How about playing on stage with The Cat Empire?
Throughout September and October The Cat Empire will be offering the general public the chance to do exactly that. The band has just announced that they will be accepting audition videos (of up to two minutes in length) for musicians across the country to join them on stage when they hit the road for their National Tour next month.
Members of The Cat Empire will personally choose the winners, with vocalist/ trumpeter frontman Harry Angus leading the project. The band has committed to choosing at least one musician in each state to join their troupe of trumpets, trombones, drums and percussion on stage at the show closest to each winner's home. Harry has said "but if we get quality applicants from every city/ town we're visiting we will be totally happy to have a guest at each show".
When they first started out, The Cat Empire would invite the entire audience up onto the stage to dance. Once the crowds reached larger numbers this became logistically challenging and advisors around them started to worry about things like public liability. In subsequent years the band has shared its stages with everyone from dancers to flamenco guitarists, entire string sections, circus performers, drunk comedians and even the occasional stage diver.
The process for sharing the stage this year will be driven online. It will be very simple for applicants to upload their video and details. Harry said, "Entrants can play any instrument or even sing. We will work with whatever talent is delivered up. And they don’t have to audition with one of our songs. If we like the song they come up with, instead of them learning one of our songs, we will learn their song to perform on the night". The band is also totally ok with covers. After watching Stevie Wonder sound check in The Netherlands recently, they're secretly hoping for the opportunity of a Stevie cover.
Each winner will be provided with their own backstage pass, plus an additional backstage pass for a friend. The performer will attend a sound check on show day to meet the band and to rehearse the chosen song.
When asked why they were doing this, Harry reflectively suggested "I was given some pretty great opportunities when I was just starting out as a musician, so it's great to be able to do that for someone else". He added "and… it'll just be fun and who knows what we will discover!". The band anticipates they might unearth some great Australian talent through this process, maybe even someone they could release on their independent label, Two Shoes Records.
Also sharing the stage with The Empire this year will be dancers Lenny and Lamar, Sydney TED talk sensation Tom Thum, and South American roots band Madre Monte. The tour will take in some of Australia's premiere venues including Hordern Pavilion Sydney and Festival Hall in Melbourne. An outdoor show at the prestigious MONA Gallery in Hobart has just been added to the tour as a result of fan demand.
The Cat Empire Tour Dates
Fri Sep 26 – PERTH, FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRESat Sep 27 – PERTH, METRO CITY
Fri Oct 3 – ADELAIDE, THEBARTON THEATRE – all ages
Sat Oct 4 – MELBOURNE, FESTIVAL HALL – all ages
Fri Oct 10 – BRISBANE, THE TIVOLI
Sat Oct 11 – BRISBANE, THE TIVOLI
Sun Oct 12 – GOLD COAST, MIAMI MARKETTA
Fri Oct 17 – CANBERRA, UC REFECTORY – all ages
Sat Oct 18, SYDNEY, HORDERN PAVILION – all ages
Sun Oct 19 – NEWCASTLE, PANTHERS* – all ages
Wed Oct 22 – FORSTER, CLUB FORSTER*
Thu Oct 23 – PORT MACQUAIRE, PANTHERS*
Fri Oct 24 – COFFS HARBOUR, CEX*
Sat Nov 29 – HOBART, MONA**
*Note that Newcastle, Forster, Port Macquaire & Coffs Harbour will feature Madre Monte only as support
**Supports to be announced
