A packed Riverside Theatre sat in near silence from the opening track of Matt Corby’s goosebump-inducing performance that immediately captivated the audience on Thursday night.
Before Corby’s arrival, support act Gretta Ray charmed the crowd with an intimate acoustic set, relying on little more than a guitar and her warm stage presence. Looking around the theatre, she told the audience, “I love this room so much,” before teasing an upcoming collaboration with Corby and producer Japanese Wallpaper. The 28-year-old closed her set with fan favourite, Drive.
After a brief interlude Corby’s five-piece band took to the stage at around 9pm — including a return of Ray as the backing vocalist.
Corby followed shortly after, dressed casually in a cap, baggy trousers and Converse, standing on a rattan rug draped over the front section of the stage.
Touring his fourth album, Tragic Magic, Corby opened without a word, diving straight into the first track, King of Denial, as lights danced over the audience and his vocal range immediately set the tone for what was to come.
Speaking to the audience for the first time, Corby noted that the Riverside Theatre show was the first sit-down performance of the tour and joked he wanted to check if the crowd were still with him. He was met with loud cheers and multiple calls of “we love you, Matt”.
“It does feel a little like a church,” the 35-year-old joked as he looked around the wide tiered seating and concrete-clad walls. A modern place of worship did feel quite fitting for an artist who has that pastor-like quality of stage presence and soulful vocal range.
After a run of more upbeat tracks from Tragic Magic, Corby slowed things down with Ordinary Life from his second album Rainbow Valley, taking to the keys as the lighting shifted to blue and he showcased his vocals solo at the start of the track. He followed with Reelin’ from his 2023 album Everything’s Fine, before dipping into fan favourites Monday and Resolution, delivering a wave of 2016 nostalgia for long-time listeners.
After an immersive version of Know It All — all guitar solos, lingering notes and bass-heavy reverb — Corby paused to recount a funny moment from the night before in Adelaide, revealing his easy humour and a more reflective, mid-thirties sense of self.
“Last night at our show I held that note so long my back started cramping. Luckily no back cramp tonight,” he laughed.
The only cover in the set was Corby’s most recent Like A Version performance of Tame Impala’s monster hit Dracula, which he announced should go down well with the Perth audience, admitting it was “so cool they’re from here.”
Corby concluded the gig with Soul’s A’fire, a bluesy track from his 2012 album which showcased his throaty soaring vocals and high notes at the top of the range. As the audience swayed in their seats, captivated by the raw vocal display, it was clear they weren’t ready for the night to end.
After momentarily leaving the stage, Corby returned with only his keys player, smiling as he joked, “I don’t know why we do that, of course we’re coming back,” before delivering the gig’s clear highlight.
He explained he had tried to keep the encore a surprise, but noted that “because everyone films everything, most of you probably know what’s coming”. As expected, the crowd reaction suggested many were already aware of what was coming. What followed was a moving duet of Amazing Grace between a recorded 10-year-old Corby and his 35-year-old self on stage. It was hard not to feel emotional as he harmonised with his younger voice in seamless synergy.
Corby’s earlier observation that the Riverside Theatre felt church-like rang truer than ever, as the attentive audience resembled less a crowd of music lovers and more a Sunday service congregation.
“He went hard, little Matty,” Corby laughed after the applause had subsided.
As it neared 10pm, Corby brought the night to a close with his final song, one of his oldest and most recognisable tracks, which the crowd had been calling for all evening.
As Corby started playing his 2012 single, Brother, the audience erupted into cheers and a few lines of the audience got to their feet and started singing along. When the song ended, the entire audience got to their feet and gave Corby a standing ovation.
It may be bittersweet for one of his oldest songs to remain his most popular, but Corby embraced it with grace, cementing his status as a timeless Australian artist who has been gracing stages and ears for more than 13 years.
“Thanks for coming, thanks for buying a ticket, it means hopefully we can keep doing this,” he told the crowd before leaving the stage.
As the audience filtered into the CBD, there was plenty of excited chatter about Corby’s raw talent and the strength of the performance. The spell of Tragic Magic is likely to linger long after the night ends.
Set List
- King Of Denial
- Big Ideas
- Ordinary Life
- Reelin’
- Monday
- Resolution
- Know It All
- Maker
- All Fired Up
- Burn It Down
- Dracula (Tame Impala cover)
- War To Love
- Locked In
- Soul’s A’fire
- Amazing Grace (unreleased)
- Runaway
- Brother
RATING: 5/5
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