Despite being small in numbers and petite in stature, Matt & Kim’s presence in Richmond was undeniably big.
Despite being small in numbers and petite in stature, Matt & Kim’s presence in Richmond was undeniably big. From the very first fan high-fives and overhead jacket twirls, the adorable duo owned the stage with energy rivalling an ADHD child after a six-pack of red bull.
Matt roused the crowd with more fist-pumping than a double episode of Jerry Springer, while Kim’s contagious smile had everyone infected and grinning equally as large by the first "I wanna" in their opening tune. Kim refused to be kept hidden down behind her drum kit, taking to standing atop it numerous times. It was fortunate for Kim that they were raising the roof or her head would have smashed through it.
Matt’s acrobatic display, accompanied by the huge amount of sweat in the room, resembled Bikram Yoga on speed – the man can arabesque like Baryshnikov in skinny jeans.
The Brooklyn couple have an obvious appreciation for their Aussie fans, dishing out cheeky grins and high-fives to excited punters throughout the whole set. Taking turns to chat in between songs, we found out that despite being on the opposite side of the globe, thanks to YouTube Kim’s dad knows she’s a "ho" and they were doubtful of the likelihood of intimate relations later that evening.
Call it showmanship, exhaustion, or maybe just sheer laziness, but both Matt and Kim knew how to get the crowd singing, intermittently giving their voices much needed breaks. Fans didn’t mind in the least, da da da-ing their voices raw.
Matt & Kim even turned The Corner Hotel into a ticker-tape parade in their own honour, throwing balloons to cover the crowd. So enthusiastic was the response that I was actually bumped out of the path of one such balloon by what appeared in the half-dark to be a fridge in a wig trying to catch the shiny, red object.
Perhaps the most impressive feat of the night was Kim’s incredible "booty crowd dance", which saw her take to the crowd like Paul Hogan in the New York subway. Taking it one step into the crowd further than ever before, Kim also asked that whoever had hold of her Converse kicks walk clockwise in unison for a full 360° spin, giving everyone equal view of her arse sweat.
In true showbiz style, they saved some of their best work for last with Yeah Yeah and a reworked, slower intro to their catchy track Daylight, which fooled some fans. With no tacky, obviously-planned encore, Matt & Kim dropped their drumsticks and microphones and wandered ambitiously into the sea of happy faces. The only disappointing aspect of this gig was that it had to end.
