The first thing that stunned me was the background setting. Referencing nature and beauty, the backdrop for Vance Joys performance was perfectly on theme for how he presents his shows. Vance Joy is known for his natural beachy vibe alongside his poetic romanticism, and I feel this was perfectly captured for him and his music in the backdrop alone.
What I loved about Vance Joy was his infectious - no pun intended - joy. He was smiling throughout the entire show and saying funny, nice, sweet things, that he clearly meant, and it was nice to be in a crowd that felt connected through kindness and softness, as much as I love the harder gigs, a relaxing one was one I needed.
Vance Joy does indeed sound the exact same way as in his recordings. His voice, in my opinion, isn't the most unique thing on the planet, but he can sing extremely well and you can tell how equally passionate he is about the actual music; the guitar, the ukulele, on stage as he plays beautifully.
Something that I think was a small thing to improve on would be his usage of the stage. As he's consistently singing with one instrument in his hand, it's probably hard for him to move up and down the stage. At some point he does bring the band forward which is a great way to immerse the crowd in if you can't personally each them.
What I personally loved was that he didn't leave Riptide, his biggest hit, until the very last slot. Did a bunch of people leave after the song was done? Yes. But that's why it was perfect. He actually ended his setlist on Lay it on Me, one of my favourite songs of all time. It felt even more personal and like he knew he would have a moment with those who love his whole discography in that last moment.
So, if you're looking for a good ABBA cover that makes the whole room shake from dancing, funny stories being told and good old dedications to fans in the crowd getting married, Vance Joy is the perfect calm but fun vibe to see live.
