Live music review: TOTO at the ICC – Sydney 2025 – Spotlight Report
Picture it. It’s 8pm and there are already 9000 keen people sat quietly sipping on a premix, ready in the somewhat clinical tiered seating from the gods to the floor.
Why? It’s the greatest yacht rock night of the year – two of the genres’ OGs are in town and this crowd are here to get their soft rock ON!!!!
Will they remain seated? Who knows! Will they film parts of the set with their really bright iphone camera flash on? Absolutely! Will they have the best time – you better believe it!!!
Tonight’s a night of legends – Christopher Class and TOTO.
It’s hard to talk about these bands without mentioning their pasts, first. If you love music, the next time someone asks you ‘Which famous people would you have at a dinner party, dead or alive?’ The answer has to be TOTO. This band must have seen it all, literally. Name a singer or a song synonymous with the 70s, 80s or 90s and 00s and you can probably link a member of TOTO to it in some way. From Michael Jackson, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton to Donna Summer, Paul Simon, Huey Lewis – all the way through to Jessica Simpson and Taylor Swift. It is probably easier to list who they haven’t got links to. Same with Christopher Cross, who managed a mighty five grammy win for his DEBUT album where he collaborated with legends like Burt Bacharach. He also put the yacht into yacht rock with his 1979 smash, Sailing.
So now, without even mentioning the words Africa, or Arthur you know a little about who we are dealing with here!
Christopher Class put his best Flamingo (IYKYK), and foot forward with a fabulous 80s set, between each song someone in the audience could be heard shouting ‘We love you, Chris!!!!’Running between classic hits like Arthur’s Theme, Sailing, Ride like the Wind (to be free again) and newer material, there was a real sense of nostalgia in the room – from those who experienced it first hand or have more recently discovered the hits, or of course those who were here to see TOTO, aka the Dogz of Oz.
TOTO had the crowd on their feet by song two. Kicking off with Carmen and moving to Rosanna, everyone who wanted to show off their karaoke skills, 80’s power grabs or soft snap of the fingers in time to the beat, was doing just that.
The introduction to the band came later in the set and was one of the most interesting intros. OG member, guitarist Steve Lukather introduced the band members from keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, to lead singer, Joseph Williams (yes, the son of composer John Williams AND the singing voice of Simba – Hakuna Matata!!!), Drummer Shannon Forest, keyboardist and (high note vocals!) Dennis Atlas, Percussionist Warren Ham and bestie since school, guitarist John Pierce! The stories, the smiles, the back pats said it all. By the lead into the final three songs, I’ll Supply the Love, Hold the Line and the best song ever, Africa it was like everyone was best friends and this was just one big celebration and TOTO-lly brilliant experience that the crowd will be dining out on for years to come. Or hopefully just until the next time!
Photos by Sergio Martin ©Spotlight Report
