Reece Mastin performs at Auckland's Vector Arena last
April. Photo from NZ Herald.
If you're prepared to enter a television music contest,
you'd better be ready for attention both good and bad, The
X-Factor Australia winner Reece Mastin tells Shane Gilchrist.
The last time Reece Mastin performed in New Zealand, at a
public signing session at an Auckland mall in February last
year, the event had to be cut short when several teenage
girls fainted.
A year later, the singer, who won The X-Factor Australia in
2011 at the age of 16, will open a seven-show New Zealand
tour on a day marketed by many as an occasion when hearts are
meant to flutter.
Mastin will begin his Kiwi sojourn with a Valentine's Day
concert at the Auckland Town Hall and wind up with a concert
at the Regent Theatre, Dunedin, on February 24.
Since winning the Australian competition, Mastin has quickly
built on that success. His self-titled debut album reached No
1 and subsequently achieved platinum status, both in New
Zealand and Australia, while his recent DVD, Behind Closed
Doors, also topped the charts.
The reason for Mastin's latest visit is the promotion of his
second album. Released late last year, the 15-song Beautiful
Machine continues his run of pop-rock, radio-friendly singles
such as Shut Up And Kiss Me and Shout It Out - in short, they
are designed to prompt sing-alongs.
Yet, despite the shiny production, Mastin says he's always
been a sucker for a distorted guitar.
''When I was young, I would listen to all my dad's old
records. I got into Guns N' Roses and Aerosmith. I listen to
as much music as I can but my first love would be rock
music,'' Mastin says via cellphone as he prepares for yet
another show in Australia.
''We did a stadium tour, which was about 10 shows in
Australia, and now we are 10 shows into the regional tour,
with another eight or nine to go before we go to New
Zealand,'' he explains, adding he plans to head to Los
Angeles soon to begin work on a new batch of material.
''I have always written songs,'' Mastin says, adding he
enjoyed the process of collaborating with writers on his new
album.
''I don't think it required any compromise. The best thing
about it is you can bounce ideas off other people. Someone
will come up with an idea that will take you to another
level.
''It works in weird ways sometimes. For example, with Shout
It Out I had the lyrics done and we had a lot of fun mucking
about. A lot of the time I'll try to go with an idea and
it'll get twisted a little.''
On the subject of twisted, Mastin has witnessed the darker
side of media exposure. Following the announcement last year
he was dating Rhiannon Fish, an actor in Australian soap
opera Home and Away, the young woman received death threats
on Twitter.
''At the end of the day, I know who my real fans are,''
Mastin says.
''Now I can't even mention her name during a show without
people screaming [in support].
''I have always told others who are thinking about entering
such shows that they need to make sure they are ready for
what's going to come. It is hard work. Everything you do is
on social media or the news.''
See him
Reece Mastin performs at the Regent Theatre, Dunedin, on
Sunday, February 24.
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