Live Review: George, Felix Riebl

A couple of years ago, Felix Riebl was rocking a packed-out concert at this very venue with his famous band The Cat Empire, getting every single toddler and grandparent to jump euphorically. Today he is shifting the gears to front his eponymous band as the supporting act to the '90s indie darlings, George.

Catching the last rays of sun before a wintry twilight descends, Riebl and his bandmates play a more laid-back tempo, enrapturing us with his poetic musings. The offerings from his latest album Paper Doors display a contemplative depth that surprises those who only know of him as a Cat. Here is meaty substance. Deftly weaving in a myriad of influences — from the reggae beats of Out Where You Are to the hymnal chorale backing in All I Can Say — Riebl proves he is no one-trick pony. Songs with political undertones such as Crocodiles and the heartbreak in I Won't Know You Anymore cut to the quick. A collaboration with Martha Wainwright produced the affirming In Your Arms, replete with rollicking guitar chords. Whereas 2015 was the year he made us dance barefoot in the zoo, 2017 is the year Riebl makes us misty-eyed and excited to unearth more of his musical talents.

It has been a long hiatus but certainly worth the wait to see siblings and founding George members Katie and Tyrone Noonan reunite on stage once again with their original musos, Nick Stewart (guitar), Geoff Green (drums) and Paulie Bromley (bass). Katie, resplendent in a black lace dress and sporting a platinum mohawk, is in top form with that incredible operatic voice that instantly transports us back more than 20 years to the days of Polyserena, an era she jokingly refers to as "BC - Before Children!" 

The siblings, animated and sharp-witted, frequently swap between lead vocals and keys. The switches add texture to the revisited tracks from their last album Unity (2004) but they also satisfy stalwart fans with many breakthrough hits like Bastard Son, Holiday, Breaking It Slowly, Release and Rain. Even today, tracks like Still Real, with its jazzy inflections, and the claustrophobia-building Captive, remain fresh and contemporary, providing arresting counterparts to their more mellow ballads. Tyrone and Katie's melding vocals are particularly memorable — the aural equivalent of liquid gold and silver coalescing into one new element.

Despite niggling problems with sound for the first half of the night, the band soldier on admirably and professionally. The unfortunate hiccup with the fold-back very nearly derails their signature hit Breathe In Now, but Katie still cruises through those climatic, spine-shivering harmonies effortlessly. It's pure, transcendental indie opera.

With Katie's ethereal vocals leading their energised comeback, George proves once again that good things only get much better with age.