For most people, picturing Richard Marx inevitably involves something that includes the quintessential love song ‘Right Here Waiting.’ If they are particularly enamoured by smooth late 80s music, they may also imagine a top balladeer delivering hits such as ‘Now and Forever’ and ‘Hold on to the Nights.’ 

Either way, when picturing Richard Marx, the words ‘born-showman’ and ‘prolific songwriter’ may not naturally be the first words to come to mind. But at the beautiful State Theatre on Sunday night, these words couldn’t have held truer as Marx put on a sparkling show, performing both his own hits and the many hits he has written for others to perfection.

We were initially shown a video montage of Marx’s career, which felt a little odd at first. However, its purpose quickly became clear as it showcased not only the many hits that Marx had himself but his numerous collaborations with others. And those collaborations weren’t just 80s style ballads either, rather, the variety of genres and artists traversed was quite astounding. For example, ‘This I Promise You’ by NSYNC might be a style of song you’d typically associate with Marx but I don’t think ‘Long Hot Summer,’ which he co-wrote with Keith Urban, would be. Perhaps even more surprising is his involvement with the stunning, Grammy Award-winning hit ‘Dance With My Father’ which he also co-wrote, highlighting that Marx has been equally as prolific writing hits for others as he has been for himself. 

From the outset, Marx was at ease on the State Theatre stage, commanding the crowd to form a mosh-pit which remained for the entire show. Given the layout of the theatre, artists sometimes find the audience to be a little disconnected so Marx’s invitation ensured that the energy of his performance carried through to the crowd. Judging by his words, this approach seemed to pay off throughout the whole tour. 

“I played in Canberra a few nights ago,” Marx said to the audience. “And it was crazy… at a f***ing Richard Marx show.”

Marx’s humour was a key component of the show throughout. Interspersed between songs were war stories from his 40-year career, from meetings with Taylor Hawkins to poaching his three-piece band (who were exceptional by the way) on the recommendation of Sara Bareilles. Among the more amusing was a story about a call with Bryan Adams, who called up Marx before a show for advice on his unique vocal remedies (which involved drinking a blend of lemon, crushed ginger, honey and cayenne pepper). Marx spoke of his great excitement in explaining to Adams the exact ratios of the mysterious drink. What he failed to tell Adams was that the drink also had a “cleansing effect.” I’m sure you can guess what happened. 

With such charisma, I found myself wondering why I’d never seen Marx as a judge on one of the many reality television shows. It turns out he is (or at least, was) staunchly against them as a concept but still, with his level of charisma and voice, he would be a perfect fit. 

Marx also stopped to pay tribute to close friends John Farnham (who apparently once suggested he name his child ‘Skid’) and Olivia Newtown-John, drawing huge applause from the audience. 

While the stories were hilarious at times and appropriately reflective at others, the real highlight of the show was the music. Marx’s voice still possessed the iconic twang and rasp it did in the 80s while maintaining a silky beauty in its mid register. This was most clearly on show when Marx sat down with his guitar to perform ‘Hold On To The Nights’ and ‘Now and Forever’. For a crowd that was so rapturous throughout the rest of the set, you could have heard a pin drop through these two songs. Marx’s voice soared over the crowd, reverberating off every corner of the State Theatre. It served as a strong reminder that Marx’s voice, although self-confessedly “tired” from back-to-back shows, had aged beautifully with not a hint of wear and tear. Even though he had undoubtedly sung the two songs many times before, there was a passion in the performance that only the writer of the material could convey, transporting the audience to the place in which he wrote the songs. It was an absolutely stunning moment. 

Through the concert, Marx went through hit after hit, from ‘Endless Summer Nights’ to ‘Hazard’. He made a point of not pushing his new material too hard, in typical humorous fashion.

“If I go to a Harry Styles concert, I want to f***ing hear ‘As It Was’,” he mused.

It was only when the songs were stacked against each other did it become clear just how prolific Marx was as a hitmaker, not even including the songs he wrote for others. In between the hits were some lighter musical moments, including a short cover of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ (which although intended as a joke, actually didn’t sound too bad). Marx then moved onto songs he wrote for others. It was quite remarkable how similar he sounded to Keith Urban when he performed “Long Hot Summer.”

To conclude the show, Marx moved to piano to perform the song that everyone had been waiting for (no pun intended). As the crowd swayed in unison, Marx’s voice soared once again over the many faces in the crowd who were singing with unbridled joy. For almost every person in the crowd, that song would have a special meaning and Marx knew it too, taking time in the song to allow everyone to soak in the moment. As he moved from piano to electric guitar for a rock-tinged ‘Right Here Waiting’ outro, he concluded the show as he started, with fire, energy and a whole lot of passion. 

This was a fabulous performance start to finish by a true professional who gave the audience everything they could have asked for. Even 40 years on from the start of his career, it was clear that there was a reason why audiences keep coming back for more. One can only hope he continues to return to Australia for many years to come. 

Richard Marx – State Theatre – 6 March, 2023

Rating: ★★★★