Reviewed on Monday November 16
The number one thing that’s a given when attending a Matt Corby concert is that you’ll hear a lot of teenage girls squealing in admiration. But the second thing that’s a given is that Corby’s voice will have the power to silence everyone in an instant. Corby delivered an angelic – if relatively short – performance at the Metro Theatre on Monday night, and left the crowd in shock.
R.W. Grace kicked off the night producing a garage band kind of feel with just her Fender. Her sound was dark and raw, and she held her own quite well alone on the big Metro stage. Next, Stolen Violin created a different atmosphere altogether – the band members sat in a circle on the stage where they played airy, folk music as if around a campfire. The lack of visual aids faded their tunes into the background as the crowd chattered enthusiastically, but it was a very peaceful, quick set – barely 20 minutes long.
Finally, Matt Corby appeared on the stage under a single white spotlight, looking like a slightly dishevelled angel with his tousled locks under the ethereal light. He opened with his latest release, ‘Monday’, and looped a cappella vocals, which cut through every murmur of the crowd until there was silence. The track set the tone for the rest of the set, showing off his controlled pitch and playing around with the original rhythm.
Corby played some tracks relatively true to their recordings (‘Resolution’ and ‘Brother’), accompanied by the veritable force of the audience-turned-choir. However, he also shifted around the structure of songs like ‘What The Devil Has Made’, and this is where he really shone. The newer material was a real treat indeed, with some interesting melodies and influences (from blues to gospel to rock) thrown in the mix.
A man of few words, he softly mumbled that he’d be ending the show with a new track, and though the crowd cheered its lungs out for more, once he’d left the stage, he didn’t return for an encore. Corby demonstrated control, creativity and flair throughout his performance, but his closing statement proved this wasn’t a show entirely intended to please his fans – it was more about him exploring his music itself.
