With the call to unapologetically take up space sitting front and centre of Sam Smith’s ballgowns and bondage-clad Gloria tour, the point was cemented quite literally last night by the gigantic 20ft golden cherub that sprawled across the width of The O2 Arena’s stage. As Smith entered from a trapdoor situated atop its naked buttocks, it set the scene for a show that revelled in flamboyance; an explosion of celebratory queer theatricality set in three acts (labelled as Love, Beauty and Sex) that transcended the Radio 2-friendly balladry of much of the singer’s pre-Gloria wares.
The more melancholy tone of those tracks, Stay With Me and To Die For among them, felt at odds with the smiling, radiantly positive presence of Smith themself. Dressed initially in gold platform boots and a bejewelled, chandelier-like corset, encouraging the crowd to “let their inner freak fly”, the pivot to the meditative Too Good at Goodbyes felt somewhat anticlimactic to the sentiment.
Still, more often than not, Smith’s elevated performance and presentation gave these songs a new layer. On Kissing You (a longstanding cover of Des’ree’s original) and Lay Me Down, Smith wore a voluminous green gown and a headpiece bearing the name of Brianna Ghey – a 16-year-old transgender girl who was murdered earlier this year; the acute tenderness of their delivery making for a poignant mid-set highlight.
The sentimentality soon gave way to an altogether lustier second half, however, as Smith’s troupe of dancers switched from balletic leaps to dry-humping and twerking against the reposing cherub’s torso. “I want you to pretend you’re in a gay club and if you’ve never been to one... Welcome!” Smith declared.
For the rest of the set, they ticked off iconic, transgressive moments almost constantly. I’m Not Here To Make Friends saw the singer dressed in an enormous pink tulle coat before heading down stage for a choreographic interlude to Sister Sledge’s He’s The Greatest Dancer – its lyrics changed to neutral pronouns for the occasion. Shortly after, Smith slowly stripped their top off to the self-accepting strains of Donna Summers’ I Feel Love as the crowd hollered encouragement.
Re-emerging for the night’s Sex finale to the choral sounds of Gloria’s title track, dressed in a Virgin Mary-like white veil that was soon removed to reveal only nipple pasties, a thong and latex boots, you could practically hear the pitchforks of certain corners of the internet rattling. Smith, however, ended the show one step ahead of them, serving up Kim Petras-featuring mega-hit Unholy surrounded by flames and wearing a Cabaret-influenced devil’s madame outfit, replete with trident.
“Express yourself, don’t repress yourself,” intoned a cover of Madonna’s Human Nature near the set’s close. Unveiling a glorious spectacle of a show and clearly revelling in every moment, it’s a statement of living authentically that Smith is truly representing.
