When I saw Billy Ocean for the first time in 2023, I wrote “Now I’ve discovered how good he is live, I can only hope that he’s got a few more tours left in him.” I raved so enthusiastically about that concert my mum said she’d love to see him next time he was in town. So on Tuesday, we headed to Eora/Sydney for a girls’ night out.
As with the last tour, Billy partnered with an emerging artist with an impressive collection of originals. Western Australian artist Jason Ayres came armed with plenty of charm and an easy blend of rock, folk, pop, country, and blues. His bio cites John Mayer, Ryan Adams, and Keith Urban as influences, which makes total sense when you see Jason live. He’s got a similar earnestness about him. While he’s quick with a smile for the crowd, you know he’s serious about his craft. His originals are very good, but he also sweetened the deal with stellar covers of Cher’s “Bang Bang” and Chris Isaak’s “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing.” I wasn’t sure how his set of largely originals would go down with the crowd here for a nostalgic show, but I needn’t have been concerned. By the final song, they were enthusiastically clapping along to the beat, totally unprompted. You can’t ask for more than that.
I must admit, I felt a little sense of déjà vu seeing Billy. He opened with the same three songs as the last tour: “One World,” “Love Really Hurts Without You,” and “Nights (Feel Like Getting Down).” While the set has changed a little – “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” was a notable omission this time around and “Stay the Night” and “Daylight” are new inclusions – essentially what you get when you see Billy is the greatest hits show every time. And honestly, you can’t be mad at that.
Billy’s songs are fantastic and he performs them with such joy that it’s a pleasure to bask in his aura. I’m not sure I’ve seen many artists who take such clear delight singing songs they wrote decades ago. He tours relentlessly, he’s performed them countless times, yet his genuine smile never wavers. He’s authentically grateful to the crowd who lets him do this and he wants to give back, whether it’s with those still impressive vocals or a little shimmy and shake as he dances across the stage with more confidence than most 75-year-olds would. And they love him back, rushing the stage near the end to dance along to hits like “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Gets Going” and “Caribbean Queen.” Being amongst such a rapturous crowd enjoying songs like that is just such good pure fun.
While Billy Ocean didn’t reinvent the wheel with this concert, he didn’t need to. He gives the people what they want, singalong hits delivered exceptionally well with a healthy dose of charm and joy. You can’t ask for more than that.
Photo credit: Lauren Katulka