The Cat EmpireSmartly-dressed and bright-eyed, Adelaide's The Bearded Gypsy Band were pretty bloody quick to command the room, the four-piece's amalgamation of bluegrass, folk and roots delivered with a particular Celtic flare. They hardly touched the microphone, allowing their instrument wizardry to lead what can only be described as a perfect support slot, and based on their explosive 45 minutes on stage you'd be hard pressed to find a better Aussie support gig at the moment – a really impossible-to-top, five-star performance.
Lo and behold, The Cat Empire accepted the challenge with an exuberantly appropriate Steal The Light, the title track from their 2013 LP, and the headliners from Melbourne refused to rest, powering through a loud and boisterous two-hour set of pure bliss. Snap-shotting a career of what seems like a 100 genre-shifts and double the amount of instruments, they showcased the complexity and variety that has captured fans on a worldwide scale. The colossal eight-piece of multi-instrumentalists, flamenco dance-team the Ela Dancers and the unusual, masked 'Enigma' culminated in a Latin party that induced involuntary samba and flailing limbs.
The joint-figurehead team of Felix Riebl and Harry James Angus tag-teamed the mic, flipping between smooth narration and vocal gymnastics respectively. Felix's Sly was divided into fucking fantastic key and drum solos – each musician even impressing their cohorts on stage, before Harry momentarily dabbled in the anthemic Zulu call of Disney's Circle Of Life midway through a rousing Wild Animals. The aforementioned was not the only new gem – Brighter Than Gold completely blowing the Metro apart with slick jazz, colourful feathers and quickly moving Spanish hips.
Look, to avoid raving about the whole show, it's important to note that The Cat Empire have been an ever-present, incredible addition to the Australian live music scene since their debut record in the early '00s, and this gig was no exception. If anything, the new offerings from Steal The Light literally stole the show. Truly incredible.
