Tag: Anthony Callea

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea @ The Art House, Wyong – 4 March 2022

After 10 long months, I finally experienced live music on Saturday night. Seeing Anthony Callea at the Art House in Wyong was a wonderful return to live events. The venue was packed, but it’s still small enough to ease me into sharing space with other people. My husband and I kept our masks on, although it seems most of the crowd was happy the mandate was lifted. Whether you chose to mask up or not, there was a real buzz in the air, the anticipation that comes when so many of us haven’t had the chance to see shows or do much socialising at all of late.

My blog tells me this is the fourth time I’ve seen Anthony perform. I keep coming back because he’s one of the most consistent artists in this country. You know you’re always in for a good time, a celebration of great music, a lot of laughs, and some fabulous wardrobe choices. Opening with Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On” set the mood for a night of nostalgia. Anthony made his name performing covers, and he doesn’t shy away from it. Songs he performed on Australian Idol, including “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “The Prayer”, take pride of place in his set alongside newer reinventions. Janet Jackson’s Together Again, the song which lends its name to this tour, had some extra gravity as we celebrated coming together to experience live music.

Few artists seem as connected to their audiences as Anthony Callea. He chats to us like friends, regaling us with stories about his career, his time in lockdown, and that recent Celebrity Gogglebox appearance. He’s hilarious, a total natural in the spotlight. He wins the crowd over effortlessly, so when he wants to share a few newer originals penned during the pandemic no one minds a bit. They’re excellent, reminding us all that he’s much more than a talented vocalist. But of course, he knows what we’re all there for and before long he’s encouraging us to sing along to another old favourite. We came to the end of the night all too quickly, but not before he busted out some Rick Astley, encouraging us all to dance and sing. I’ve been a bit wary of that kind of thing during the pandemic, but I couldn’t resist standing and grooving along. It was a small step, but the perfect way to end a fabulous night of entertainment. The Together Again tour has just two more stops left. Catch him if you can at the following venues:

11 March 2022 – The Events Centre, Caloundra
12 March 2022 – Twin Towns, Tweed Heads

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea Releases Brave New Single

Anthony Callea has come a long way since he took second place in just the second season of Australian Idol. Now 15 years on from his stint on reality TV, Anthony is forging a new musical path writing his own songs. His brand new single “What’s Wrong With Me?” is the perfect introduction to his new musical chapter.

“‘What’s Wrong With Me?’ is a deep and meaningful song for me,” Anthony explained. “It’s inherently personal but also a song that I think many will be able to relate to. Telling a story through music is in my DNA and when I close my eyes and get behind the mic, I feel like I am home. It’s an honour to share this song with Australia and the World. Self-discovery is a beautiful yet confronting and scary process, so I hope that when you hear this song, you connect with me and we share a moment together, a moment of honesty, purity and respect.”

“What’s Wrong With Me?” is a world away from catchy pop tunes like “Addicted to You.” It also shows more creativity and soul than the admittedly excellent cover albums he’s produced in recent years. Everyone loves a cover; it’s what endeared Anthony to us all those years ago after all. Releasing a song like this, a song that’s not just an original but one that’s so vulnerable is a real risk. But I think it’s one that could pay off.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea @ The Art House, Wyong – 11 October 2019

I still have moments where I feel like pinching myself when I see shows at the Art House. I’ve travelled to Sydney several times to catch Anthony Callea, so it was a real treat to have him make the journey to the Central Coast this time around.

The show lived up its Unplugged and Unfiltered. Perhaps it was a little too unfiltered for the ears of my 12-year-old niece, although if you’d ask her those racy anecdotes made the night more fun. The stories came thick and fast, as did the songs stripped back and laid bare. Anthony’s voice is always in fine form, but without a full band to hide any flaws it was even more impressive. If you don’t get goose bumps listening to him deliver “The Prayer” I’d check for a pulse. He may have outdiva-ed Whitney with his mash-up of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “How Will I Know?” It was also a real thrill for the long-time fans to hear earlier material like “Rain” and “Addicted to You” in the set. I also loved seeing him so connected to his new single “What’s Wrong With Me?”

Anthony seemed to be having a ball on stage, appreciating the unfiltered format perhaps a little too much. The anecdotes may have dragged a little for punters there simply for the music, but I felt the laughs beautifully balanced the very emotional songs that made up the bulk of Anthony’s set. Perhaps the Art House should have posted a sign about sexual references and coarse language at the theatre doors, as they did for Hair though!

Even though those stories made my mum serving grandma duties blush, it all added up to such a fun night, a fitting introduction to the world of live music for my young niece. Even if she has learned a few things we didn’t expect!

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea @ State Theatre, Sydney – 11 August 2018

In 2004, I voted for Casey Donovan. If you’d have told me then that I’d be making a trip into the city to see her Australian Idol competition Anthony Callea live, I would have laughed. It’s not that I didn’t think he was talented. His voice was always undeniable. But I didn’t quite connect to him as a performer.

I didn’t become an Anthony Callea fan until he released his album of George Michael covers in 2014. With every subsequent album release I became a little more of a fan. After arriving late to the party, it was a real thrill to see Anthony perform his ARIA Number 1 Hits in Concert show at the State Theatre in Sydney on the weekend.

While the concert celebrated Anthony’s last number one album, ARIA Number 1 Hits in Symphony, with the bulk of the show made up of those beloved covers, it was really a retrospective of his career. Original songs from recordings as early as his first EP were no doubt a real treat to the diehard fans who were there when it all began. For me, it gave me an opportunity to catch up on the music I missed.

While I appreciated the originals, Anthony’s excellent cover versions provided some of the show’s highlights. A stripped back mash-up of Whitney Houston hits “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “How Will I Know” performed with his childhood friends was really special. An unexpected take on Keith Urban’s “Tonight I Want to Cry,” a song that didn’t appear on any of the recent cover albums, brought tears to my eyes. And if you don’t get goosebumps when Anthony performs “The Prayer” I’d check for a pulse. I was also thrilled to hear a couple of those George Michael classics that converted me into a true fan. By the time “Freedom ‘90” came around, I was regretting my decision to buy seats in the circle. Bouncing around in my chair, near the sign that reminded us all standing up and dancing was strictly prohibited, I wished I was down the front in the thick of the action.

While the songs and Anthony’s incomparable voice took centre stage, his ease as an entertainer was what really struck me. He chatted easily with the crowd, regaling us with tales of his time in the music business. That included his time on Idol. When so many people shy away from acknowledging reality TV stints, his candour and appreciation for that experience was refreshing. Anthony apologised countless times for going off on tangents, but I don’t think any of us minded his rambling. If I want to hear someone simply sing, I’ll stay home and listen to the CD. I come to concerts for a real show, and those stories are such a key part of that.

As I sat on the train heading back to the Central Coast, I spotted several people wearing Pink! T-shirts, all smiles after seeing her perform at Qudos Arena. Her show was at the other end of the spectrum, a sell-out spectacular in a large arena. There were no such theatrics about Anthony’s show, unless you count his blingy clothes. But he didn’t need them. Some might say Pink! doesn’t either, that her voice and songs could stand up if all the fanfare was stripped away and that she simply puts on the kind of big show she does because she can. But I was reminded of something that Anthony said during the night, about how he loved Australian Idol for its simplicity. Our first TV singing show didn’t need use backing dancers or elaborate staging. What Anthony does now continues that tradition. In a world that constantly tries to up the entertainment factor, bringing a show back to an incredible voice, great songs, and a winning personality is so refreshing.

Anthony Callea wraps up his ARIA Number 1 Hits in Concert tour at the Palms at Crown in Melbourne on August 24.

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea’s Symphony Album Tops the Charts

When I reviewed Anthony Callea’s newie ARIA Number 1 Hits In Symphony during the week, I said I wouldn’t be surprised if it does as Backbone did and found itself at the top of the ARIA charts. So I’m not shocked to see it’s pushed Ed Sheeran’s ÷ off its perch, but I am thrilled. It’s a really special album that deserves all the accolades.

Paul Kelly’s Life is Fine has also slipped a little this week, from number two to number five. But it’s far from a bad result five weeks after its release.

Another outstanding former number one Go Farther Into Lightness by Gang of Youths rounds out the top ten.

Sadly our Aussies aren’t doing so well on the singles charts. Hopefully “Lay It On Me” by Vance Joy can continue its ascent and end up in the top 10 soon.

Top 10 Albums
1. ARIA Number 1 Hits In Symphony – Anthony Callea
2. Sleep Well Beast – The National
3. All the Light Above it Too – Jack Johnson
4. ÷ – Ed Sheeran
5. Life is Fine – Paul Kelly
6. Slowheart – Kip Moore
7. Moana – Soundtrack
8. Villains – Queens of the Stone Age
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 – Soundtrack
10. Go Farther in Lightness – Gang of Youths

Top 10 Singles
1. “Too Good at Goodbyes” – Sam Smith
2. “Look What You Made Me Do” – Taylor Swift
3. “… Ready for It?” – Taylor Swift
4. “New Rules” – Dua Lipa
5. “What About Us” – P!nk
6. “Glorious” – Macklemore feat. Skylar Grey
7. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons
8. “Dusk Til Dawn” – Zayne feat. Sia
9. “Friends” – Justin Bieber & BloodPop
10. “1-800-273-8255” – Logic feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“ARIA Number 1 Hits in Symphony” – Anthony Callea

I must admit, I don’t follow the singles charts as much as I used to. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia that comes with old age, but I remember growing up listening to the charts on the radio, recording song after song because every one was a winner. Now I see what’s charting and wonder who or earth is buying that. It seems Anthony Callea has a similar affection for the good old days when browsing the track listing of his latest album ARIA Number 1 Hits in Symphony.

The album celebrates Anthony’s favourite singles that topped the ARIA charts. Most of the tracks come from the late ‘80s and ‘90s, although Anthony does dabble in more recent musical history with his covers of “All of Me,” “Someone Like You,” and “Bleeding Love.” Thankfully he’s given “Despacito” a wide berth. The more recent covers are songs that could have been written in another time, beautiful ballads that suit this album’s mellow feel. Don’t confuse mellow with sleepy though. John Foreman should be applauded for his magical arrangements of these songs. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra execute his arrangements flawlessly. Then there’s Anthony’s sublime voice in the centre of it all. What a voice he has, powerful and rich. If anything I think it’s only gotten better over the years.

It’s interesting that Anthony has chosen to release this album which has such a layered, rich sound as his follow-up to Backbone, an album which stripped back the production. While they’re very different albums, both contain see Anthony breathing new life into some excellent source material, putting his own stamp on the songs while remaining faithful to the original. And just like Backbone, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one goes to the top of the charts.

ARIA Number 1 Hits in Symphony is in stores now.

6 July 2018 – Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide
7 July 2018 – Astor Theatre, Perth
27 & 28 July 2018 – The Palms at Crown, Melbourne
3 August 2018 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
4 August 2018 – The Star, Gold Coast
11 August 2018 – State Theatre, Sydney

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea Back on Top of Albums Charts

It seems I’m not the only one who thinks Anthony Callea’s new album Backbone is pretty amazing. It’s debuted at number one on the ARIA charts this week, giving Anthony his second number one album 11 years after the release of his self-titled debut.

Backbone unseated last week’s number one, Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, which is now at number three.

Divas and Demons, the sophomore album from Melbourne rapper REMI, rounds out the top 10 albums.

Meanwhile on the singles charts, Sia’s collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, “The Greatest,” is at number four. After nearly three months on the charts, “Papercuts” by Illy featuring Vera Blue is at number 10. Talk about staying power!

Take a closer look at this week’s top 10.

Top 10 Albums
1. Backbone – Anthony Callea
2. Suicide Squad: The Album – Soundtrack
3. Skeleton Tree – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
4. My Dear Companion: Selections From the Trio Collection – Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris
5. Hard II Love – Usher
6. Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway – Barbra Streisand
7. Bridget Jones’s Baby – Soundtrack
8. 25 – Adele
9. Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid – Die Antwoord
10. Divas and Demons – REMI

Top 10 Singles
1. “Closer” – The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey
2. “Dancing on my Own” – Calum Scott
3. “Side to Side” – Ariana Grande feat. Nicki Minaj
4. “The Greatest” – Sia feat. Kendrick Lamar
5. “Starving” – Hailee Steinfeld
6. “Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
7. “Let Me Love You” – DJ Snake feat. Justin Bieber
8. “Cold Water” – Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber and MO
9. “Sucker for Pain” – Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons, X Ambassadors, Ty Dolla $ign, Logic
10. “Papercuts” – Illy feat. Vera Blue

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Backbone” – Anthony Callea

I’ve always admired Anthony Callea’s voice but I didn’t become a fan until he released his album Ladies and Gentlemen: The Songs of George Michael a few years ago. I loved George’s originals, but I found myself hearing the songs in a new way with Anthony’s release. So I was excited to see him tackling covers again on his latest album Backbone.

It’d be unfair to call this simply an album of covers though. Perhaps the term concept album would be more accurate. This collection is all about getting to the essence of each song, stripping away the bells and whistles of production and discovering its bare bones.

The approach brings out the beauty and depth in songs that once seemed like throwaway fluff, like Britney Spears’ “Sometimes” and Bananarama’s “Love in the First Degree.” The overproduction is gone, replaced for the most part with piano, Anthony’s voice, some backing vocals to support it, and those lyrics that are better than we all remembered them.

This album isn’t just about guilty pleasures, although they’re well represented. Other songs like “Man in the Mirror” and “We Belong” were already strong on their release. However, his versions do magnify the impact of the lyrics which sees them strike a little closer to the heart. Queen set the bar very high with another true classic, “Somebody to Love,” but the acapella version included here is one of the Backbone’s highlights. Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” is another standout. The subtle sax line in is a delicious throwback to the original, although the stripped back delivery makes it brand new.

The only original song, the title track “Backbone,” is beautiful and honest. However, it seems a little out of place on this concept album, not because it’s not a cover but because it has a fuller sound that doesn’t quite gel with the other more organically treated tracks. Just a fraction more restraint would have made all the difference.

One slight mistep doesn’t make Backbone any less enjoyable though. For pop music lovers like me, it’s a real gem that breathes new life into so many songs that have a special place in my heart. With a focus on lyrics and feeling, in many cases Anthony has improved on the originals. When we’re talking about songs so beloved, that’s no small feat.

Backbone hits stores on September 16. Anthony will support its release with the following shows.

23 September 2016 – Revesby Workers Club, Revesby
24 September 2016 – The Cube, Campbelltown
30 September 2016 – The Palms at Crown, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea @ Taronga Zoo, Sydney – 14 February 2015

I’ve always thought Anthony Callea was talented, but it took him covering the music of George Michael to turn me from casual admirer to a concert goer. The scheduling of his Twilight at Taronga concert on Valentine’s Day also didn’t hurt. The zoo’s one of my favourite places in the whole world, so the idea of spending the most romantic day of the year there, capped off by a concert was irresistible.

Sadly the weather gods didn’t realise just what a perfect evening it was supposed to be. My husband and I were soggy in ponchos, umbrellas overhead as we waited on the zoo’s concert lawns. Support act Caterina Torres provided a pleasant enough distraction from the gloomy weather. She’s got a lovely voice, but this Voice graduate never really wowed me. Her originals showed some real promise, and I appreciated her decision to play with only the accompaniment of a bandmate on acoustic guitar. However, her predictable covers of top 40 hits were a bit bland. I suppose you’ve got to appeal to the masses at this sort of show, but it all never got to the next gear for me.

It was almost as if the weather gods understood that Anthony Callea was the main event and that we should be focusing on him rather than the rain when he took the stage. We were treated with clear skies for his set chockfull of George Michael hits. I had a ball when I went and saw George a few years back, and I wondered whether Anthony could do the songs justice. I knew he had the voice for them, but I had a question mark over the charisma. However, he charmed the pants off me. His connection to these songs is evident, so you feel them just as deeply as you did when George sang them originally.

I felt a serious bout of déjà vu swooning over yet another gay man singing sexy songs like “Father Figure” and “Fastlove.” His version of “Kissing a Fool” could have stood to have been slowed down a little to capture the jazzy lounge feel of the original, but with just an hour and a quarter on the clock I guess sacrifices need to be made. Backing vocalist Susie Ahern was more than capable of taking over Mary J. Blige’s vocals for “As,” but again I was a little less enthusiastic about Caterina’s role in “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me.” Aretha Franklin’s soul shoes are big, but this version wasn’t a patch on the one Anthony laid down with Casey Donovan on the album.

Given the time restraints on a zoo concert, I wasn’t sure that we’d get an encore. But what an encore. The moment I heard the first strains of Wham!’s “I’m Your Man” I knew I couldn’t just settle for the chair dancing I’d been doing all night. I left my bag and husband behind and sprang down the front, joining the throng of people soaking up one last song. To experience one of my favourite George Michael songs so unexpectedly as it didn’t make Anthony’s recent album was such a fitting way to end one of the most fun, fabulous concert experiences I’ve had in some time.

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sophie and Benji Split, Tim and Ant Hook Up

Today’s news is all about make-ups and break-ups. On one hand, we’ve got word that Sophie Monk has split with her Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden.

Now we saw this one coming for a while, ever since Sophie returned to Australia solo in January. The Daily Telegraph later spotted her without her engagement ring, which started more rumours buzzing.

Sophie’s agent Yoon Kim put an end to the speculation today, issuing an official statement claiming “The decision was mutual and they remain amicable.” I guess it’s pretty easy to remain amicable when you’re on opposite sides of the world, right?

But things are happier for Tim Campbell and Anthony Callea, who’ve just admitted they’re together. The pair became close when they worked on a Perth production of Rent last year. They had both recently separated from their partners, and cried on each other’s shoulders.

“There was stuff written in the paper a while ago … and actually Anthony and I are a bit of an item at the moment,” Tim told Vega FM yesterday.

“The question was asked a while ago and we weren’t, but we have gotten to a point where we are very happy together.”

And it’s just in time for Valentine’s Day too! It’s too bad about Sophie and Benji, but at least some of our Aussie stars will have a loved-up day tomorrow!