Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park
May 2 2017 7:30pm
From the moment the colossal arena lights up and the first awe-inspiring notes begin to play, you know there will be only one word to describe this experience. EPIC.
Hans Zimmer Revealed is a spectacle of light and sound as Hans Zimmer, the composer known for The Lion King, Inception, Intersteller, The Pirates of the Caribbean and many more, brings his electric orchestra around the world to capture the soul of every member of the audience.
The concert begins with an electric piece that gives a tantalising taste of the rest of the concert, as bright lights flicker throughout the arena and the individual sounds of each instrument - from drums, cellos, violins, piano, banjos and a tuba - manage to stay in perfect harmony. The resulting music causes every body of the 50,000 people in the audience to reverberate with the sound as you are transported to each movie.
The official soundtracks begin with the classical sounds of Crimson Tide, the Da Vinci Code and Gladiator. Then, without warning, the familiar call of an African song takes the audience by surprise, as the original singers from The Lion King enter, their voices raised in joy. Words fail to describe the awed silence that falls across the arena as every member of the audience is capured by the medley of one of Disney's most beloved films. I am not ashamed to say that I cried at the end.
Amid the rapturous applause as the piece ends, the electric cellist, Tina Guo, makes her way to the centre of the stage. Could anything be better than the previous performance? She begins to play a tune that borders on the familiar, but only just.
She pauses...before launching into a melody that has cheers erupting from every corner of the area; The Pirates of the Caribbean. Excited anticipation builds and builds through romantic choral and symphonic melodies and the musicians relish it, taking their time before they give in to the audience's anticipation as they release into the famous riff. The grins on their faces are visible from all corners of the arena as the audience's cheers match the orchestral arrangement.
And that is only the first half.
The second features a whirlwind of heavy electric sounds from famous superhero movies - Wonder Woman and The Dark Knight rises to name a few, and finally finishing with an emotional rendition of Interstellar for the finale.
As tumultuous applause and calls for more follow the performers as they make their off-stage, they quickly return to engage the arena for the encore with a heart-pounding performance of Inception that leaves every person on the edge of their seats.
While the music is spectacular and the atmosphere awe-inspiring, it isn't just those aspects that makes Hans Zimmer Revealed such an incredible experience, but the man himself. He takes the time in between pieces to explain his journey to writing the iconic themes and, even more importantly, takes the time to introduce his orchestra and choir. His humble manner and genuine joy and love for what he does permeates the arena far more than any award-winning electric orchestra ever could.
Both Hans Zimmer the man and Hans Zimmer the composer come together to create Hans Zimmer Revealed in a truly personal and emotionally-touching experience, with such power and love behind it that it can truly be called epic concert.