If you need to feel accepted, welcomed, and free to dance like a maniac with several strangers Troye Sivan shows are a no brainer.
Words / Photo: Ella Lockyer
‘Seventeen’ a vulnerable song, sets the tone for an intimate gig where adoring swathes are able to connect and express themselves freely from the start. Starting with ‘Heaven’ and ‘Fools’ from previous album ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ Sivan pays respects to the original fans within the crowd, allowing the sense of nostalgia and comfort to wash over all and sundry..
Soon followed was firm favourite ‘wild’ making all lovesick teens and young adults express their pains of relationships. It was a breath of fresh air to witness Sivan dance so openly and flamboyantly onstage, swinging hips and hair in unison, the almost cult worshipping fanbase frequently mesmerised. Strutting confidently around the beautifully lit stage; he seemed at times almost suspended in space, in trademark fashion-drenched attire, styled with personal ‘Troye’ touch. Reflecting on his early YouTube days in 2013 it was a telling moment to be able to watch his transformation into a bona fide pop artist, exceeding power and confidence within himself as well as his music.
There is much to admire about Sivan, not only is he unique vocally, he also supports and is part of the LGBTQ+ community, in a generation where it is more important than ever for young adults to see a successful, openly queer male, especially for those with less enlightened parents in tow. This was respectfully displayed during ‘Heaven’ when kaleidoscopic lights shone behind, casting him as a silhouette and allowing a beautiful humanising sense of security and unity within the room. As an ally it was reassuring to feel that you were supporting the right human and that not all hope was lost for the new generation.
‘What a heavenly way to die’ sent a hopeless romantic vibe throughout the venue with a sting in the tail, the now de rigueur lights on phones where shone and swayed whilst hopelessly in love young adults gently sang the words to the precious song with as much passion as you can at that age; a personal favourite lyric from the song is ‘because forever is in your eyes but forever ain’t half the time I want to spend with you’ a relatable line that depending on situations can either hurt or heal.
Troye Sivan somehow allows us to be the hopeless romantic, the heartbroken and the heartbreaker all in one night.
