Live Review: Why Guy Sebastian Is the Best Live Vocalist
100 Times Around the Sun – 15 May 2026 at RAC Arena Perth Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
He caresses the ebony and ivory of the Yamaha C Series like a lover, while his vocals lie gently over the keys, a prelude to an explosive release. The countenance matches the personification of the instrumental tingles, entwined with empathy and strength. By now, the walls are melting, and so are the hearts, as the comforting voice personify into an undulating outpour of vulnerability and power. Tears are flowing through some members of the audience, hypnotised into a world of escape, driven by a unique voice that only a few can unlock. As the vocals hit the high range of the falsetto E-flat minor, the tears become streams.
There are many broken souls in this world today, but in this moment, the voice and performance carry us to a place of equanimity and comfort. The sincerity of his vocals is palpable and nimble, like a V12 supercharged car that runs smoothly at 1000rpm… and with a step on the pedal, it snaps to 16,000rpm with utter ease.
The choir of seven then gathers behind the vocal leader for the first time, while starry lights from the back beam across the venue like a light at the end of a dark tunnel. The matching harmonies are as heaven-sent as the performance itself, culminating in one of the most angelic moments beneath the roof of Perth RAC Arena.
Guy Sebastian is Standing With You.
The spiritual elegance of tonight will be forever etched into our memory.
Sebastian’s vocals remained crisp and sharp like an icy wind, but spellbinding and soothing when needed, reaching from the lows of the baritone to the heights of the super falsetto range. Put simply, Guy could sing the Yellow Pages (remember those?), and somehow make the performance feel utterly cinematic, thanks to his vocal range, clarity and story telling vibes.
By this anecdote, and throughout, it’s in our opinion that the proud Malaysian-born Guy Sebastian is one of the best* male live vocalists on the planet, in case you missed the headline.
It is not a huge call for those who attended last night, but that is our opinion after covering more than 250 shows in the last four years. As for the asterisk, we are excluding the Italian opera tenors – they are a different beast altogether.
Perth has an intelligent audience. When a talent is in town, they show up in force, and that’s why last night was Guy Sebastian’s biggest audience on this tour so far, well over 10,000 in the world’s most isolated city.
So at 8.45 pm, the arena dived into twilight. The hand of the digital clock swept across its giant face; the countdown had begun. The crowd screamed in delirium like the adult version of The Wiggles concert in anticipation of one of Australia’s favourite idols.
Sitting high on the steps at the back of the stage, the silhouette is carved out against the screen backdrop, as hypnotising as the vocals being propelled across the arena, commencing with Get It Done.
The punch of each syllable landed like the thud of an industrial compactor, every word crisp. The soul-driven track is about resilience, pressure, and pushing through the difficult moments, a theme that seems to bring the best out of Guy Sebastian. It was a great spark to the night, and an introduction to the thematic recipe ahead, followed by the track tour title100 Times Around The Sun.
By now, the digital sun and stars had aligned themselves in the backdrop, and the change of tune came with the third track, Who’s That Girl. Just like four years ago, this track appeared at number three on the setlist. But unlike then, he went solo on the random dance moves rather than using choreography with two other dancers / singers. But this time, the rap done by Eve in the studio version was smashed through RAC Arena by the backup vocalist. There was so much sass, sharpness and swagger in this live version, as if Eve herself was in the house. As for Guy, once again, his vocals had so much personality, as if he was singing in a giant club on a Friday night.
We also heard Cupid, his new song from the latest album, before heading into Standing With You, which ultimately became the anthem of the night early in the setlist. The empowerment and unconditional support for mental struggle were evident from the piano intro, followed by a genuine performance as the conversational vocals came to life, as if he were singing to an individual and unfolding it all in real time. It was a moment of stillness that we knew had to come to an end.
“Of every 29 or 30 songs I write, only one makes it to the album.”
Guy engaged with the audience every few songs or so. He spoke about youth mental health charity The Sebastian Foundation, which has grown significantly since the last concert in Perth. With that in mind, we can see why his songs so often touch the dark but important world of mental struggle.
We declared Guy Sebastian one of the world’s best live performers, and here is another reason: the singer can capture the audience even on songs that are not familiar to them. Take Keys, for example. The soothing intro vocals soared and took us to another dimension of equanimity, despite the thematic weight of the lyrics. And despite listening to this song for the first time, this photojournalist was hypnotised and drawn to the words by the sheer force of his voice as we moved through the journey.
And that is why he holds the key to live performance.
“The power of music is real.”
That was the que for support act Sam Fischer to be reintroduced to the stage to perform a duet. Antidote, as the name suggests, is the antidote for mental pain, another track about healing love and spiritual undertones. The live performance was akin to a battle of voices, with Sebastian’s grounded strength and Sam’s floating vulnerability, culminating in a spiritual outburst.
We were enthralled, so much so that after Sam Fischer walked off the stage, Guy performed the bridge again with his seven-person choir, which further transcended the arena beyond the realms of the venue itself.
He then waded through the sea of fans on the floor, taking requests from the audience, and just like that he sang from lyrics downloaded on the spot: Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark with commanding swagger, Bruno Mars’ Talking to the Moon with the highest falsetto, Dean Martin’s That’s Amore with an Italian linger, melted hearts with Iris by Goo Goo Dolls in a goosebump-tingling singalong, and serenaded the crowd with Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. During Ed’s song, Guy recognised Matilda – the young lady with a tumour on her spine – and embraced her while singing the hit. Indeed, it was a “Perfect” moment for the former Telethon kid. The crowd of 10,000 singing along in this set framed a sense of togetherness and solidarity. There needs to be more of this.
Video: trio_of_hope (Instagram)
And dare I say, with minimal rehearsal, even Guy’s karaoke was the supercharged rendition of the originals. That’s how good he is.
Then came one of the biggest moments, when he introduced his 12-year-old son, Archie Sebastian, to perform Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing. As I write this, watching the video, I am still getting goosebumps. The lady in front of me placed her hands on her cheeks, spellbound by the wonder as Archie reached the highest falsetto available to a 12-year-old, capturing the heights of Whitney’s chorus. By midway through, this photojournalist became teary during one of the biggest performances by anyone all night. The crowd cheered throughout, and by the end of it, we saw our first standing ovation of the night.
“School can’t teach you this (the experience of singing in front of 10,000).” Indeed, and in a world full of nepotism, this felt fully justified.
Dear Archie Sebastian, we cannot wait for your first record.
We needed a breather.
But none were coming, with a medley of Don’t Worry Be Happy, the very first hit after Australian Idol, Like It Like That, Like a Drum and Come Home. It was dance mode, as everyone was now standing moving to the cadence of the beat.
At the business end, the encore, we heard the highs and lows of Before I Go.
“This is my first hit,” he said, as we heard the R&B version of Angels Brought Me Here, still carrying the soaring falsetto, angelic vocals and tender tones. It is Guy Sebastian’s Australian Idol-winning single. It was the perfect penultimate moment. After a series of songs about empathy and mental resilience, we dived into rebirth and divine intervention. It was the ending we needed, love that arrives after hardship, before the night closed with Choir.
Last night was a full‑circle moment for Sheldon Ang Media; Guy Sebastian was the first artist we covered, and with more than 250 shows under our belt since then, we now have the rare vantage point to truly measure how far he, and we, have come.
This photojournalist may not be familiar with some of the tracks, but that prerequisite is absolutely irrelevant. It was love at first sight with every of those track sung, thanks to his vocal perfection and story telling, woven with the palpable sincerity.
And that is why Guy Sebastian is one of best live vocalists on this planet.
Guy Sebastian will be performing in Glenorchy (19th May) and Melbourne (22nd, 23rd and 24th May). Tickets are available from TEG Live
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Flourish PR, TEG Live and Guy Sebastian for the media accreditation
Get It Done — 100 Times Around the Sun (2025)
100 Times Around the Sun — 100 Times Around the Sun (2025)
Who’s That Girl — Twenty Ten (2010)
Cupid — 100 Times Around the Sun (2025)
Standing With You — Standing With You – Single (2020)
No Reason to Stay — No Reason to Stay – Single (2024)
The Keys — 100 Times Around the Sun (2025)
All Yours Again — 100 Times Around the Sun (2025)
Antidote — Antidote – Single (2024)
Battle Scars — Armageddon (2012)
Gold — Armageddon (2012)
Love on Display — T.R.U.T.H. (2020)
Madness — Madness (2014)
Set in Stone — Conscious (2017)
Art of Love — Like It Like That (2009)
Believer — T.R.U.T.H. (2020)
I Have Nothing — Cover (Whitney Houston)
Maybe — Maybe – Single (2025)
Medley – Don’t Worry Be Happy — Armageddon (2012); Like It Like That — Like It Like That (2009); Like a Drum — Like a Drum – Single (2013); Come Home With Me — Armageddon (2012)
Before I Go — T.R.U.T.H. (2020)
Angels Brought Me Here — Just As I Am (2003)
Choir — Choir – Single (2020)
About the writer/photographer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 250 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AD/DC, Metallica, KISS, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro (pictured) with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist
