Mariah Carey put the “gold” into Gold Coast last night with a 24-carat performance – her first full-length concert since June last year.
The “songbird supreme” delivered the goods – from costume changes to dancers, purring, old-pro banter and circus-feat high notes- at the long sold-out show presented by Jupiters at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Unfortunately sound problems saw the show get a less-than-perfect start.
“There’s a lot of difficult sound problems going on here,” Carey said.
“I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s just you, or if it’s something in the air, but can we fix it,” she said.
It is a shame she wasn’t playing Jupiters Theatre.
A capacity crowd of more than 4500 went nuts the moment the sultry American diva, resplendent in killer heels and a figure-hugging silver embroidered mini-dress, backed by a four-piece band, three vocalists and six male dancers, opened with Can’t Take That Away, also known as Mariah’s Theme, from her seventh studio album, 1999′s Rainbow.
Half an hour into the set, husband Nick Cannon brought Carey’s 18-month-old twins Monroe and Moroccan on stage to meet the crowd.
The “lambs” – Carey’s term for her loyal fanbase, just as Lady Gaga calls her followers “little monsters” – had been waiting since 1998′s Butterfly world tour to see the singer on Aussie soil.
Carey, 42, mixed things up with old-school hits such as My All, Always Be My Baby, Hero and Make It Happen alongside more recent showstoppers such as 2009′s Obsessed (said to be about Eminem) and the track that saw her pass Elvis as the singer with the most No. 1s in US history, 2008 hit Touch My Body (complete with finger snaps).
Her five-octave range was given a workout on disco-flavoured favourite Emotions, from her 1991 album of the same name, while her husky alto remains intact.
The singer’s singer was in her element on the revealing Close My Eyes, a song she rates as one of her favourites.
After 22 years in the spotlight – and with album sales of more than 200 million and five Grammys, 17 World Music Awards and 31 Billboard Awards to her credit – the mother of toddler twins Monroe and Moroccan is a consumate pro in the tradition of the world’s greatest performers.
Other gems in last night’s set included We Belong Together and the standout Shake It Off, from 2005′s The Emancipation of Mimi album, written after Carey split with first husband Tommy Mottola.
The show climaxed with the Carey-penned festive megahit All I Want For Christmas.
Make a note, all fans want this year is Mariah
Mariah Carey fans hyperventilated, cried and were left speechless when they found out the pop singer was coming to the Gold Coast.
Hollywood celebrity Sophie Monk, Titans players Nate Myles and Greg Bird, Bronco Scott Prince and even Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek were among the crowd.
Fans, many who have followed the 42-year old since her debut hit Vision of Love 22 years ago, sported handmade outfits proclaiming their love for Carey and could barely contain their excitement as they flooded into the venue. Fanatical fans Karlie Ilsley, Brooke Harris and Eliza Blackburn travelled from the Sunshine Coast and spent their New Year’s Eve making “I Love MC” t-shirts.
“She’s been our idol since childhood,” Ms. Harris said.
“I hyperventilated when I heard she was touring here and then we drank champagne to calm down because we didn’t think we’d get a ticket.
We didn’t do anything for New Year’s Eve – this is our big event.”
Megan Heymer, 26, drove six hours from Gladstone to meet her Brisbane-based sister Nicole Hides, 28, before they took a limo to the Coast for the show.
They remember growing up singing in front of the mirror with a fan blowing while doing Carey’s famous hand movements and then spending every festive season singing along to her famous Christmas album.
“My husband told me she was touring here and I cried then rang my sister and told her to come down – she was speechless,” Hides said.
