Winterbeatz 2010 - Sydney

True to its name, the follow up tour to Supafest brought with it the big names and the big crowds.

By early evening on 28 July 2010, the Acer Arena in Sydney was buzzing with fans of all ages, out to brave the winter cold and ready for some sizzling performances. It was no surprise, considering the powerhouse line up which included Fatman Scoop, Big Boi, T-Pain and of course the gentleman of the night, Neyo. Local talent Phinesse, Prinnie and DJ Nino Brown all did us proud on support.

Unlike some concerts, where a majority of the crowd hang around outside the main arena, waiting for the headliner, it was great to see everyone eagerly get into every set. Fat man scoop, always the entertainer, did not disappoint and brought his distinctive old-school flavour to the show.

Big Boi was the surprise act of the night for me. Formerly from Outkast, I had some doubts as to whether he could hold the crowd sans Andre 3000. I’m glad to say my fears were in vain. His show was fun and the crowd loved him. It was also great to hear some of the hits from his Outkast days, including ‘Ms Jackson’ and ‘Heya’ included in the mix.

Next stop- T-Pain.  Always the energizer bunny on stage, T-Pain came out strong and ready to party. The fact that his set included so many club hits, to me made his job seem a little bit easier. ‘On a Boat’, ‘Bartender’ and “Take your Shirt Off’ sparked a sea of heads nodding and bodies moving. Although the shameless plugs and self promotion seemed to go on a tad too long for my liking, all was forgiven at the end. I mean, how long can one be annoyed at the man who keeps promising to ‘Buy You a Drink”. And had it not been for what what was to come next, I would have been almost sad to see him walk off the stage.

And finally, the man of the night, Neyo. A clear hit with the ladies, Neyo had the crowd hooked from the moment he strode on stage. He did his grammy nominated album ‘Year of the Gentleman’ proud, not just with an impeccable show both vocally and visually. He also looked the part. To me, his set was all class - smooth, entertaining, fun and sexy. And what he brought on stage for the ladies, his super hot dancers made up for, for the guys. In true gentlemanly style, Neyo not only paid tribute to one of his idols, Michael Jackson, he also paid kudos to his mum! (awwwww!). While some of his better known hits including Closer, Independent Woman and Sexy Love seemed to take the audience into a Neyo-frenzy, fans were just as receptive to some of the tracks off his new album, including Beautiful Monster and Champaign Life. I admit, as a huge fan of Neyo, my opinion may come across somewhat biased. But in all fairness, judging from the audience response, the screaming fans and the excited buzz in the air, it was obvious that I was not the only one who left in awe.

There is no doubt in my mind that Winterbeatz 2010 was a great success.