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Michael Bublé @ Sydney Entertainment Centre, 31 May 2008

by lkatulka on June 1st, 2008

Last night Michael Bublé performed in Sydney as part of his Call Me Irresponsible tour.Michael Buble I never imagined how appropriate that name would be. But before I get into that nasty business, it’d be remiss of me not to talk about Michael’s brilliant support act, Naturally 7. I’d never heard of this seven-piece vocal act from New York, but they made such a massive impression on us all.

There were the angelic harmonies we’re accustomed to from bands of this ilk, but what set them apart was what they termed “vocal play.” Rather than simply using their voices to sing, the members of the band also mimicked instruments. Think beatboxing taken to a whole new level. They mimed along to the drums, violins, electric and bass guitars, and brass section they created, and it was utterly mesmerising.

Naturally 7 performed a set rich with originals and some brilliant songs inspired by “Broken Wings” and “In the Air Tonight.” I have never seen a support act get a standing ovation before, but theirs was well deserved.

Then we had Michael Bublé. Let me start by telling you that I love Michael Bublé. I’ve seen him perform on every Australian tour he’s embarked upon. I’ve bought every album. And I’m not a wowser by any means. But when he stumbled onto the stage at the Sydney Entertainment Centre blind drunk, I lost a lot of respect for him.

The show started with his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “I’m Your Man,” yet we could barely listen to the song because we were gossiping about his condition. He was unsteady on his feet, slurring his words, and looking the worse for wear with his unshaven face and bleary eyes.

The next song, “It Had Better Be Tonight,” was if anything, worse. In his drunken state he simply couldn’t match the energy of the album version. It required him to move around the stage, which only highlighted just how hammered he was.

He owned up after that song, confirming what most of us already knew. But rather than seem sheepish and apologetic, he appeared boastful. He sang a little of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and joked around, but it seemed most of us weren’t laughing.

The first half of the show was terrible. He slurred. He fell off notes and couldn’t sustain others. He encouraged us to sing the lyrics, an act that seemed more about filling in for him than encouraging participation. He staggered and stumbled. He made smutty tasteless jokes, a far cry from the clever sexy banter I’ve seen at previous shows. He butchered song after song after song. Had I not been with my family, I would have left.

To be fair, he managed to pull it together in the second half. His simple performance of “Always on my Mind” was a turning point. From there things seemed to go relatively smoothly. He began to sing well again and win us over. The Sydney images on the big screens during “Home” didn’t hurt either.

By the end of the night we were all on our feet dancing to upbeat covers of “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “How Sweet It Is,” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” We were then all touched by his parting gift, a raw and emotional performance of Donnie Hathaway’s “Song for You.”

Yet despite all his best measures at the end, I still left the venue with a bad taste in my mouth. As I say, I love a drink as much as the next guy. But if you’re drinking to levels that affect how you do your job, then there’s a problem. To get up on stage in such an obnoxiously inebriated state that your performance suffers is simply disrespectful to your fans. Calling Michael Bublé irresponsible after last night’s efforts is an understatement.

Image source: Newscom

The opinions expressed in this articles are of Lauren Katulka and based on her experiences alone.

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181 opinions for Michael Bublé @ Sydney Entertainment Centre, 31 May 2008

  • Jeanne
    Jun 1, 2008 at 2:39 am

    I’m so saddened by this that I don’t even know what to say :(

  • lkatulka
    Jun 1, 2008 at 3:48 am

    Take that feeling and multiply it and you’ll have some idea what it was like to be there. My husband likened it to being a kid at Disneyland, and seeing Mickey Mouse take his head off, and then seeing him puke in it. I couldn’t have put it better myself!

  • Kasey
    Jun 1, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    I really like Michael Buble’s music and was so excited to go to the concert. I felt sick when he came out appearing intoxicated/stoned/rubbing his nose a lot - you can only guess why. He looked terrible and had little respect for the audience until the end, it seems. His ‘jokes’ were almost evidence of contempt, and tasteless. I agree, the band and crowd singing was propping him up. He also did manage to improve in the second half, and that had patches of glorious moments vs shocking sound. I won’t be going again, and have lost so much respect for him. It left a very sour taste in the mouth, and I’m sorry. Clearly, he needs help.

  • Sarah Oliver
    Jun 1, 2008 at 9:12 pm

    what a shame we didn’t even get to hear maybe because he would have fallen over with all the swaying.
    i did not see as much as the drunkenness as we were far up but in no means did we feel he was the same as he always is, it was like he wasn’t even enjoying anything but his own company.

  • Sarah Oliver and Teresa Oliver
    Jun 1, 2008 at 9:17 pm

    We were very disappointed that he didn’t play his signature song Sway possibly because he would have fallen over with all the swaying. Going to a Buble’ concert with no ’sway’ is like going to a Knacks concert without ‘my sherona.’ We were highly disappointed and even though we could not see as much of the swaggering as we were high up we were upset by the effort. It seemed he didnt enjoy anyone else’s company than his own. I wonder if ‘brendan’ could smell the alcohol on his breath.
    upset and wanting my money back or a sober show. i didn’t pay to see Amy Winehouse so i shouldn’t get a male version of her.

  • Sarah Oliver and Teresa Oliver
    Jun 1, 2008 at 9:18 pm

    but naturally seven on the other hand were amazing they are awesome we truly enjoyed them.

  • Lauren
    Jun 2, 2008 at 1:59 am

    I agree about your comment about the jokes Kasey. I was really taken aback when Michael accused us of being stiff! Just because we don’t condone someone we’ve paid money to see drinking to the point of foolishness certainly doesn’t make us stiff.

    Sarah and Teresa - I don’t think you missed anything being a bit further back. I was in the 15th row on the floor and it was just making me sad to see him like that. I had hoped to be romanced by that whole debonair personality he shows off in the media, but what I saw was so far from sexy it wasn’t funny.

  • Kasey
    Jun 2, 2008 at 2:24 am

    My parents the Wednesday night concert in Canberra describe a completely different performer and evening to the one we experienced. At least they had a fabulous night. They couldn’t speak highly enough of his singing and performance. Wonder if we’ll hear about Michael taking some sort of ‘flu medication’ as an excuse.Sadly, today I discovered there are other accounts of similar concerts and tv performances on the net, so I assume there really is a problem. Makes it that much sadder that someone with so much going for him can be self-destructive, and so publicly. He still has a huge number of concerts to go. Let’s hope someone in his camp is listening and hearing! We hired a babysitter, drove a long way and it cost us a lot in money to see him. I wish we hadn’t, to at least keep the illusion of a fun, gifted singer alive.

  • Felicity
    Jun 2, 2008 at 4:19 am

    I agree with the above reviews. My mum, sisters and I still had a great night, but it was no thanks to Michael’s disappointing performance. Naturally 7 was a lot of fun and Buble’s own band was great and definitely “propping”. It was embarrassing to watch. I can only hope this isn’t another talent wasted.

  • Fiona Hughes
    Jun 2, 2008 at 7:48 am

    Wow, My husband and I were WAYYYY back in section 27 or something like that, row P, and we missed 99% of this! We knew he looked ‘tired’ but thought it was because this was the 30th stop on his tour. (or something like that.)
    I’m really dissapointed to hear all of the comments - I expected better from Mr Buble’! we really love him and have waited years to see him.
    I’m now expecting him to come out in the media and admit he has a drug/alcohol problem and do the rehab rounds!

  • Parris
    Jun 2, 2008 at 7:37 pm

    The trend continued in Brisbane. After purchasing the tickets more then 6 months ago the evening came last night for our concert. Within 5 mins of being on stage the audience knew something was horribly wrong. Michael was slurring and slipping all over the stage, He was completely out of time witht he music and his own band had to slow down in an attempt to keep the show going. The constant scratching of his face and skeezy jokes were a real let down, a FAR cry from the wonderfuly swave Michael we all know and love. None the less as was in Sydney the show picked up in the end and we were all dancing in the iles. Although the sticking point was the tears welling in his eyes during Lost. Has there been a split in the last few weeks???

  • Grace
    Jun 2, 2008 at 11:55 pm

    My husband and i went on the 30th May, and he wad just brilliant. We both went home very satisfied. As others have mentioned, my big disappointment also was Michael not singing Sway. Naturally 7, were fantastic as well. I’m very saddened to hear that he was drunk, at the May 31st performance. I would not expect that from him.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 4:45 am

    Thanks for your comments Parris. My friend was actually at the Brisbane show last night and she said it was brilliant … it’s sad that people are willing to accept him however he comes. That definitely seems to be the case sticking my head in to some Michael Buble forums. I must admit, the question of a break-up crossed my mind as well. I haven’t heard anything in the press so I’m not sure!

    I’m glad at least you had a sober show Grace! We certainly didn’t expect what we saw either.

  • Djeep
    Jun 3, 2008 at 6:42 am

    Wow… talk about people totally missing the point. FYI lkatulka - he’s in showbiz. It’s an act. It’s supposed to be funny - laugh with him! Google “Dean Martin” if you’re still puzzled as to what his act was about.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 7:10 am

    The point is Djeep that Michael Buble cannot deliver a decent performance with that amount of alcohol in his system. He could not sustain the notes. He was falling off others. He wasn’t singing with the band. I’ve seen him several times in the past and he was never like this.

    I’ve seen plenty of people who drink on stage. After all, Hunter Valley winery gigs are some of my favourites. But those people still manage to sing well. Michael Buble didn’t until halfway through when he’d sobered up a little.

    If Michael Buble’s decided now that he wants to replicate the old style crooners, alcoholism and all, he can go ahead. But I certainly won’t be spending my money to see him deliver only half a decent show.

  • Djeep
    Jun 3, 2008 at 8:28 am

    Isn’t it funny though that he would do the exact same thing in Brisbane? Namely, behave rather drunk for 2 songs, do an Amy Winehouse joke, and proceed to deliver a stellar performance. I don’t know about you, but my money is on his sense of humour just being different from yours. And how dare he not sing Sway? I mean, he’s on the road for probably something like 300 days a year - surely he must live to sing the exact show every night?

  • Kasey
    Jun 3, 2008 at 8:48 am

    Supposing the first two songs were an act, why butcher them? He is, after all, a singer and they weren’t comedic songs. That is far from funny, no matter the sense of humour. And it doesn’t explain why the rest of the show was so erratic and vocally lacking. There wasn’t a switch after those first two songs that flicked on. The whole performance was patchy at best, the band and sound engineers were having trouble keeping up. The concert we saw was anything but a stellar performance.

  • Denise
    Jun 3, 2008 at 9:06 am

    This site has finally established what I thought about Saturday night with Michael Buble. I have been to every concert tour he has come out for and again he did not disappoint. What did disappoint me was that instead of the “real” fans who followed him when he wasn’t a commercial, popular success, we had a stadium full of “ring ins” who have only jumped on the band wagon and don’t “get” him. People too unsophisticated to see a show like his. People who need cue cards to be told what is entertaining and what isn’t. Call me a snob but eight out of the ten thousand people shouldn’t have been there.And that means some of the people before me who have written these ridiculous reviews. But I guess you have all made him rich.

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 5:28 pm

    I am beyond blazing hot in response to this reviewer.

    First, I want to say that Michael has been sick on and off for months, but still performs. He also has problems with allergies, and asthma, but still performs. I suppose he could be like so many other performers today, who cancel concerts on a broken fingernail, but Michael does everything he can do, not to cancel performances. I believe he has only done it once and that was due to bad weather in ABQ.

    The one thing he is, is a professional. He would never and I repeat never, come out onto a stage drunk, or impared by anything!

    How dare you slander this dedicated performer. You have no facts to base your printed opinion upon, but that didn’t stop you. You can write anything you want to write and there are no consequences.

    This is what journalism has come to in this day and age. It’s no wonder I don’t take the paper anymore, I’d have to read garbage like this reviewers venom each day.
    Daryl

  • Rebecca
    Jun 3, 2008 at 5:39 pm

    Wow, this is a tough room. I have seen Buble’ 7 times and went to his performance on Jay Leno. All my live shows were on this tour and he has been great at each show. Some shows he was tired and looked it. He did something like 145 dates so far and well 14 hours can put some circles under the prettiest eyes. I think jetlag, allergies, and a cold could be the cause of some of this. I would guess that over drunkeness anyday of the week. He prides himself on giving fans the best performance he can.

    Several shows in the US were almost cancelled because of his vocal problems but he pushed through it.

    All I can say is I am sorry you all feel that way. His singing, his humor and his playfulness with the audience is what I love the most about him.

  • Lindsay
    Jun 3, 2008 at 5:54 pm

    I know I’m gonna get slammed for saying this, but….

    I’ve seen Michael 8 times over the last 2 1/2 months and I can almost certainly say that he was not drunk. He drinks water on stage most nights, at least lately, because since before Easter he has been terribly sick. So sick that he has had to have steriods shots just so he could have a voice to sing with. On top of a non-stop schedule and being sick, he has terrible allergies and asthma.

    I am truly sorry for those that have had disappointing experiences, but I just felt the need to defend Michael.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 7:45 pm

    I agree Kasey. Djeep, we didn’t get a decent show until midway through the concert. It wasn’t just a simple case of two songs being a bit off … although I agree that butchering any songs deliberately would be a questionable artistic move anyway.

    What gets me as I read around the Michael Buble forums is that people seem so willing to overlook a poor performance simply because it’s Michael Buble. And it’s exactly that blind adoration which gives him no motivation to shape up and deliver the sort of concert I expect from an artist of his calibre.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 7:57 pm

    Daryl, my views and the views of others stand because Michael himself told us he was drunk. He told us this after “It Had Better Be Tonight,” and then made other comments about how he thought we were all hard drinking Aussies and how we needed to loosen up. I certainly don’t make a habit of making up things to liven up a review. Trust me, I’d have much rather had more positive things to report about my experience.

    If he’s suffering from allergies and asthma then he should know that any amount of alcohol may have a much more serious affect because of the drugs.

    Denise, for you to suggest that the people here have simply jumped on the Michael Buble bandwagon and didn’t know what to expect is insulting. I noted that I’ve seen him on every other Australian tour, bought the albums …it honestly pains me to have a had a less than stellar night.

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 8:24 pm

    lkatulka,

    His saying “he’s a drunk” is a joke. Don’t you get the humor? Michael rarely drinks and certainly not before a show.
    This is how the day goes. Sound check is usually from 3-4 approx. after that the caterers bring in the guys dinner. They eat and usually he goes and rests before the show.
    There is no way he would ever come on stage in a challenged state. He’s way too respectful of his audience. Can he off? Yes, I’ve seen him that way. His last concert here in the states, he was still fighting a cold and it took about 3 songs for him to warm up. Did he look feverish? Yes, he did and probably was.
    I am not beyond criticizing Michael when he gives less than a “great” performance, but he’s way too professional to ever come on the stage in the state you described.
    Daryl

  • Parris
    Jun 3, 2008 at 8:37 pm

    Daryl, I wasnt aware that you knew Michael personally. I myself was greatly dissapointed in his performance. What ever the reason was it was a less then stellar perfromance on his behalf. I am a huge fan and will probably continue to buy his CDs but I wasnt happy with his performance and as a consumer I have the right to not be happy and talk about it. The reason I left a comment was to express my DISSAPOINTMENT not my HATRED or DISGUST. Until Monday night I too would have been a steadfast supporter as you are and fought to the death for his professionalism. I would never have believed it unless I saw it. This is why I am upset. I have done nothing but spread the word about how wonderful he is since I first saw him years back in the Lyric theater. Im disspointed, that will not change and for what ever the reason was I hope he can get it together and continue on his way as a great singer and wonderful performer.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 8:38 pm

    Daryl

    It’s a bit hard to get any humour from a situation where someone definitely appears drunk. If he wasn’t drunk I do wonder why there was such a marked improvement in his performance in all aspects towards the end of the night. I’m not just talking a three song warm up … I’m talking around an hour or so into his set.

    Before I saw this show I also believed he’d respect his audience more than to drink excessively before greeting them. But I know what I witnessed. I know there were several comments made by him that confirmed he’d been drinking. And I would honestly not report these things if I wasn’t positive they were true. I have too much respect for him as an artist, regardless of what others might say, to do that.

    In fact, when my mother (who also attended the show) read my review she said that she thought I was perhaps a little too generous!

  • Will
    Jun 3, 2008 at 8:39 pm

    I was at the Sydney show on Saturday night and thought Michael was unreal! He is one of a kind and I feel priviledged that I got to see him perform again! I have followed his career from the beginning and his irreverence and cheeky charm is part of his show PLEASE he was drinking water! Obviously some of you didnt grasp it. For those that did, i am sure you will agree Michael Buble was fantastic and so was the lighting and show!!

  • Jennifer Robinson
    Jun 3, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    I have had the pleasure of seeing Michael Bublé perform 13 times on this tour, and never once did I walk away feeling dissatisfied! At times during his tour he has been very sick, to the point that he should have cancelled his show, but he didn’t, he came out on top. He takes his job of “putting on a great show” very seriously, even though he has alot of humor in his act. He cares deeply about putting on a great show that I know he would NEVER do anything, on purpose, to jeapordize the out come of his show, or the integrity of his act/band. It could very well be that he had a “off” night, maybe jet lag? Maybe the fact that he is working his ass off? But to ASSume that he was performing drunk is just plain crazy. Actually it is gossip and you should be ashamed at such a remark!

    Jennifer Robinson

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    Parris,

    I can certainly understand your disappointment, if he was having a bad night. That happens and I’ve actually experienced him not being in great voice. I’m truly sorry that this was less than you expected. Believe me, Michael is his own worst critic and would be the first one to admit that he was possibly “terrible”. I can only believe that he probably should have canceled if in fact he was feeling that badly. I know in Santa Barbara, he literally had a doctor come to see him and do what was necessary for him to sing that night.

    lkatulka,

    Perception is one thing. Stating it as fact is quite another. This casual, unshaven (though I don’t like that) irresponsible conception is this tours theme. Michael is much more lay back.

    If that means he slides down the ramp and rambles around the stage… yeah… that’s what it is. This is the style of the show. That’s why it’s called Call Me Irresponsible. The theme is just that. He also spends time spotting a child in the audience, jumping off stage and taking pics with the kid, thus the Amy Winehouse remark. It’s all part of the show.
    I think maybe, you expected him to come out, stand there and sing for 90 minutes, with a few moments of banter. That’s not this show.

    If, with time, I turn out to be totally wrong, I will apologize. But, the one thing Michael is, is a professional.
    D

  • Dixie
    Jun 3, 2008 at 9:48 pm

    After attending Michael’s Brisbane performance last night, I did a search this morning on “Buble, Drunk” and found this thread. Needless to say I most definitely agree that there was something amiss with Michael last night. As soon as he hit the stage it was very obvious that he was under the weather…he looked puffy in the face, was sweating and just looked downright scruffy. Certainly not the clean-cut, fresh faced image I’m used to seeing on TV. He just didn’t seem to be connecting with the audience or the songs, and it seemed as if he was going to topple over at any moment. The look on his face was pretty much vacant. The other members of my group completely agreed, and after the show an elderly couple actually asked us whether we thought he was drunk - so we certainly weren’t alone in our summation of the situation. Despite this I absolutely loved the concert and had a great time…but like other posters, I was quite disappointed. By the way, Naturally7 were absolutely amazing…

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 9:53 pm

    I appreciate all Michael’s fans coming here to support him. But I think you’ve got to also realise the Aussies who weighed in were actually at the show. We know what we saw, and the way it appeared.

    If in fact there were other reasons that his behaviour and performance seemed erratic, perhaps he should have rethought the jokes. From where we sat here’s a man stumbling around, singing poorly, and claiming to be hammered. If you were in that audience would you just assume it’s all part of the act, or believe him to be as he says he is?

    Daryl, what I’d hoped for what a performance in a similar vein to those I’d seen before. He joked around in the past, but I’d never seen him insult the audience or be as vulgar as he was this time. If this is the “new Michael” I simply don’t like it.

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 9:56 pm

    If what you say turns out to be the case, then I would expect nothing less than a very heartfelt apology from Michael to the people of Brisbane.

    Will do some homework here.
    D

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    Sorry… my brain is a little bit mushy tonight…. Sydney
    D

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    The following was another fans take on the night.

    Agreed, I was there both Friday and Saturday night…and yes he made a joke, someone brought a drink out to him and he said it was alcoholic, that it makes him sing better, but then he said is was just a joke…he is to much of a gentleman to go out onto stage drunk..

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 10:48 pm

    These are videos of both nights. I see nothing that would lead anyone to think he was not in control.

    I also want to say something in regards to his timing and the bands being not in sync. I see not earpieces on Michael and rarely do the venues put out monitors. Unless a singer can hear themselves, the music would sound somewhat distorted. I don’t know if this was the case, but if it was, then the sound would be off.

    Not making any excuses, just observations from one who has sung.
    D

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33N1asS5_2c
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nngkHoOiZTk
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8k3Hk3ODKU
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLqDHcPIDTc
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkkUlUuw6e0
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuULVlX8XHQ
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K89L_z1NJPc
    __________________

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 11:06 pm

    I don’t recall Michael saying he was just joking at that point. He also made another comment about how he thought we were all hard drinking Aussies, and that we needed to loosen up, so it certainly wasn’t an isolated throwaway comment.

    To me the biggest giveaway that this is more than just “part of the act” or merely symptomatic of illness is the way the concert improved towards the end. If he was just sick I would have expected the show to have gotten worse as time wore on, not better. If it was just the “call me irresponsible routine” I would have expected the show to have the same tone throughout. From everything we saw, and the comments Michael himself made, it really appears that he came out drunk and managed to sober up enough to deliver a good gig at the end.

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 3, 2008 at 11:17 pm

    I’m sure we could go on all night… but I’ll leave you with a response from an Australian fan…
    D

    In response to that ozmusicscene review and message board:

    NO NO NO!!! There’s something wrong here! I was at all those four shows….2 Sydney and 2 Brisbane and that’s NOT the way things went down! I know what drunk is and Michael was NOT drunk. There’s no way someone could do what he does if they were drunk. Sure he has great backing but out front he’s a one man show. He has to remember what to say do and sing every second he’s up there and all under the pressure of 10,000 people watching…..and he did it.
    I don’t remember him saying anything about being drunk and I was hanging on his every word.

    Just after the first Sydney show started he did a joke about how there would be critics in the audience seeing whether he could carry off an arena show. To do this joke he switched into an Australian accent and you could hear the men laugh so loud. I think an Australian accent must be hard to do because most people are hopeless at it but Michael is great. Think of the voice control and concentration required to carry that off. You couldn’t do it if you were slurring your words as some people said he was.

    I don’t feel like I have to describe Michael’s performing style to you because you all already know how he performs….lets talk about audience reaction…..they were screaming, clapping, cheering, laughing. My seats weren’t close to the front. I was in the tiers where I could see the whole audience. Where were all these people who weren’t enjoying the show?????…. I couldn’t see them. When the audience clapped everyone was clapping with their hands high in the air. Michael knows that. He would have seen it all himself.

    And what about his perceptiveness of the audience. He’s in tune with what’s going on around him more than anyone I’ve ever seen. You have to have an alert mind for that

    I went to the Brisbane Meet and Greet……Michael was fresh as a daisy, bright as a button and looked gorgeous.
    When we were leaving the arena in Brisbane we were jam packed in this crowd of people walking slowly towards the doors and could hear people talking all around me. Without exception everyone was saying how great Michael was. I didn’t hear one negative comment. Where were all these people who were dissappointed with the show???…I don’t know.

    After the first Brisbane shows Michael told security to let the 10 of us who waited in to see him because if was raining a bit. He wouldn’t have bothered if he was under the weather.

    I’m intending to write more about my experiences of the last few days. I haven’t had time yet. But I hope what I’ve said here clears up any doubts people may have about his last four shows.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 3, 2008 at 11:57 pm

    Thanks for that Daryl. It’s interesting to me that there has been all these people disagreeing with me after I had so much support initially for what I said. To me, as a person sitting somewhere towards the front it seemed obvious. It still does … I feel I also know what drunk looks like and that’s it. I’m not a person who wants to find fault with Michael at all, but what I saw left me little choice.

    But at the end of the day, blogging is all about presenting your impressions and opinions. That’s all I’ve done, and I stand by what I’ve said. People can disagree with me and they’re well within their rights to do so. But knowing some people saw what I saw let’s me know that my experience at this show was far from an isolated one.

  • Joanne
    Jun 4, 2008 at 12:05 am

    I am sorry I was at the Saturday concert and Sydney and if he wasn’t drunk then he was stoned. I am not sure where you were sitting but everyone in my row said the same thing. While I still enjoyed the show after about half way through I will have to seriously think about parting with my money again to see him live.

    He didn’t say that he was drunk but he told us that he has been drinking Vodka before the show, at that point a stage hand bought him out a drink which he told us was Vodka and him that it didn’t taste that nice.

    Just speaking for myself but he was drunk or somthing and if he was using that to cover up the fact that he was sickt hen shame on him everyone would have been more then understanding had he simply said he was sick ( I still don’t believe that though?

  • Kasey
    Jun 4, 2008 at 12:41 am

    For all the people who say “Michael would never,” bear in mind that in interviews, he has boasted about his use of marijuana, an addictive substance. Whether he was stoned, drunk or affected by other illicit substances, it doesn’t matter does it? the effect was still the same. If he’s sick he needs a doctor. If he has a substance problem, he needs professional help. Excuses like being sick for months doesn’t cut it. A number of his concerts have been less than stellar, it seems, again, suggestive of a problem. Everyone in our section was discussing the behaviour and vowed not to go again. This behaviour is only hurting his career. Clearly not to the die-hard go-to-all-his-concerts-fans, but to a significant portion of his fan-base. That should be concerning him and his managerial team, even if the incentive for making him go on under par was financial.

  • Lizzy
    Jun 4, 2008 at 1:10 am

    Hi everyone,

    I don’t agree with this review at all. I went to both Michael’s Sydney shows and his first Australian concert in Canberra. At every concert I strongly believe that he gave everything he had resulting in a fantastic performance. Each time, his performance was similar and after watching many videos on youtube and on DVD prior to this, my conclusion is that it is just his style. He loves his fans, and I agree with Daryl, that he would not insult us by appearing on stage half-pissed. He did look a little tired and scruffy, but with his demanding schedule, anyone would (personally, I think the stubble is quite spunky!). I am only going to mention the following in order to defend Michael Buble, and not to blow my own trumpet, but I was lucky enough to be invited to the after-party in Canberra, where my friend and I had a couple of drinks with the band. Michael came down at about 1am and proceeded to walk around the party and introduce himself to everyone. After arriving from the other side of the world just the day before, media interviews and putting on an amazing and energetic concert, he could have been excused if he just wanted to sit quietly with his friends, or not come at all…but he didn’t. That is the wonderful kind of guy he is, and the reason he has become so successful. I was at the party for a couple of hours, and in that time only saw him drink a couple of bottles of Coopers beer. Obviously he isn’t a heavy drinker (he has said so himself) otherwise he would have been on the hard stuff! This personal experience, and my experiences at 3 of his concerts, is why I find it so hard to agree with this performance review. I still have the utmost respect for Michael Buble and his entire crew who work so hard to give us, his fans, everything we ask of him.
    Liz

  • Teresa
    Jun 4, 2008 at 1:36 am

    Daryl,
    I viewed the videos the first day they were posted on Michael’s official website, and I think that he appeared to be upset. I noticed he seemed somewhat choked up while singing “Lost” and “Always on my mind”.
    I was concerned that he may have been having health issues. Almost wished I could have emailed someone to alert them that something just didn’t seem right.
    I hope whatever the case may be, he is well. My family and I are fans, and nothing would change the way we view Michael. We think he is a wonderful person and fantastic entertainer. My 84 year old mother says he’s better then Sinatra, and he was her favorite until she heard Michael’s voice. We only wish Michael good health and happiness, and hope that he continues to bless all of us with his wonderful voice.
    T

  • Ainz
    Jun 4, 2008 at 1:41 am

    you know what?? it seems to me that as aussies we have lost our sense of humour which greatly saddens me…micheal is a joker…nothing he says can be taken seriously, except for everything he says about his fans, how much he loves them and how much he loves what he does. and as for that ‘pot’ comment…he said he tried it when he was a teenager, as most of them do…

    Michael has worked to damn hard to get where he is to just throw it all away…he never is a pompous arrogant prick like most of hollywood who seem to forget that it was the audience who took them to where they are or were…he has all the time in the world for the people who believed in him and got him to the places he is now. it was a well known fact that on the leg of his american tour he was very sick, and unfortuanatley that got him some very bad reviews…it seems the poor guy cant win, he’s sick and he still shows up and does a fantastic job for his audience and still gets a bad review for it…at least he is better than amy winehouse who didnt even tell her fans that she had been admitted to rehab, offered no apology and those fans who did get their money back still havent seen her perform, or christina aguilera who cut her tour short because she was 3 months pregnant, or celine dion who cancelled two of her shows because of a throat infection…and you know what? come rain, hail or shine, even if he is on his death bed or dying, michael still gets up and delivers a brilliant show to his audiences even if he is sick with the flu…

    now tell me that that isnt dedication.

  • Ainz
    Jun 4, 2008 at 1:56 am

    and someone remarked about him sliding up and down he satge or something…im not sure if u noticed but since it was raised and it was slippery you could slid up and down it…something which michael found quite amusing he loved that part of the stage, and he was dancing around and having a good time…so if that makes him drunk, then i mustve been plastered…

  • chris
    Jun 4, 2008 at 2:05 am

    I also was at that concert on Friday 31/05/08 and was a little disappointed by this performance. I saw him last perform at the forecourt of the Opera House in 2005 and was very impressed my his vocals and showmanship. I also think that this recent performance was a little beige and washed out. It also sounded like he had transposed all his songs down at least two semitones, artists usually do this when they can’t replicate live their vocals like on their studio albums. I personally just thought he was a little under the weather and just couldn’t perform as well as he would’ve liked to. Props to Michael though for still doing it live, some artists will just lip sync their ‘live’ shows when their voice is not up to scratch. I just hope that the flu is all that hindered his performance and nothing more sinister….

  • Annie
    Jun 4, 2008 at 4:35 am

    His stage is *purposely sloped* - I had front row tickets and his stool is glued to the sloping stage so that he could slide down it. So that destroys one foolish claim.

  • Megan
    Jun 4, 2008 at 6:19 am

    I was at Michaels Canberra concert and could not believe how terrible he looked. He was very bloated and looked extremely hung over. I hope he pulls himself together soon because he is such a great talent.

  • Ben & Megs
    Jun 4, 2008 at 6:59 am

    Anyone who was not entertained and thought old Bubbles was drunk, must not have been to the same concert we were on Saturday night. If the bloke was as smashed as you all thought he was then how the hell did he manage to get through the entire thing without falling or slipping over on his ‘purposely’ designed stage. Or going down like a bag of s..t when he jumped from the stage to have his photo taken with a 10 yr old kid. As for the Amy Winehouse thing, that was funny as, because she’s a twit.
    He’s a cracker and we, probably, along with most of the other people who didn’t have their head up their arse,had a great time and would still go and see him again.
    Old mate in the green shirt on the floor seating, in the fifth row who damn near sang and danced the whole thing with him would be livid right now. ( You know who you are ).

  • Goldie Tavana
    Jun 4, 2008 at 9:01 am

    My sister, my mum, my auntie and my self attended his Friday Night concert (30th May) in Sydney and he was just as charming and even more than the Michael Buble we see and hear of in the Media. We adored his singing, his entertaining and his JOKES! He was fantastic and i cannot believe that he was drunk for a concert and i think people need to think carefully of what they are accussing him of doing.

  • Linda Felton
    Jun 4, 2008 at 9:48 am

    Anyone who did not think Michael Buble’s concert on 31.5.08 was anything less than sensational needs to seriously take a long hard look at themselves. He was the consumate performer, in every sense of the word. His voice was beautiful, his sense of humour engaging and his showmanship and interaction with the audience a delight. I have not enjoyed myself so much ever at a concert. I am going to two more. And I hope more people start denouncing the press for defaming innocent people, famous or not. The garbage printed in the media these days puts so called journalists down there with politicians and used car salesmen for creditability. Print the real truth and not unsubstanciated lies for a change and regain the respect of the public. We really are more educated than you.

  • TT
    Jun 4, 2008 at 11:29 am

    I was at the show.. He was NOT drunk you idiots! That’s his mannerisms! He sounded amazing and entertained, as well as engaged the audience! I can’t believe, for a nation of an easy going sense of humour, you fools can’t even take a joke! Grow up and use your time to spread positivity around the world! At the end of the day, he’s an international superstar while you are all talentless insiginificant people who blog in order to feel powerful.. I seriously pity you!

  • lkatulka
    Jun 4, 2008 at 8:08 pm

    Wow. I’ve got to admit I didn’t expect this sort of reaction when I wrote this review, particularly when so many people initially backed me up. I wrote nothing but the truth and I stand by my claims. It was the way I experienced the concert, my husband experienced the concert, and my parents experienced the concert. It was the way several other fans who’ve commented experienced the concert. You know what they say about smoke and fire, right?

    Some of you clearly had a great time. Perhaps you were much further away from the stage than me. Perhaps you don’t expect as much from your performers as I do … having seen Michael Bublé several times before I feel I have some idea of what he can deliver and what I saw was way below par. The way it improved through the night leaves no doubt in mind that excuses like illness or jetlag are just that - excuses.

    I’m glad others enjoyed the concert more than me. Trust me, I’d have liked to gain as much from seeing one of my favourite performers as well. But I don’t like people coming in here calling my education into question and questioning my motives for blogging. I blog because I love music. And I blog because I’m a serious writer. And that, my friends, is why I presented the truth about this gig rather than pretending everything was hunky-dory. To simply gloss over the terrible first half would have been bad journalism, not the article I wrote.

  • Amanda
    Jun 4, 2008 at 9:18 pm

    I was also at the concert on 31.5.08. Absolutely loved it. Yeah, I noticed he was a little off on the first couple of songs, but I don’t see why everyone is suddenly jumping to the “substance abuse” conclusion - or is it just the favourite way to bring down any celebrity these days? There are tonnes of other things that can make one go off like that - nervousness, tiredness, allergies, sickness etc.
    He interacted with the crowd, getting quite close with them, so you’d think that if he really was as soused as reported, someone would have smelt the alcohol and cried wolf.
    And honestly, I loved his jokes and his antics - he really is quite a funny, charismatic guy.
    In fact I loved it so much that I will be going again to his June 22nd show, and sure, maybe I don’t expect as much from performers as others here seem to, but at least I don’t expect too much out of them.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 4, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    Amanda my comments definitely weren’t made as an easy way to tear down an artist. As I’ve said before, I’m a massive fan and that’s the last thing I want to do. But Michael made several references to alcohol on the night, including saying specifically he’d be drinking vodka before the show. I just put two and two together. Others have heard things he’s said about drug use in the past, but I definitely wouldn’t guess it was about anything other than what he revealed to us on the night.

    All I expect from him is what I’ve seen him deliver before. I don’t think that’s too much at all.

  • Labradoryte
    Jun 4, 2008 at 10:38 pm

    Lkatulka has every right to express her opinion in relation to a bad experience, perceived or otherwise. Whatever the reason for Michael’s bad performance, he has let down his fans and disappointed a great deal of people.

    Sick for months? Cancel the concert!

    As a performer, he has a responsibility to deliver a product which is an experience for his fans and if he’s not up to it for whatever reason, then he deserves whatever criticism that is delivered to him. If you put crap ‘in’…you’re going to get crap ‘out’.

    If this were a restaurant meal, it’s the equivalent of getting food poisoning from your fav neighbourhood place where you regularly dine and I’d feel wary about eating there again. At the very least, I’d feel mightily entitled to express my opinion and write an honest review.

    The overly familiar thread of ‘we know what Michael would and wouldn’t do’ amongst the fans on this thread is a little disturbing. He is human and capable of f&*king up. Sounds like that’s exactly what he did. Call a spade a spade.

  • BUBLE'S GIRL~
    Jun 4, 2008 at 10:53 pm

    I HAVE SEEN MB THREE TIMES IN CONCERT, HAD A FEW WITH HIM, AND I CAN SAY HE DOES LIKE HIS DRINK….BUT THIS WAS “AFTER” A SHOW! I DID SEE THE VIDS AND PICTURES OF HIM (MY BUD OVER THE POND) AND I HAVE TO SAY…HE DOES LOOK “BUZZED”. I LOVE THE GUY, ALWAYS WILL…..WHAT CAN I SAY….MB IS HUMAN.

  • Parris
    Jun 4, 2008 at 11:22 pm

    Here here Labradoryte!
    Very true, I’m pleased you took the time to write.

  • Vegi
    Jun 5, 2008 at 12:21 am

    Wow, I’m shocked at the comments here. I have an Australian friend; I only wish some of you were half as intelligent as he is.

    Since I live in the US, I did a little reading and research before I posted. I was pleased to learn that Australia also has libel laws. In fact, internet lawsuits HAVE occurred in Oz. What does that mean? It means that if Michael wants to sue over this; he could. I think he should. You see, you didn’t speak with Michael and you certainly didn’t give him a drug test. So you don’t know for a fact that he was under the influence of anything, yet you state AS A FACT that he was. You didn’t even write that he seemed drunk, which would still be libelous, but you wrote that he was drunk. This could easily damage his reputation. As this is the internet, the negative image you have created is spread on an international level. You put in writing that he was drunk and you can not prove that. It’s really important to remember that what you write on a board is legally actionable. You don’t legally have the right to attack someone’s character and make statements you have no verifiable evidence of.

    I’ve never seen so many things gotten wrong and misinterpreted ever. Now for some more facts. For those of you who say they are familiar with Michael but are complaining about his being unshaven… you obviously aren’t all that familiar with Michael or with fashion. The couple of days growth is a specific style. It’s called “scruff.” Michael is certainly not the only man who wears this style. And it is not a new style for Michael. I first met Michael when his very first album had just dropped in 2003. Michael wore scruff even then. So those of you who think this is a change in Michael, you’re just plain wrong. Of course, any visit to his website or board would expose you to lots of pics with Michael and his scruff.

    As for the vodka nonsense, a little more reading about Michael would have made you aware that Michael’s tour is sponsored by Ketel One VODKA. They sponsor the tour, so in each and every show he jokes about drinking, about how the audience looks better to him after drinking, etc.etc. Basically the same jokes in every single show. Most people are smart enough to realize they’re jokes. Michael has a lot of preplanned jokes and most of them are naughty. And they have always been naughty. For five years at least. If you thought his jokes weren’t naughty before, you just weren’t paying attention. As for the movements, Michael has a sloped stage that showcases and emphasizes his unique signature style of dancing. I can’t believe anyone who has ever seen Michael live or on a dvd would ever comment on the perspiration. Michael has always perspired in concert. Always. That’s why he has a sweaty towel that he can throw into the audience: because he sweats. Alot. That anyone would now think this is a sign of alcohol or drugs is just laughable.

    As for his improving as the show went on, you can’t know that was because he “sobered up” or assume that if he was sick he would have gotten worse. I KNOW that isn’t true. Earlier in the year Michael was very ill. Then he seemed to recover. I saw the San Diego show and a week later, the 2 shows in Santa Barbara. When I talked to him in San Diego, he seemed fine on and offstage. The shows were all fabulous. The next night was Anaheim, the last show of the US tour. I was able to speak with Michael privately face to face before the show, and he told me he was so ill that he had wanted to cancel in Santa Barbara but he didn’t. I could tell he was ill when we spoke. When he went on stage, for the first couple of songs, I could see he was still under the weather. But quite miraculously, as the show progressed, Michael was able to fight through the illness and put on a helluva show.

    It’s one thing to not be informed or not understand Michael’s sense of humor, but to state things based on ignorance or misunderstanding or that you can’t prove is beyond what is acceptable. Especially when people try and explain the background of things to you and you refuse to even consider that you may have misinterpreted what you saw. I doubt you would like it if someone posted on the internet something untrue, like that you slept with half the band or some such thing, and then others joined in to back it up. True or not, the damage has been done. Michael is one of the kindest and most polite people I’ve ever met. I’m certain Michael would NEVER publicly demean any of you in the way you have done here. I know he deserves the benefit of the doubt and certainly deserves more respect than most of you have given him.

  • Alison
    Jun 5, 2008 at 1:26 am

    I actually find it extremely amusing that you think Michael was drunk. Not only was the poor guy suffering from jetlag and possibly an illness, but working in the music industry for many years I have been exposed to many performers and Michael Buble is about as professional and clean as they come. Sure, he looked tired, but after constantly touring for a year and spending 17 hours flying to give Australians all these shows we should be appreciative of him, not critical of him.
    I definitely think alot of people don’t get his sense of humour and expect a lounge type act with the music he sings - well you won’t get that at a Michael Buble concert so don’t expect it. He goes way above and beyond and I am sure all the fans like myself who saw him come outside backstage afterwards to sign many autographs saw this too. As for the vodka comments during the shows - if he had been drinking and was an alcholic - do you really think he would be telling an audience of thousands especially when he sees children attending? I think not…
    I also find it laughable that people are critising his stubble - don’t you think maybe he is trying to grow a beard or likes the unshaven look which alot of men are sporting at the moment? As for the sweating - I have never been to a concert (and I have been to hundreds) where the performer doesn’t sweat under those hot stage lights.
    So to all you knockers out there - maybe you should get your facts straight before you make accusations of people because their show is a little different to what you expected. Michael Buble is human and everyone from Bono to Mick Jagger have their off nights where they are not feeling 100%.

  • Lizzy
    Jun 5, 2008 at 1:41 am

    Well put Vegi!!
    The thing that annoys me the most about this whole debate, is that a review posted by someone on the internet, expressing only THEIR personal point of view (which they have a right to do) has been reported as ‘fact’ in the Australian media. People who read the papers, and see the story, which mind you, only references this website as their source, may get the wrong idea about Michael Buble and his performances. I guess as celebrities they have to deal with this quite a bit, and personally I never really pay much attention to gossip magazines. But when I see stories like this about someone I really respect, I feel compelled to write and try and stick up for them a bit. Maybe we should just let this be, and stop trying to bring someone down when none of us really know the facts. The Daily Telegraph should remove the story they have written, and only report such things when they have the evidence to support their claims. If you read the comments associated with that particular story, and the majority of the comments on this website, you will see most people who attended the concert do NOT agree with lkatulka’s review of the concert. Maybe next time, a review would be best focused on the performance/concert itself. If you didn’t think he performed to your expectations, then so be it. But don’t start insinuating as to why this may be the case (drunk, drugs or illness) without evidence to support your claims…and i’m sorry, a few vodka and Amy Winehouse gags, do not constitute compelling evidence in my books.

  • Nancy
    Jun 5, 2008 at 1:42 am

    I attended three shows in the US - in California and he did the same skit about the Vodka there too in all three of them. Remember - his tour sponsor is Kettel One - they make Vodka. So it seems fitting to make a joke about it in some way, since Michael likes to joke so much. I had great floor seats and could tell that was part of the skit. He is very good at impersonations and acting. I can’t speak about the rest of the show, but I can tell you the comments about the Vodka at the beginning of the show are part of the show. As a matter of fact, one of the security guards was nice enough to give me a print out of the itinerary for the show that Michael’s staff provides to local security. The skits are planned after certain songs and they are even labeled on the night’s itinerary as a skit. Hopefully you will reconsider your thoughts about Michael being drunk in light of the Vodka skit being part of the show.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 5, 2008 at 1:45 am

    Vegi, you’re absolutely right that Michael Buble could sue. Whether he’d win any case is another thing. I’m no lawyer, but I’d guess that it’s doubtful considering he himself claimed to be drunk - whether it was intended as a joke or not those are the words that came out of his mouth. If a person claims to be drunk and I report this as a journalist, I can’t see what I’m actually doing wrong.

    Similarly, I can’t see what I’m doing wrong in criticising a performance which I felt was far below par for the reasons I’ve outlined.

    As a writer I have a professional obligation to review things honestly. That’s not always going to be to everyone’s liking. It’s going to mean there are good reviews and bad reviews. I’m not about to sacrifice my professional integrity to write the sort of reviews which might appeal to the celebrities I write about. At the same time I’d hope that doesn’t land me in the courts. However if it does, so be it. As I read my review I believe it to be fair and accurate, a far cry from the things I’ve been accused of by some.

  • Jeanne
    Jun 5, 2008 at 2:15 am

    Let me tell you all something - I’ve seen Michael Bublé drinking with my own eyes. I cover a lot of award shows here in Canada and was on television covering the Juno Awards last month.

    The things he did and said backstage and before the cameras were on him would make everyone more than blush.

    I believe this article because I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

  • Vegi
    Jun 5, 2008 at 5:06 am

    Lauren, you present yourself as a journalist. Well then, that sets you up for an even higher standard of behavior. It also means you need to be quite aware of the laws regarding libel. You said he was “blind drunk”, etc etc. You didn’t write he appeared to be drunk, or qualify your statement in any way. You presented it as a fact without subject to interpretation. But yet, you have no actual evidence. None. Without that, you have no business stating it as fact. If you were writing for a legitimate news source, they would want expect some fact checking. Did you give him a breath test? no. Did you give him a drug test? no. Did you speak with him personally and smell alcohol on his breath? no. Witnesses saying they saw Michael smashed offstage before the show? no. In fact, do you have any sources at all that would be in a position to know his blood alcohol level? Of course you don’t. All you have is your own interpretation based on your assumptions. Things such as being “unshaven” which has already been demonstrated to be the way he wears his facial hair these days. I’ve got probably 600 pictures taken from the Southern California leg of the tour with his unshaven face. From most reports, he doesn’t actually say he is “drunk” but tells the same old jokes about the audience looking better… the same jokes that he has been telling for many months. In fact, you wouldn’t even have to go to a show to know he wears his beard this way or tells these jokes as they have been widely reported on the net. If you are such a professional journalist, I have to wonder why you didn’t do your homework. From a purely logical standpoint, if he were “blind drunk” as you say, it would be next to impossible to perform as he does on stage, running around in a full suit under hot stage lights on a sloping stage. Let alone remember the same jokes he does night after night and the set list. He’d most likely collapse from the exertion alone.

    You’re entitled to not like the show. People’s tastes vary. Maybe the humor is too grown-up for you. Or maybe it’s over your head. The bottom line on the jokes is that Michael has been touring for quite some time, to many thousands of fans each night. So of the literally hundreds of thousands of fans that have seen this show, it appears that you are in the very small minority that didn’t understand the jokes about drinking that he tells EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. As I said, you don’t have to like the show or Michael. However, you don’t have the legal right to state something as a fact that you can’t prove.. or even have any information about whatsoever. What I find most disturbing is that in spite of being presented with facts about his appearance, set jokes, etc, you still won’t even admit you could have misinterpreted anything. You talk about professional integrity, but making such a serious statement without any factual, verifiable evidence demonstrates a very serious lack of journalistic ethics. The least you could do is admit that you do not know for a fact that Michael was drunk; that it was based on assumptions. As I said, you don’t have to like the show, but stating Michael was blind drunk is libelous and you should correct your remarks. Like they say in the States, stick to the facts.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 5, 2008 at 6:15 am

    You know what they say Vegi. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. If he hadn’t told an arena of 10, 000 people he was drunk I’m sure I would have put those safe words like “allegedly” and “perhaps” in my article. But he didn’t. He said flat out that he was drunk, which firmed up all those assumptions I had already made.

    I don’t care if Michael makes these “jokes” every night or not. Maybe he’s drunk every night. Maybe he’s drunk some of these nights and not others. I am just writing about what I saw on my particular show. A set joke is hardly evidence that he never drinks. For the record though, singling out a member of the audience and saying she’s gone from a 6 to an 11 isn’t funny. It’s not humour too mature for me. It’s just plain rude.

    I also mentioned he was unshaven not as evidence of drunkeness, but to point out that he was not the clean cut man I was expecting to see. It was just another thing that added to the whole unkempt image he projected, nothing more, nothing less.

    The funny thing is, I’m seeing plenty of reviews online for shows all around the world which are in a similar vein to mine. Perhaps this sort of behaviour isn’t so out of the ordinary after all.

  • Tara
    Jun 5, 2008 at 7:38 am

    I think this is absolute RUBBISH. I was there on the night and he was NOT drunk at all. He was FANTASTIC. For your information, he has been doing the Amy Whinehouse act every show. I think it is very rude of the writer of the piece to start such rubbish without having any solid proof behind it. It is people like you that put down fantastic entertainers like Buble. Imagine having to perform exactly the same show every night in thirty different countries for a year- Doesn’t sound like much fun after a while, does it? Buble should be congratulated on keeping this type of music alive in a generation where we are surrounded by offensive and repulsive music.

  • Lisa M
    Jun 5, 2008 at 9:26 am

    I was at the 1st Brisbane show where he said how uppity he finds Sydney people and how they made him so nervous he had to have 4 shots of vodka to get out on stage down there. The reviewer may very well have been correct!

    The reviewer of this show writes what she sees. It’s her job. You don’t have to agree with it and she doesn’t have to agree with you. An opinion … just that that. Play nicely kids!

    :)

  • BUBLE'S GIRL~
    Jun 5, 2008 at 9:34 am

    OUR GUY IS TIRED, LONELY, AND AS MY DAUGHTER COMMENTED A LITTLE SAD. I GIVE ALL PROPS TO MB, HE IS A GREAT PERFORMER.

  • SupremDIVA
    Jun 5, 2008 at 10:20 am

    I have watched the videos that Daryl downloaded and I can’t imagine how you could see that performance and not agree that Buble was under the influence. As a professional singer, I know that if you were sick or jetlagged to the point that you would give a performance like that, you would CANCEL. And a professional wouldn’t make a tasteless joke like faking being drunk, lying about being drunk, and then gradually pretending to sober up. Those of you who maintain that position have clearly not seen the videos or the concert, or you are making those statements based on how you FEEL about Buble, not on truth.

  • Moretto
    Jun 5, 2008 at 10:52 am

    Ikatulka. You say you are a huge Michael Buble` fan. If you really are a fan and have seen many of his concerts, you should know Michael was JOKING when he said he was drunk. He has a very dry sense of humour, which is part of his charm. As Aussies, we should grasp this with ease as our sense of humour is similar. Obviously not yours though.

    As far as his singing goes, when vocal chords are strained by repeated concerts, it takes 3, 4 or 5 songs to warm up and sound half decent. That’s why he sounded better in the second half of his show not because he was sobering up. And remember, Micael Buble` is only human. After a long and exhaustive concert tour we cannot expect his voice to always sound CD quality. We should appreciate the effort he makes compared to many other performers. Lighten up and read “How to spot a Dry sense of humour 101″. It may put things in perspective for you.

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 5, 2008 at 7:31 pm

    SupremeDiva….

    First, the people who have posted have not only seen those videos, they have been to the concerts of late.

    Secondly, Michael has been very ill. He does not cancel concerts. I actually think he’d have to be forced by his management, before he’d disappoint the fans. It’s also a bit hard to reschedule a 10,000 person venue, in a country one hasn’t performed in, in 3 years. He does not want to let the fans down. I think it would be much more a disappointment if he canceled, than taking a few songs to warm up. What seems quite aparent to me, is that a lot of you lack a of sense of humor. This is the “act” on this tour. Can’t say it clearer. He’s not doing the smooth, crooner thing. He’s doing, as he calls it… “his bad boy” routine. There is no way he would come on stage drunk. Maybe other performers you go to see do, and it’s a normal to experience for you. That’s not the case with Bublé. He is a consummate professional.

    I want to add something else. As Vegi mentioned above, he was extremely ill at the last US concert. Came out on stage, thanked kettle one and took a drink of “water”…. ha,ha….. joke… get it? We all got it. And yes, he told the same joke about the audience looking better, yada, yada. Then he proceeded to the next couple songs. He coughed a few times, wiped his nose a couple… looked feverish, as he does in the videos, here. But, by mid concert his “instrument” was performing in such an amazing way, I was taken aback. The command he has over his voice, constantly astounds me. Did I or anyone else mind that he had a bit of rough start? Not for one minute. You see, we were there to have a great time. Not to sit back and decide that since it wasn’t the concert of 3 years ago, I’ll just trash the whole thing. I can hang my hat on what he came out and said. The actual, joke he made that from what I’m hearing, most of the audience “got”.

    Journalism…… Seems to me when I took that course in high school, we had specific criteria that were part of creating an article of any kind. Unfortunately, we don’t see that today. One can print whatever they want and damage people, whenever they please. There are rarely consequences to these writers. No corroboration is necessary… just say it… Let a newspaper take the lie and run with it and spread it through the whole world. Still, with no corroboration. I remember being taught that you need to confirm and confirm, again. That is not done today.
    True journalism is dead.

    SupremeDiva….
    First, the people who have posted have not only seen those videos, they have been to the concerts of late. Secondly, he has been very ill. He does not cancel concerts. Hard to reschedule 10,000 person venue in a country he hasn’t performed in, in 3 years. He does not want to let the fans down. I think it would be much more a disappointment if he canceled, than taking a few songs to warm up. The problem seems to be more than anything else… that a lot of you lack any form of sense of humor. This is the act on this tour. Can’t say it clearer. He’s not doing the smooth, crooner thing. He’s doing, as he calls it… his bad boy routine. This in no way means he would come on stage drunk. He is a consummate professional. Like the concert or not, this is who he is.
    I want to add something else. As Vegi mentioned above, he was extremely ill at the last US concert. Came out on stage, thanked kettle one and took a drink of “water”…. ha,ha….. joke… get it? Then proceeded to the next couple songs. He coughed a few times, wiped his nose a couple… looked feverish, as he does in the videos, here. But, by mid concert his “instrument” was performing an amazing concert. Did I or anyone else mind that he had a bit of rough start? Not for one minute. You see, we were there to have a great time. Not to sit back and decide that since it wasn’t the concert of 3 years ago, I’ll just trash the whole thing.
    Journalism…… Seems to me when I took that course in high school, we had specific criteria that were part of creating an article of any kind. Unfortunately, we don’t see that today. One can print whatever they want and damage people, whenever they please. There are rarely consequences to these writers. No corroboration is necessary… just say it… Let a newspaper take the lie and run with it and spread it through the whole world. Still, with no corroboration. I remember being taught that you need to confirm and confirm, again.

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 5, 2008 at 7:48 pm

    Sorry… this didn’t get in…

    JOURNALISM IS DEAD

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 5, 2008 at 9:24 pm

    Sorry all…. this took longer for the people at OzMusic to review than I thought and it got posted twice.
    D

  • lkatulka
    Jun 5, 2008 at 9:39 pm

    Daryl, as I have stated many times above, this wasn’t a matter of taking a few songs to warm up, or a man appearing otherwise sober but making a joke that was taken out of context. This was a man staggering around, slurring, and repeatedly talking about how much he’d had to drink. It doesn’t take a hard hitting journalist to add two and two and come up with four.

    It astounds me that you can fault Supremdiva for drawing her conclusions from the videos, yet you can decide what went on at a concert you didn’t attend. It’s also interesting to me that she feels he’s drunk based on the videos from the part of the concert where I thought he had improved immensely. Oh if only there was some footage out there of the first half of the show. Perhaps you’d see what I was talking about.

    Personally, I’d have preferred the show was cancelled. As I stated, I would have left had I not been with other people. You say Michael wouldn’t want to disappoint his fans, but judging by some of the comments I have received it seems like he did just that.

  • Daryl Di Stefano
    Jun 5, 2008 at 9:49 pm

    So sorry you were disappointed, but there have been many posts here who were up front and saw the same show and didn’t see what you and some other seemed to have seen.

    Maybe, in the future you should skip his shows.
    D

  • lise
    Jun 5, 2008 at 9:52 pm

    Daryl Di Stefano….
    You crack me up!!!!
    I love the guy, my husband and family think i have michael ocd, i was at his first brisbane concert, and when he came out on stage my heart sunk!! As soon as the camera man had put that close up shot of michael on the big screen i freaked out-my first thought was oh my god he is sick! Then i thought oh my god, is he smashed? Then i thought Is he going to make it through the 1st song let alone the whole concert?!!! I was truely concerned for his well being and the mother in me came out in those first few minute of laying eyes on him. It was worrying me the way he kept scratching at his stubble, and rubbing his nose. I felt sad. Anyway, a few songs in he seemed to have either warmed up or pulled it together, and gave us an awesome show. There was no way on earth i wasnt going to enjoy it, i waited for that moment for months and months!
    Any way, thats my opinion,(and my friends and family who were there with me, 3 metres from the stage) and he is only human, so we cant expect perfection as we see it in the media, but for his sake i hope he takes a huge break and has a long awaited rest. I also must note that my devotion has not waivered :))

    As for you Daryl Di Stefano - You are one passionate fan and michael needs someone like you on his publicity team!!!!

    :) Lise

  • Nancy
    Jun 5, 2008 at 10:09 pm

    Lizzie - hope you read this - this is for you. Please fill us in more on the details of the afterparty! That is fantastic that you got to spend time with Michael after the show! Did you get to chat with him? What did you talk about? Did he stay long? Did you get to chat with the band? Which ones? How many fans were invited? How/when did you get invited? Did he sign anything for you or did you get any pics? I think that is so great that you got personal time with Michael and his band.

    Fill us in!!!!

  • lkatulka
    Jun 5, 2008 at 10:42 pm

    Daryl, believe me I’m strongly considering it. How sad though that I should feel like I should miss seeing one of my favourite singers, who had previously delivered such wonderful shows, to avoid an experience like that.

  • Vegi
    Jun 5, 2008 at 10:59 pm

    Lauren, I took the time to look at your c.v. Since you apparently have absolutely NO background in music, perhaps you ought to find the time to get some training and education in that area. Music is a far cry from motorcycles. I note that your degree isn’t in music and it also isn’t in science, physiology, etc. Nothing that would make you an expert on someone’s alcohol level by sight. If you’re going to make those judgments, you ought to get some training that actually qualifies you to state with certainty about someone’s sobriety.

    You also state repeatedly that Michael said he was drunk. Several people have said that he didn’t say that at all. Saying you’ve had a couple of drinks certainly does not mean you are drunk. As someone who uses language in their “career” you should know that. Lots of people have told you he was joking and you insist he should be taken literally. Logic would follow then that when Michael does his skit about being jealous of the attention the band receives and storms off stage, that should be taken literally too. It’s just absurd and extremely poor reasoning. The fact that you won’t concede that there is even a chance that you are wrong demonstrates a serious lack of ethics. Try getting and keeping a job with the legitimate Aussie press. I think it would be an eye opener for you.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 5, 2008 at 11:32 pm

    Vegi, I did study popular music and other music related courses as part of my degree. Not that you need qualifications to have an interest or passion for music, but there it is.

    Michael Buble used the term “hammered” during the show to describe his condition, so again no liberties were taken there. I’m not claming to be an expert by any means, but the comments he made combined with his actions allow me to form an informed opinion which I have presented to you. I was there, and you weren’t, so I figure I’d be more qualified to make that judgement than yourself.

    I have worked for “legitimate Aussie press” in the past. I now choose to freelance. Thanks for taking an interest in my career though.

  • Vegi
    Jun 6, 2008 at 3:49 am

    Again, you didn’t respond to my point: Did you take all his other jokes literally too?

  • lkatulka
    Jun 6, 2008 at 5:15 am

    When Michael walked off stage in a mock tantrum, I laughed. I understood he wasn’t serious and I could see that was a joke. If he really seemed mad, as he really seemed drunk, I wouldn’t have taken that as a joke either.

    But I’m not really sure where the humour is in saying you’re drunk. I’m not sure where the humour is in saying a woman has become more attractive thanks to alcohol. I’m not sure where the humour is in telling a crowd how uppity Sydney was and how you had to have four shots of vodka to deal with them. Even if you’re completely sober, I’m not sure exactly how any of these things are funny. Care to explain it to me?

    Given that, I’m not sure exactly how to answer your question. You seem to be referring to certain comments as jokes, which I don’t because they’re just not funny on any level.

  • Jodette
    Jun 6, 2008 at 5:24 am

    I had a friend who went last night and messaged me asking if Michael was drunk at the performance I went to. I went to the first Sydney performance which was fantastic. I wouldn’t have thought he would be so unprofessional to act like this, but if it happens more than once then I suppose you have to wonder what’s going on. I would’ve been quite angry driving back to Newcastle late Friday night if we had been given a poor performance.

  • lkatulka
    Jun 6, 2008 at 5:41 am

    Thanks for weighing in Jodette. I’m glad you got to see a great show … and sorry your friend wasn’t quite so lucky. My parents also came from Newcastle, and my husband and I came from the Coast, so as you can imagine - it was a very long car trip home!

  • Sandy
    Jun 6, 2008 at 5:45 am

    my friends and I were there on the 31st May concert and it was AWESOME, we had great time and we didn’t find anything wrong with michael’s performance. The vodka was obviously a joke, same with other jokes that he pulled. Can’t believe someone who claiming him/herself as a reporter, reporting things that is not even the fact. If you can’t take a joke you then it is your own problem, but it’s totally wrong if you start reporting it as if it is the real fact!

  • Amanda
    Jun 6, 2008 at 8:27 am

    Hi, me again.
    Just reading through other comments - people (including yourself Ikatulka - I know it really sounds like I’m trying to pick a fight with you, but I’m not, damn the internet and it’s lack of emotive expressive qualities) have complained about him singling a woman in the audience out and commenting on how alcohol makes a woman look more attractive, however, as I remember it, SHE heckled HIM first, so really she was (or should have been) expecting a response.

    He made the first vodka crack - “…makes me sound better, makes you guys look better… not that you aren’t a good looking bunch of people but you know…”

    Which was when the female audience member called out - “No! I don’t!”

    So, in response (interacting with the audience here) he said - “Okay well let me explain it to you…say right now you’re a 6/10….with a couple of these you’re an 11…(and here’s the important part) and I’m looking at you, SIR (if this comment box could underline or italicise, I would, but caps will have to do). Rawr” - he made the joke, but not about the woman, but about the man sitting next to her.

    That’s how I remember it anyway…

    About the Brisbane crack about Sydney people - come on, he also said at the second Sydney show that he threw the first Sydney show and that he ripped a bunch of people off. Jokes about previous crowds is common at gigs to warm up the crowd and get them ‘on side’. I’ll bet he’d say exactly the same thing in Melbourne, simply because Sydney-siders seem to have some ‘rivalry’ thing going with Brisbane and Melbourne and, in a previous interview (yes, I do have just a LITTLE too much time on my hands =P) he mentioned that wherever he went, he would do a little research on the local culture there and try to tailor some jokes to fit the audience. He obviously must have picked up on the between-city ‘rivalry’, and probably tried to play on that (of course not knowing Buble personally, as much fun as that would probably be, I can’t DEFINITELY say so, but this is also me putting 2 and 2 together). Maybe he was a little off the mark, but it’s not like any of us have never made an inappropriate comment accidentally.

    Also (I guess this is also speculation, but just throwing it out there), it seems to me that the part where he runs off stage in the middle of the show may have been deliberately placed. All of Buble’s shows are carefully scripted before the tour. We know that he’s been sick for a while (and yes, I agree, he should have cancelled or postponed like Mary J. Blige has done - I would honestly rather he rest and recuperate than entertain a bunch of people who, for the most part, see him as a piece of sexy man meat) but we also know that he hates cancelling shows. My theory (but I do acknowledge that it is mostly speculation) is that the break may have been used as an out in case he felt like he did need meds or the steroids (the legal kind) to help his voice, which could also explain the noticeable improvement that you commented on in the second half, Ikatulka. But yeah, it’s just a stupid theory/idea I’m tossing out there….

    I didn’t say easy, Ikatulka, I said favourite, and I wasn’t actually targetting you specifically (although I know it really sounds like it) - I just mean in general. Whenever a celebrity comes up a little under par or dishevelled, somehow the media at large always jumps to substance abuse. Can’t a guy just have a bad day?

    And SupremeDiva - (I’m sorry if I really come off bitchy here, but I don’t like it when people think they can dictate how I think): You weren’t there, so you really can’t speak of knowing the ‘truth’. I don’t think any of us, unless Michael Buble himself decided to comment here, can. We, like Ikatulka, are commenting on what we saw. We just happen to differ on that. I (and others) saw a good show and am supporting Buble, Ikatulka saw a bad show. So please, don’t talk on feelings and truth like you know it better than any of us.

  • Laguna
    Jun 6, 2008 at 8:33 am

    I went to the four shows, two Sydney and two Brisbane and thought they were all fabulous. I was backstage with Michael before the first Brisbane show and have three photos of him just before the show. I can assure you he was alert and quick witted and looked great. It must have been something to do with the lighting effects because there was nothing wrong with his appearance close up.
    I really think people are misinterpreting Michael’s performance style. The songs in which people are saying he was drunk were his new songs and that’s the way he always performs them….it’s his interpretation of the passion and feeling he wants to put into them. It’s a shame some of you don’t like the way he’s doing them but a lot of people do. And just because you don’t like his style doesn’t justify attacking his character and his career. If you don’t like him you don’t have to come again but no need to attack him. I guarantee there will be no shortage of people wanting to buy tickets to his future shows.

  • Amanda
    Jun 6, 2008 at 8:41 am

    (Sorry about the super long comment above…guess I got a little carried away)

    But just adding on from my last thought - I would (like many fans, I imagine) also like to know the truth (if there is any truth to know).
    If Mr Buble admits that he was drunk on stage, I would accept that I was mistaken, but until he does (if at all, which I don’t believe he won’t because I don’t believe he was), I will maintain that I did not see any evidence of inebriation in his performance, which again, is only based on what I personally saw and experienced at the concert.

  • Amanda
    Jun 6, 2008 at 8:42 am

    *if at all, which I don’t believe he will…

  • lkatulka
    Jun 6, 2008 at 9:08 am

    Amanda, thanks for your comments and for pointing out that you’re not trying to attack me. I’ve definitely felt a bit attacked of late! It’s funny. I just write a little blog on the net about the Australian music scene. I thought Michael seemed drunk from the first song, and his comments solidified that opinion in my mind. Yes it’s my opinion, not a fact, but at the end of the day that’s what blogging is all about. But it’s an informed opinion given the actions I witnessed, and given his comments isn’t going to get me into any legal trouble (yes I’ve checked!). It was a part of my concert experience, and so I needed to write about it. Not to slander Michael or upset anyone, but just to report honestly on the night I had.

    It amazes me that it’s all come to this flamewar. I guess that’s what happens when a couple of newspapers pick up your story.

    I stand by my opinions of the show, and I understand the other people who felt he wasn’t drunk (including those who weren’t there!) stand by theirs. No one’s going to change anyone’s minds so I’m not really sure why there’s still so much back and forth about this.

  • OnTheBus
    Jun 6, 2008 at 9:23 am

    LIstening to Alan Jones on 2GB this week was informative on this issue.

    Firstly Jones is a huge Buble fan and he claims on air that he was with Buble in the dressingroom for a full half hour on the night in question.

    He says that he saw no indication of Buble drinking anything alcoholic nor that Buble looked or sounded drunk.

    He also says that the jokes about other cities audience is a set joke used by Buble. Hell I have seen everyone from bands to comedians to Ape