Review by Billy Geary
Without a doubt, Sydney’s Matt Corby has undergone a meteoric rise in popularity over the last year. After selling out The Corner Hotel five nights in a row on his last visit to Melbourne, one could only assume the demand would be just as great this time around. This proved to be correct, with Corby managing to sell out the considerably larger Forum Theatre three nights in a row. Not a bad feat from a young man so early in his musical career.
From the moment support act Alpine began their set, one could tell they were going to struggle to win punters over. Their over the top brand of synth pop was by no means a good fit and it showed in the punters. Despite this, the sextet soldiered on and gradually won over a tough crowd. Alpine’s sound definitely has its merits and some definite catchy moments, it was just a case of wrong place and time in this case.
Eventually, Matt Corby and his backing band entered the Forum’s expansive stage, prompting plenty of iPhones to be thrust in the air as punters gave one of Australia’s most popular musicians a rousing welcome. From that moment on, however, Corby’s set continued in a more understated, yet impressive manner. Immediately noticeable was Corby’s ability to draw the crowd in, both through his music and background stories, making those in attendance feel like they were watching him play in a tiny bar as opposed to The Forum. That alone made his set all the more impressive.
The talent of Corby and his band is unmistakable, with his vocals alone filling the giant expanses The Forum provides. This was most apparent in the simply beautiful ‘Winter,’ taken from his Transition to Colour EP, forcing comparisons to the great Jeff Buckley and the like. It was obvious that Corby had literally everyone in the room swooning over his incredible vocal talent.
Somewhat surprisingly, Corby’s biggest song to date in ‘Brother’ was included mid set and garnered a typically huge reaction from the crowd. What occurred next however, was really disappointing. At the conclusion of ‘Brother’ a noticeable portion of the crowd made for the exits, seemingly happy with hearing Corby’s biggest hit before heading home for an early night. It was by no means indicative of Corby’s set, which only continued to get better.
Mention must be made of Corby’s backing vocalist and keyboardist Bree Tanter (formerly of The Middle East) who possesses a voice every bit as enchanting as Corby’s. This was particularly noticeable during an enchanting rendition of ‘Big Eyes,’ the pair’s vocals playing off each other in impressive fashion. Later in the set, a song written for a sick relative, aptly called ‘June,’ showed just how much emotion Corby can put into a song with just his voice and an acoustic guitar.
Matt Corby is without a doubt one of Australia’s most talented songwriters and musicians. Given at the very young age of 21 he managed to sell out The Forum three nights in a row, the man is destined for massive things. Add to that a beautiful and impressive live set, it becomes very obvious why he’s one of Australia’s biggest acts at present.
Artist: Matt Corby, Alpine
Venue: The Forum, Melbourne
Date: 6 June 2012
Review by Billy Geary
Photo Credit: Naomi Rahim
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* Click here for Tour News: Matt Corby ‘The Winter Tour’ – June 2012
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Photographer: Naomi Rahim – Design & Photography