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CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA
+ Jessica Mauboy
+ Natalie Bassingthwaighte
@ ALWAYS LIVE,
Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne,
25th November 2023
(Live Review)

Review by Linda Memphis (@lindamemphismusic)

Photos by Darren Chan (@darrenchanphotography)

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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Noted for her extraordinary four-octave vocal range and iconic style, six-time Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera is certainly a woman who has earnt her place as a global music icon. Tonight, the thousands who are pouring into Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse to see her perform, are primed with excitement. It’s Aguilera’s first Australian live show since 2007, and she’s doing an exclusive one-off performance as part of Victoria’s state-wide ‘Always Live’ music event.

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NATALIE BASSINGTHWAIGHTE and JAMES ASH, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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NATALIE BASSINGTHWAIGHTE and JAMES ASH, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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Tonight, there’s not one, not two, but three different support acts who’ll warm up the crowd before Christina takes to the stage. High energy M8riarchy herald the early punters in with some club sounds; then it’s over to Australian singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte and her former Rouge Traders bandmate, James Ash, to get the crowd pumping. Sporting a leather and mesh outfit, Bassingthwaighte runs through some real crowd-pleasers, including a cover of Pink’s ‘What About Us’ and Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. But it’s the Rogue Traders’ hit single ‘Voodoo Child’ that the crowd love best.

Australian singer/songwriter, Jessica Mauboy, follows, to a rousing reception. The woman has an impressive back catalogue of songs, and an equally impressive voice. Decked out in black patent leather and strings of sequins, she absolutely owns the stage. The r&b inspired poppy ‘Right Here, Right Now’ is my favourite of her set; it’s solid and soulful, and Mauboy performs with ease and confidence. She is a joy to watch, and the crowd love her. “Just like you, I’m buzzing!” she confesses to the audience – a reference to the fact that she is, indeed, on the very same bill as her idol, Christina Aguilera. “She’s been so iconic in my life…!” Mauboy exclaims. It’s a true fan moment. She rounds out the honour by dedicating ‘Give You Love’ to the headliner, and by ‘Unshakeable’, everyone is up and jumping.

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JESSICA MAUBOY, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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JESSICA MAUBOY, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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By now the crowd are well and truly ready for Christina. The pit is a little more crowded, and overhead, dark clouds have made their way in. And then. Not five minutes after Jessica Mauboy leaves, the heavens open up and it absolutely pelts down. Out come the ponchos, hoodies and jackets, as the crowd try to shield themselves from the rain. Onstage, a number of people emerge, and quickly get to work trying to sweep the water from the front of the stage. Luckily the downpour doesn’t last too long. But the break does. Christina Aguilera is scheduled for 8.15pm, but it’s closer to 8.45pm when ‘Stripped’ marks the beginning of the night, proper. And then Christina emerges, decked in black, red and gold, and launches into an absolute powerhouse version of ‘Stripped Pt 2’, complete with fire blasts. Finally. It’s official. Xtina has arrived!

There are some straight-up hits to start the night off, including a shortened version of ‘Dirrty’, and 1999’s controversial ‘Genie in a Bottle’. Christina introduces ‘Can’t Hold Us Down’ by telling the crowd, ‘This is not just for the ladies, this is for everyone that has a voice that deserves to be heard’. The crowd roars their approval. This is one of the reasons they love her, it’s one of the bonds they share – her courage to stand up for those without a voice, or for those too afraid to use one. ‘Can’t Hold Us Down’ is performed with all the guts and bravado it deserves. Amazing.

Not long into the set, the sky opens up and the rain comes pouring down. Again. But there’s nothing that can dampen the joy in the thousands of faces focussed on the main stage. The show triumphs – weather be damned, the fans simply don’t care! Christina blows the audience kisses. “My heart goes out to all of you for sticking it out in the pouring rain” she tells us, “…and it’s been 15 years…thank you so much for having me.” Then it’s back to Christina’s debut album for her smash hit ‘What a Girl Wants’. Aguilera’s performance is all sass and sweetness – and oh those high notes! What a delight it is to watch her perform.

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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The evening includes a whole repertoire more of hits – ‘Candyman’, ‘Moves Like Jagger’, ‘Fighter’ and the iconic ‘Lady Marmalade’ among them – as well as some lesser-known songs, and Christina’s vision for the show is impressive. Each song is not only performed, but choreographed and styled, and the special effects are enough to impress, but not too overwhelming that they overshadow what’s happening onstage. How magical to see red streamers fall from the sky as ‘Lady Marmalade’ ends! What a party!

As expected, vocally, Aguilera is a powerhouse. On ‘Ain’t No Other Man’ she showcases one note that seems to go on forever. When she gives her all, it’s obvious that she still knows how to knock it out of the ballpark and the crowd love it!

Christina’s performance of ‘Santo’, heralded by a Latin-inspired video montage, is a wonderful illustration of the passion she has, both for her heritage and for Latin music itself. For ‘Santo’ she sports a long, fire-red coat. It’s nothing over the top, but it does capture the feel of the performance and adds to the vibe.

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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The costume changes throughout the night are more subtle than one might expect for a Christina Aguilera concert. The highlight for me is a Lady Ga Ga – esque outfit with space-age glasses and a peaked shoulder jacket (not that Aguilera is an imitator – she did it first); but really, it’s the dance numbers, the incredible backing vocals, and Aguilera herself who are the star attractions, and in that context, the costumes work perfectly.  As a performer, Christina Aguilera demands your attention. She’s joyous, she’s soulful, she’s candid, sexy and fun. She brings an exceptional energy to the stage, and it’s great to see her relish every moment.

One definite highlight of the night is Christina’s beautiful duet with backing singer Nelson on the introspective ballad, ‘Say Something’, originally recorded by Aguilera together with American pop duo, A Great Big World, in 2013. The song perfectly showcases the beauty of Christina’s incredible voice, and it’s a moment to remember.

But the true feature of the night is Aguilera’s massive hit ‘Beautiful’. ‘Beautiful’, probably more than any other, is her signature song – a powerful ballad, and an anthem for the downtrodden, the different, and the disempowered. The intro to ‘Beautiful’ is another video montage, this time, one with a serious message. ‘Research suggests that time spent on social network sites is associated with body image issues, self-harm, and disordered eating in children and teens,’ the video tells us – and then, ‘This needs to change’. The audience could not agree more. Christina asks the crowd to put the lights up on their phones and as the venue fills with thousands of dotted stars, she begins the song. Kudos Christina for literally, bringing the light, and having the courage to stand up, once again, for what’s important.

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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“If I could leave one message,” Christina tells the crowd as the night draws to a close: “(It’s) to always love yourself and one another”. The show ends in a burst of colour with the celebratory ‘Let There Be Love’. “What an amazing welcome back for me…” Christina tells the audience. “Melbourne it’s been an amazing night and I love you so much!”. Then there’s blasts of confetti, and Christina’s little girl comes onstage to say hi. They leave hand in hand, and it’s over.

It’s a wonderful thing to see that Christina Aguilera is as passionate as ever about all the things that are important to her – and she shares them through her songs, her shows, and her spirit. Was she worth the wait? The smiles and excitement on the faces of the fans who are leaving the venue, say it all. Yes. Yes she was.

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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Check out Darren Chan’s (@darrenchanphotography) full gallery of this event HERE

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Follow CHRISTINA AGUILERA
Facebook – Instagram – Website – Twitter

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Fleminton Racecourse, Nelbourne, 25th November, 2023 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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Press Release 24th August 2023 (below) HERE

CHRISTINA AGUILERA
announces exclusive
one off
MELBOURNE SHOW

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AMNPLIFY – DB