Following successful shows in Sydney and Melbourne, Friday night was Adelaide’s turn to witness Felix Riebl’s first solo tour with his debut album Into The Rain. The intimate and elegant Promethean Hotel, complete with fairy lights and grand piano, provided the perfect atmosphere for what was a truly remarkable concert.
After ten years fronting one of Australia’s most beloved bands, The Cat Empire, Riebl has turned his attention inwards to focus on music that fits with this stage of his life. Throughout the show, Felix pinned his heart firmly to his sleeve and set off on a emotional journey through his new music. Often describing the stories behind the songs and adding in reminiscences from his childhood, Felix showed how deeply personal this latest album is.
The warm up act showcased the talents of Ben Salter, collaborative member of The Gin Club. Fitting with the theme of the evening, Ben was also debuting his first solo album, The Cat. Finger picking and soulful vocals combined to remind the audience of the power of one man and his guitar. After a bit of a false start, Ben played most of the tracks from his new album and threw in a few Gin Club classics.
Minus horn section but still with his charismatic crooked smile, Felix took to the stage amongst his new, yet to be named five-piece band. The audience, that largely seemed uncertain of what to expect was captivated from the first song, ‘Don’t Fall Under’. Despite a greater air of artistic maturity, Felix has happily not lost the boyish charm of the pony-tailed ruffian who burst onto the scene bellowing ‘Hello Hello’ a decade ago.
Apart from playing most of the tracks from Into The Rain, Felix treated the audience to ‘Gloria’ and ‘Dreamers in Space’, two songs that are yet to be recorded. The highlights of the set included the blues influenced ‘Bones’ and ‘We Go Out’ featuring Ben Edgar on guitar. For a gig billed as a solo act it was surprisingly ensemble driven. Most band members soloed during the show and all were introduced to the audience.
Felix’s only nod to his Empire came late in the show with ‘No Longer There’, a song he only described as being “from another album”. Felix described this sons as now sounding like it had in his head when he was writing it; the new band gave the song a far heavier feel with what almost sounded like a country influence.
Both die-hard Cat Empire fans and those wanting to hear something different were satisfied with Felix’s new less bombastic (but still true to his roots) approach to his solo album. His frequent mention of other songs from other albums that are ‘yet to be written’ begs the question: what is next for Felix? Is this solo tour a one off flirtation or a more permanent project? Stay tuned.
– Brittany Chatburn
