Live Review: CMAT, Ella Hooper @ Northcote Theatre, Melbourne

Aus music stalwart Ella Hooper is a beacon of positive energy no matter the stage she’s on - but tonight is another level. Backed by a two-piece band slinging guitar, violin, keys and silky smooth vocals, the singer is almost pulsating with contagious joy.

“It’s not often I get to open for someone I’m currently fucking obsessed with,” she beams before leading the crowd through a slew of killer country tunes from her 2023 release, Small Town Temple. Musings range from rural teenage rebellion in Grow Wild all the way to the malaise of celebrity dating apps in Love In The Time Of Cowardice - but Hooper threads the needle perfectly with an undeniably charming honesty. A perfect entree to the evening’s proceedings.

A wash of deep blue light drenches the Northcote Theatre as the synth refrain of Nashville rings out to an eruption of screams and applause. A crowd so eager they sold out the original Corner Hotel show twice over, leading the gig to be relocated to accommodate the demand, every single soul in attendance was ready to show their appreciation. Suddenly, the ruckus skyrockets tenfold, and the unmistakable shock of red hair and swagger that is CMAT is finally here - headlining in Australia for the very first time.

Backed by a quintet with the onstage panache of a full-blown punk band, the Irish singer-songwriter (known offstage as Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) rips straight into her trademark alt-pop country sound with California and I Don’t Really Care For You. “Melbourne’s pussy is popping tonight!” she screams, and the room once again bellows with a sound once reserved only for early Beatles shows. 

The CMAT persona is one of multitudes: equal parts Dolly Parton and Brat, she doesn’t waste a single second while on stage. One moment she’s executing a flawless dance routine with with bandmate Colm Conlon, the next she’s collapsed on the floor in a James Brown-esque display of showmanship. It’s a constant array of sights and sounds, and her fans are absolutely here for it.

Thompson’s stage presence (paired with her chosen tour attire of a white shirt, tie and black mini skirt) has apparently drawn comparison to another legend of the Australian music scene. Whether this is intentional or coincidence remains a mystery, but it leads the band into an incredible rendition of the Divinyls’ hit I Touch Myself - a perfect cover choice not only for aesthetics but also for the singer’s timbre. Her combination of Tennessee twang and Irish lilt punctuate the song with effortless perfection and showcase just how versatile this performer can be.

A beautifully powerful delivery of Where Are Your Kids Tonight? rounds out the main set with Conlon taking on the unenviable task of filling in for John Grant, who guests on the album version of the track. However, he more than rises to the challenge and gives the tune a heady gusto to rival the original recording.

Not one to shy away from convention, Thompson leaves the crowd hanging just long enough before returning for a solo encore of Such A Miranda and Rent, with the band rejoining her midway through the latter. Thompson reveals to the crowd that it was in this very city that her tune, I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby! was first played on the airwaves thanks to a certain Mr. Henry Wagons. Then, suddenly, the man himself is onstage, axe in hand, playing alongside her on that very song. Finally, Stay For Something arrives, and Thompson disappears into the mosh to be amongst her people. Wide-eyed and belting her heart out, the audience does exactly the same in return.

It’s uncanny how CMAT and Co can somehow make their debut on the other side of the world feel like a return home, but here they are. There is simply no question they’ll return soon.