Harry Styles kicks off Down Under tour with bizarre Aussie tradition
Harry Styles has kicked off the Australian leg of his tour with the most unhygienic of Aussie practices: the shoey.
The British musician began the Down Under run of Love on Tour in Perth on Monday night, with the 20,000-strong crowd encouraging the pop icon to partake in the unusual tradition.
Footage from the concert at Perth’s HBF Park has gone viral, as the former One Direction star drank out of his own shoe, as fans cheered him on.
After the ceremonial shoey had been completed, Styles said to the crowd, “This is one of the most disgusting traditions I have ever heard of. I feel like a different person… I’m ashamed of myself.”
“I will be discussing this at length with my therapist. At length!”
Styles also paid homage to Australia’s rich history while on stage with a performance of Daryl Braithwaite’s The Horses.
The classic 1989 track, originally performed by Rickie Lee Jones, is a staple of Aussie culture, as Styles’ rendition of the song saw the entire crowd singing along.
Aware of the impact of the track, Styles told the crowd, “You don’t hear that song much until you come down here and then it's like catnip.”
Before the show began in Perth, there were chaotic scenes as hardcore fans waited in blistering heat for many hours before doors opened to get the best spots inside the stadium.
Fans had been banned from camping out the night before, with people lining up from 5am.
Harry Styles’ Australian tour continues on Friday with the first of two shows at Melbourne’s Marvel stadium, before moving to the Gold Coast and Sydney.
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