Arguably one of the best live acts in Australia, The Cat Empire never fails to draw a crowd. Having been a while between albums, their few brief performances at festivals and special events have been near impossible to get near and so it was with unashamed urgency that fans packed out two nights at The Forum Theatre. It was also what greeted the band on this Friday night – a pressing need to see this talented crew that has warmed our hearts for so many years. Clap, clap, clap…. And before long, the stage delivered a familiar song, the latest single and title track from new album, Steal the Light.
With but a breath between songs, the music rose quickly a frenetic pace. Harry took to the mic and the song continued for over ten minutes, the band all getting their moment in the spotlight to show their musical prowess. New song, Sleep Won’t Sleep, transported the audience to a tropical island as the band sang; “All night on the other side, I’ll be with you on the other side.”
The Forum was transported again, this time to the middle of a Carnaval, where a dancing troupe of three hip-swinging girls and a trickster guy (which many would recognise from their new videos) offered yet another spectacle for our stage-trained eyes. Then, just to reconnect with the old days of The Cat Empire, How To Explain reminded us that “music is the language of us all” as we were sent into another frenzy of shoe-tapping action. Not long after we were singing just that in Two Shoes.
Brighter Than Gold, with its worldly gypsy beat and driving energy, kept the party going and, after a Spanish interlude, set the scene for favourite sing-a-longs The Wine Song and Sly. And, as he was flanked with feather headpiece-clad dancers, Felix made sure he told his home crowd, “It’s good to be back home” (twice).
Chariot began a fitting encore that ended with All Night Loud, where Felix painted the perfect picture to a crowd that couldn’t get enough: “Playing all night long, playing all night loud. Singing all night with me, all night loud.” A better summary of this night would be hard to find. Dancing out the door, each fan knew firmly that The Cat Empire is still a live force to be reckoned with and no other act does it quite the same.
BY JEN WILSON, pic by Anna Kanci
LOVED: Choosing flats over heels
HATED: That it had to end
DRANK: Life
