For a place that was once filled with dark moments, Fremantle Prison was brought to life and colour with the presence and performance of The Cat Empire on Saturday evening (22 April).
The band brought big energy and truly shifted the audience to an uplifting buzz that could be felt throughout the whole venue. Opening with 'Bulls', the crowd was moving and grooving right out of the gate.Felix Riebl, the band's leading man, fully embraces the stage and the audience, not to mention his interaction with each of his band members. You could feel how much fun the band was having with each other, which I loved to witness.
The set continued with 'In My Pocket' and 'The Lost Song' being delivered flawlessly with Grace Barbe jumping in on vocals and bass. A big shoutout to the ladies who joined the tour, is in order for how beautifully they balanced the whole set.
Grace is an absolute powerhouse of a musician and woman. She performs with such style, ease and fluidly; I was captivate by her and Neda Rahmani. Neda absolutely owned the percussions and backup vocals, while wearing high heels and a huge smile – divine.
As the set flowed, it became clear that individually, each member of the band is incredibly talented and when blended together with Latin rhythm, The Cat Empire create music that makes you want to smile, move, open your heart and care less about the small stuff.
Another necessary shoutout goes to Oliver McGill on the keys, oh boy. Watching this man doing his thing was truly magic. A keyboard wizard.
It felt as if the band could do no wrong with much loved oldies 'Two Shoes' and 'Still Young' being sung word for word by the entire crowd, arms in the air and hearts full.
'Thunder Rumbles', a new single off the band's forthcoming album that will be released later in the year was a great showcase of what we can expect – I've got a feeling it'll be a special one with Felix sharing of the new album: "Just feels like The Cat Empire."
I had a moment looking around the crowed; noticing all of the different demographics, I realised how inclusive and accepting this band is to all individuals and how powerful music can be to bring people together.
The Cat Empire produce music and a performance that allow people to forget colour, size, shape, problems and thoughts to open their ears and heart to music that makes them feel good. What a beautiful gift that is. Thank you Cat Empire, we love you here in Fremantle.
If you've wanted to catch The Cat Empire live, this is your sign, treat yourself to a night of good music and good vibes. I promise you'll leave with a feeling of euphoria and find yourself humming along to their tunes for weeks to come.
