Campbell opened their doors to the world through social media. They offered commentary, they performed, did skits, and more, all in the comfort of their dressing gowns. Much to the crowd’s delight, Callea and Campbell resurrected their dressing gowns and some of their more popular skits.
Both Callea and Campbell also featured in solo sets throughout the night. Each of them carefully selected songs from key moments of their lives and shared some reflective and personal stories along the way. Campbell’s love of the 70s and 80s shone through in his sets, along with a very ‘revealing’ performance of Sweet Transvestite that certainly left the audience shivering with antici…..pation. A personal highlight was Campbell’s stunning duet As Long As You’re Mine from the musical Wicked, with backing vocalist Susie Ahern.
Callea presented a moving acoustic set featuring numbers from his Australian Idol journey. Performing numbers from some of his recent albums, it was wonderful to hear Callea share some personal stories about how and why these songs were written. A huge highlight of the evening was Callea’s signature piece, The Prayer. To introduce the song, he shared further stories from his time on idol and the lead-up to singing that number, giving the audience an insight into not only the show but his personal connection to this song. Simply sublime.
Vocally, Callea and Campbell are in a complete world of their own. As a vocal nerd, their technique is sensational. Callea’s voice continues to improve and his breath control is remarkable — hearing him control and hold long phrases with such ease is wonderful. Campbell’s vocal range is highly impressive — especially his upper register. Both bring so much energy to the stage that it left me in the audience exhausted from watching them! It wouldn’t be a Callea or Campbell show without equally impressive costumes — especially Callea’s.
Their band was sensational. Backed by bass, guitar, keys, drums and two backing vocalists, this group of musicians are at the top of their game. Never missing a beat, and offering tight support to Callea and Campbell. It is clear they have worked together for a long time, especially their backing vocalists, whose blend was excellent.
The show really lived up to its title, especially the ‘unpredictable’ part! As part of the opening night performance in Adelaide, Callea helped facilitate a marriage proposal live on stage. Thankfully, she said yes!
The set list of the night was packed with hits from Callea and Campbell’s lives, as well as a multitude of excellent covers. The evening concluded with a pumping 90s medley of boy band and rap numbers that quickly had the whole house on their feet dancing along. The show is a playful celebration of Callea and Campbell’s lives, their love for each other and their love for performing. Thank you, gentlemen, for bringing some warmth, love, joy and laughter to a cold wintry weekend in Adelaide.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Markus Hamence
Venue: The Regal Theatre
Season: Saturday 20 May at 8pm, Sunday 21 May at 3pm
Duration: 2.5 hours (including 20min intermission)
Tickets: $79.95
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/994490?eid=994490& or at https://markushamence.com/shows-and-events/
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