The Cat Empire with Queensland Symphony Orchestra | Queensland Symphony Orchestra & Brisbane Festival

Image supplied by BrisFest

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of The Cat Empire prior to accepting this review; an ignorance that friends, family, and colleagues alike have been truly astonished to learn about. However, I do hope that you’ll be able to forgive me now that I can tell you they’ve gained a fan for life in little ole me.

I was coming off something of a hectic and difficult day when it was time to head into Fortitude Music Hall. I made a choice to believe in the almost mystic power of live music to rejuvenate the spirit. I can gleefully say that I do not regret this choice in the slightest.

The performance begins and I am stunned at the electrifying, fresh, sweet chilli and lime sound of their music. I am diehard fan in less than two songs. Each member of the band is deeply charismatic, captivating, and capable in their own ways; making it difficult to decide who to watch and for a delightful experience of the band as a unified whole. I was unsure how the orchestra would integrate itself into the sonic experience of The Cat Empire’s music and this dynamic, but I can truly say that I cannot imagine their music without Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s accompaniment. And remember, I had never heard The Cat Empire’s music and so can actually mean it. Which is all to say, they all, band and orchestra members alike, operated as one organism on that stage.

Flamenco dancers performed at various points throughout the set, and it added a new level of flare to the night’s festivities. Passionate, fiery, and fabulous the videos taken of those segments of the show won’t be leaving mine or any of my fellow audience members’ phones anytime soon.

For all the fun and frivolity of the night there too was a sincerity to the evening. It was born of a shared love for the work of this iconic Australian band, but also for the power of live music to escape us from our troubles and honour our survival. This was made most apparent when lead singer Felix Riebl took a moment to acknowledge this power and to dedicate two of the night’s songs to his brother, Max, who passed at the hands of an incurable brain cancer in 2022. This heartfelt moment ushered a renewed and much more explicitly reverent energy into the space for the duration of those two songs. 

The night ends a few songs later and I emerge onto Brunswick Street renewed. The Cat Empire has solidified itself as a staple of Australian music and this newcomer to their work more than understands how. Dynamic, enthralling, and downright fun The Cat Empire is a live experience you do not want to miss.

 ‘The Cat Empire with Queensland Symphony Orchestra’ played 19 September at Fortitude Music Hall as part of the 2024 Brisbane Festival.