What a way to kick off a long weekend.
Seeing Masayoshi Takanaka at ICC Sydney on Friday night felt like one of those rare, “I cannot believe how lucky I am to be here” gigs.
At 72, he’s still got more groove than most artists half his age.
It wasn’t just the milestone factor – his first Sydney show, a proper world tour after a 50-year career – it was the energy in the room.
The ICC can skew polite, but not this time. No one stayed seated. The front rows turned into a dance floor early, and the rest of the theatre followed. It was joy, start to finish.
Takanaka still has it. The red guitar was out early – and yes, he can absolutely shred – but it never tipped into ego.
Everything stayed light, playful. He’s throwing out lines like “peace, love and rainbows,” punching the air, and the whole room mirrors every raised arm he makes. That kind of connection doesn’t just happen – it’s built over decades.
The band deserves their flowers too. Tight and polished, but never stiff. The “Amazons” on backing vocals added real lift, pushing those big melodic moments into something closer to a pop show than a straight fusion set.
Keys and percussion kept everything moving — that breezy, tropical Blue Lagoon feel never dropped.
And then, the surfboard guitar. As wild in person as you’d hope. Knowing it’s been brought back for this run after years offstage just made it land harder. The room completely lost it.
Highlights came thick and fast. ‘You Can Never Come To This Place’ hit as the emotional peak, while ‘Payaya’ tipped into full chaos – singalongs, dancing, the lot.
But the crowd was the real tell. Plenty of younger fans mixed in, tour tees all over the city all weekend – especially that peach one with the red print.
His crossover moment is very real, and once you see the show, it makes sense. It’s fun, it’s musical, and it’s generous.
Not every gig ends with a room full of people just… happy.
A genuine “I was there” show. And if you missed it, you missed one of the greats doing exactly what he does best.
