Loop daddy Marc Rebillet made a steamy Australian live debut, taking on The Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane on a Tuesday night (17 January).
Packed from top to bottom with sweaty, robe-clad punters, Rebillet's chaotic energy and nu-wave funk vibes had his sold-out show feeling like a sauna.Kicking off the night were Brisbane/ Meanjin pop duo WIIGZ. The two rising stars came out swinging with their well known electrifying stage presence.
Launching into 'Bitch Sh.t', the crowd was instantly captured by song's driving bass and on the nose lyrics. "Brisbane, we're here to warm you up for Marc!"
Accompanied by collaborator TEJAVU on keys, Tex from Great Sage on drums and two backup dancers, WIIGZ continued to serve banger after banger, soon winning over the crowd.
WIIGZ - image © Harrison Innes
For Marc Rebillet's first Australian rodeo, fans made sure they showed up. A French-American musician originally from Texas, Marc rose to fame with his genre-bending, improvised loop-based music, drawing influence from funk, disco, electronic and hip hop roots, along with his onstage antics in various bath robes.
While most fans would know his music from YouTube and Twitch livestreams, along with collaborations with legends Erykah Bahdu, Reggie Watts and Flying Lotus, Marc has also toured extensively across the US playing and live-streaming everywhere from cafes to theatres.
Marc Rebillet - image © Harrison Innes
As a cleverly named 'MarcOS' computer backdropped booted up, a brown robe-donned Rebillet sprinted on stage rushing from side to side, welcoming the thunderous applause from the crowd. The thousands of (also robed) fans went mental for any pose or blue-steel face Marc made.
After a few minutes looping a simple bongo drum and a fat bass to ease fans in to the show, Marc leaped into the crowd to exclaim: "WHERE ARE WE?" A few answers of 'Brisbane', 'southern hemisphere' and 'the Valley' were not sufficient with Rebillet finally screaming: "WE'RE IN QUEENSLAND!"
The huge driving bass and bongo beat sent the crowd into an excited flurry.
Marc Rebillet - image © Harrison Innes
Just like Marc's livestreams, the music was constantly interrupted by random screams, witty quips and crowd fanfare. You'd think this would zone you out of the experience, but it actually added to the lighthearted fun. One minute you're laughing at a silly comment, the next you're being blown away by a huge bass drop. It's great.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" Marc yelled, egging on a cheering crowd. Playing a fully improvised set, it was impossible to tell what was next. After a funky number I'm going to call 'Long Time Coming', Marc invited four fans on stage, one gifting him a new robe, while another fan planted a kiss on Rebillet's lips.
This interaction birthed the next track – 'Do Whatever To Feel Good' that contained some obscene but contextual one liners. "Do whatever to feel good, have a strange man on stage kiss you, go home and smoke meth."
Marc Rebillet - image © Harrison Innes
A Marc Rebillet show is like eating a bag of your favourite candy, except it's in black wrapping. You can't see what's in it and you don't know what you're really going to get, but you know you'll love it.
Other notable crowd interactions from Marc included stripping down to his underwear and indulging in the crowd's ape-like chants; smashing down an honorary shoey; and finding a cowboy hat on stage, prompting the a hip hop-influenced banger 'Giddy Up Bitch, I'm In The Outback Hoe' – a track that sent the crowd into joyful hysterics.
Closing the nearly hour and three-quarter set and publicly denouncing the industry standard stage walk off, Rebillet announced the show had entered its encore. Moving away from the improvised fun, fans were treated to live renditions of 'Girls Club', 'Your New Morning Alarm' and 'Flamingo'.
Marc Rebillet - image © Harrison Innes
The room surged with energy for these last tracks, allowing the show to wrap up on a high note.
As a final gesture to the crowd, Rebillet offered his brown robe as a trade for one from the crowd. After scanning a crowd who were more than willing to undress, Loop Daddy left the stage with a brand new, white-trim navy robe, an item sure to make an appearance at his next show. "Love you Brisbane, nice to be up in this bitch!"
More photos from the show.
