Sub-Conscious was the title given to a small string of Guy Sebastian’s 6 intimate shows across the east coast this week to preview songs from his upcoming album Conscious.

For the last year, Sebastian has spent most of his time in the studio and wanted to share his most recent works on a more personal level, compared to his last shows, 18 months earlier, that sold out arenas around the country.
Kicking off with his 2015 hit Black and Blue, Guy appeared centre-stage surrounded by his own keyboard & percussion set-up, showcasing that he’s not only one of Australia’s most celebrated vocalists, but also a well-polished all-round musician.

Sailing through new song Home and Keeping Score effortlessly, it’s apparent that the album preview won’t be leaving out past hits, giving fans the songs they want to hear alongside Guy’s newest material, which he explains, a lot of it, hasn’t even been produced yet.

Drink Driving and Small Talk are two of the new songs that are being heard for the first time and flaunt Guy’s vocal range and ability to jump from deep husky sounds to mezzo-soprano without skipping a beat.

Set in Stone is followed by Guy proclaiming that love is a beautiful thing, before he invites a friend, Corey up on stage which leads to an onstage marriage proposal! The crowd were going nuts as Guy reclaims his stage and bops into the upbeat High on Me The band are having a ball and it’s reflective in the audience.

Vesuvius is one of 4 songs that Guy says he has written in the last four weeks and has a simple, relaxed, reggae feel to it. Sober, Keeps Me Coming Back and Stay in Bed are newly written gems that Guy proudly plays with the pride of a father showing off a new-born baby & the vocal perfection that has me wondering if the recorded versions will sound as good as the live acoustic versions. The covers Black and Gold and Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground are as funky as the originals and have the entire room dancing. Guy continues to display his musical versatility jumping onto percussion for his 2013 hit Like a Drum, then keyboards for his current hit Mind on You, before sending his band offstage to complete the set with his guitar and an acoustic version of undoubtedly his biggest hit Battle Scars.

The show wasn’t just a preview of exciting new things to come for Guy, it was also a celebration of the past and present, done with vocal perfection and more artistry than we’ve seen with one of Australia’s most celebrated musicians; and for great reason. The man is a talent to be reckoned with.

Tickets for remaining shows can be found at guysebastian.com/tour

Guy Sebastian SUB-CONSCIOUS Album Preview @ The Corner Hotel – 29/3/2017 (Live Review)

Pauli Dee