Returning to Melbourne for his debut sold-out solo tour T-Time, Gareth.T treated Melbourne fans to a wonderfully nostalgic experience. Before the show began at the Corner Hotel, we were greeted by an ambiance reminiscent of a Chinese restaurant.
The table was set with a taste of Cantonese when Gareth.T (湯令山) asked his devoted fans which language they preferred for communication; English, Cantonese, or Mandarin. For those that didn’t speak the language, there was no sense of exclusion. Gareth’s Melbourne audience were excited and engaged, showing their love for him in an environment that felt like a delightful and immersive dining experience, even if we couldn’t fully follow the conversation.
Local band Inu-Jima (犬島) warmed up the crowd with their unique and dreamy sounds before tea time commenced. With the table set in the back, it truly felt like we were in a restaurant. As the show went on, Gareth‘s performance felt like a curated menu where each song offered a different dish to savour. It was truly like a tasting palette.
Like a five-course meal, Gareth warmed his fans up with ‘I Can’t Get Started’, ‘2 More Weeks’ and ‘想念著遇上你之前 (Before You)’, a song that needed no introduction with fans passionately harmonising and singing along.
It truly became a tea time experience with Gareth and his band when they took a seat at the table set up and poured tea. Unlike most artists who stick to bottled water or occasionally alcohol on stage, Gareth stayed true to his tour theme with a tea service. What we thought to be props were not decorations; the teapot served real tea for both Gareth and his team. This attention to detail created a comforting atmosphere, reflecting the cosiness and subtle etiquette we often learn from our elders.
If you had observed closely, you would have seen Gareth’s band mate practicing tea-drinking etiquette by tapping the table three times with his index and middle fingers to express gratitude. In a sense, it really did feel like you were at the table with family, and this continued throughout the show.
What’s unique about Gareth.T is how effortlessly he guided us through the appetizers. In my experience, it felt akin to trauma bonding from ‘Best Me I Can’, with his interpretation on how short and fragile life is, to his underrated single ‘Shining’, and ‘I Know’. Freshening our palette, Gareth.T had the crowd chanting, interacting and singing along to some of his biggest hits from ‘Honest/Dishonest’, followed by his viral tune ‘Boyfriend Material’ which had him energetically bouncing around the stage. His tracks ‘笑住喊 (Happy Tears)’ and ‘Cutie’ were also highly interactive, making it difficult to pinpoint a single crowd favourite.
I knew I was at the main course when the first opening beat of a song had the crowd buzzing with excitement and this was exactly the case with ‘國際孤獨等級 (Loner Anthem)’. The tempo slowed down with ‘Let Me Know’ before Gareth.T performed a song of his own composition, penned for Hong Kong singer Joey Yung, titled ‘九秒九 (9.9)’. It’s always an experience to hear a song that a composer has written for someone else, performed with their own interpretation.
Clapping along to the closing round of desserts was ‘Winner’ and ‘緊急聯絡人 (Emergency Contact)’. I don’t think I have ever experienced a song like this one, where the crowd clapped from start to finish with the artist wanting to ensure everyone was in sync, by cutting the song and then restarting that performance. While ‘緊急聯絡人 (Emergency Contact)’ received a heartfelt encore, delivering a duet between the devoted Melbourne audience and Gareth.T. Everyone’s voices seamlessly bounded together which concluded the main stage set beautifully.
Changing up his specs, as if finally leaving a family function to meet up with friends, Gareth.T returned to perform ‘去北極忘記你 (Polar Express)’, ‘Confidence’ and ‘勁浪漫超溫馨 (Hyperromantic)’. Having previously seen Gareth.T perform live in Melbourne back in 2023, the shy singer dressed in yellow like Bruce Lee, and the dazzling artist did not disappoint.
Although I admittedly cannot speak Cantonese, there was never a moment where I felt that I couldn’t connect with Gareth.T’s music. Effortlessly filled with beautiful music, literal tea time and fun singalongs, T.Time was a wonderful, intimate and unique experience at one of Melbourne’s most iconic live music venues.
Proudly presented by LUCID LIVE MUSIC, Gareth.T’s T.Time sold-out Melbourne show, part of his 2024 Asia & Australia leg, which took place on Wednesday the 4th of September at Corner Hotel, was an impressive, entertaining and special performance from arguably one of Hong Kong’s finest.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://lucidlivemusic.com/gareth-t-info-page
https://www.instagram.com/gareth_tong
Photography by Grant Alexander.
