Live Review: HAUSER @ Margaret Court Arena

“This is my first solo concert in Melbourne, and I’m so happy to be here,” exclaims HAUSER. “The first part of the concert is a little bit more classical, slow and beautifully romantic. Then later on, it’s going to get more and more crazy with each song,” he says.

We embark on a journey across musical boundaries with him, starting with more traditional classical pieces, including Love Story, Hans Zimmer’s Now We Are Free, and Lucio Dalla’s Caruso, as he gracefully plays his cello alongside a keyboardist. The audience is captivated by his incredible talent as he passionately plays the cello with his signature romantic and soulful playing sound and style, and we become lost in his enchanting melodies.

HAUSER is a born showman, and he instantly connects with the crowd. He continues to perform a spectacular cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and encourages us to sing along with him as he conducts the audience with his cello bow.

“Today is a very special day because my new album (Classic II) is out,” he exclaims. The album was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and features some of his favourite classic pieces – some of which he shares with us tonight. One lucky fan in the front row even gets a free signed copy.

The rest of the band slowly joins the stage, first with guitarists and then trumpets, saxophones, drums and percussion to intensify the music for a cover of Klaus Badelt’s Pirates Of The Caribbean theme song. HAUSER is a powerhouse as he shreds the cello, and we watch visuals of him on the screen, fittingly dressed up in a Jack Sparrow costume.

HAUSER is no ordinary cellist, and he’s made a name for himself, defying genres and tackling an eclectic music mix on his cello. He reaches the part of his set where he and his phenomenal rock band demonstrate just how they smash genres and defy expectations of what can be done with a cello as the centrepiece of a live show. They take on the ultimate musical showcase of modern globally-influenced dance tracks as featured on his album The Player.

The drummer performs a heavy-hitting solo as HAUSER takes a short break before returning to the stage in a silky gold shirt, ready for a dance. He dials up the energy with a number of modern Latino-influenced songs, including Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca, Jennifer Lopez’s Let’s Get Loud, and Luis Fonsi’s Despacito. The percussionist also dances and sings along in Spanish as HAUSER sways along with plenty of rhythm on his cello to the beat.

The audience is encouraged to sing along to a cover of Gipsy Kings’ Bamboléo, and HAUSER makes his way down into the audience to walk through the crowd while his band continues with Shakira’s Waka Waka (This Time For Africa).

After being swarmed by fans trying to get up close and personal with him and take selfies, he finally makes his way back up to the stage for a few rock’n’roll covers, and he attempts his best Australian accent for us as he introduces the likes of AC/DC’s Highway To Hell.

HAUSER is a true musical rebel who does things his way on his own terms. He leaves us with a more traditional yet upbeat version of Bella Ciao—the perfect way to end his show, which unifies generations of music lovers with an unforgettable experience like no other.