From Serbia to New York, Beyoncé has devoted the better part of 2013 to her Mrs Carter Show World Tour, and has cemented herself as one of the greatest performers of all time.
With Beyoncé’s Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne shows done and dusted, we’ve gathered five things we learnt from the Beyonce Mrs Carter Show Tour (Adelaide and Perth take note)…
1. One seriously fierce all-female band
In an incredibly rare move for the music industry, Beyoncé’s band, dubbed ‘The Suga Mamas’, is made up entirely of women. This incredibly talented bunch have garnered global praise for their talent as musicians and performers with lead guitarist Bibi McGill, who has also backed stars like Pink, frequently being cited as a powerhouse on stage. Who run the world? Girls!
2. Couture costumes
With designers like Emilio Pucci and Stuart Weitzman pinned to be involved, costume talk was rife long before the tour kicked off, but things really exploded after the first show in Serbia saw a controversial number by designer Julien Macdonald making headlines all around the world.
Since then, Bey’s costumes have only headlined for the right reasons; and with new designers, including Kenzo, Gucci, Givenchy Haute Couture, popping up in each country, the show has been a veritable who’s who of fashion.
The Australian shows so far have cited nine costume changes over the course of the two-hour performance.
3. A perfect set list
Never one to rest on her laurels, Bey and her band have been constantly tweaking the set list and keeping fans on their toes, but one thing has remained consistent —this is so much more than a ‘greatest hits’ performance.
While you can certainly expect some of the big hits, like Crazy in Love, and Single Ladies, there will also be some of the less-played tracks, like 1+1 and Why Don’t You Love Me, and a classic cover or two thrown in for good measure.
Australian fans have been lucky enough to witness a cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, and in the UK there was a cover of The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony just to name a couple.
4. Fan love reciprocation
There’s no doubt about it, Beyonce has some Crazy In Love fans, and the star has proved herself completely unafraid to get amongst them. Last month during her performance in Sao Paulo in Brazil, the star didn’t miss a beat even as one fan pulled her off stage, and even told the crowd, ‘It’s alright’ and ‘I love you all’.
More recently in Melbourne, the star had fans singing ‘to the left’ into the mic during Irreplaceable. One fan took the opportunity to grab Bey for a selfie and she just laughed and said, “Ok, seems she just wants to take a photo then.”
The fans maketh the pop star so it certainly is refreshing to see one who is willing to full embrace them!
5. Spectacle and surprise
Forget ‘concert’ — this is a full-throttle theatrical production. All 107 shows have involved pyrotechnics, projections, lighting, and visuals that have drawn comparisons to performers like Michael Jackson and Madonna.
One of the most-talked-about elements involved the Queen of Pop on a zip wire flying high above her gaggle of fans in a glittering blue bodysuit.
The 31-year-old has also surprised fans time and time again — most notably at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre where Jay Z made a surprise appearance, performing his track ‘Tom Ford’ for the crowd.
We doubt Aussie audiences will be privy to that sort of surprise, but one thing’s for sure — Bey brings the goods.
There are still tickets available for Beyonce Mrs Carter Show Adelaide and Perth shows.
Adelaide: Tuesday 5th November
Wednesday 6th November
Perth: Saturday 9th November
Sunday 10th November
Purchase tickets here
Image: Zimbio