Live Review: Harry Styles, The Preatures

If you haven't listened to his post-One Direction music, you might have some preconceived ideas of what a Harry Styles concert looks like, but the young Brit's show at Qudos Bank Arena was far from his reality TV talent show and global boy band sensation beginnings.

For one, local indie rock band The Preatures were his support act, a huge sign illuminating the stage and announcing their presence. They kicked off their set with Girlhood and had no trouble filling the massive arena with epic guitar solos, crashing drums, driving bass and Isabella Manfredi's powerful voice. Manfredi took a moment to assure they knew how lucky they were to be supporting Styles, who she praised for taking mainly female acts on tour and choosing "a little band from Sydney" this time around before launching into I Know A Girl. Their set had moments of intimacy, with Manfredi sitting at the piano for an emotive rendition of Your Fan, and moments of pure fun, with tracks like Is This How You Feel? and closer Yanada getting everyone up and dancing.

Harry Styles brought probably one of the loudest crowds the arena has ever seen, with hearing-damage-causing screams erupting as he walked on stage looking like a star in one of his unique, iconic suits. After opening his set with Only Angel and Woman, Styles took the opportunity to introduce himself, but every word was interrupted by the deafening crowd. The talented singer-songwriter picked up his guitar for Two Ghosts, his passionate audience helping him sing every single word.

No one could have predicted the number of times Daryl Braithwaite's Horses would feature at a Harry Styles concert. He sang it multiple times early on in the show, telling everyone he FaceTimed Braithwaite the day before, and later on as he thanked Denis Handlin and Sony. The young star's appeal was obvious; he was charming, funny, charismatic, undeniably talented and highly entertaining to watch.

He was the first to admit he only had one solo album out, limiting his set, but filled it with new, unreleased tracks Medicine and Anna, a track he wrote for Ariana Grande, Just A little Bit Of Your Heart, and a few One Direction songs, including show highlight What Makes You Beautiful.

He connected with his audience, talking to a young boy in the crowd and getting the whole arena to sing Happy Birthday to a fan for her 30th, before making his way to a small stage at the back of the arena where he showcased his great voice - just him and his guitar.

The arena lit up with thousands of phone lights as Styles performed his Pink Floyd and David Bowie influenced hit Sign Of The Times, which really launched his solo career last year, before leaving the stage to huge applause.

The show wasn't over yet though, with Styles returning for an encore, managing to do great justice to Fleetwood Mac's The Chain, before finishing his show on an energetic high with hit Kiwi.