Review: Matt Corby @ Thebarton Theatre 03/06/26
The vocal prowess of Matt Corby rejuvenated the souls of a full house at Thebby Theatre, and we were there to catch all the action.
Words Brad Pine // Images Mhari Dougal
Matt Corby w/Gretta Ray @ Thebarton Theatre 03/06/26
Back in 2011, I ventured to Sydney’s Enmore Theatre to see one of my favourite bands, Elbow. Supporting them on that tour was a 20-year-old Matt Corby, alone on a stage with a loop pedal and a guitar. My wife and I agreed that we needed to see him again one day. 15 years on, here we are – at home and seeing Corby on his Tragic Magic Tour, this time the headline act.
Seated in the dress circle, we watched as Thebby filled up; slowly but surely. By the time that Gretta Ray made her way to the stage, the crowd was ready for a blissful night of music.
Arriving alone under a spotlight, Ray had her guitar in hand with a track machine next to her. The correlation to that 2011 Elbow gig was evident – another talented musician exposed to the crowd without a band as support. The nervous energy Ray displayed was not without reason, having not performed for a period of time due to illness.
Abandoning the track machine for the comfort of the guitar, she shared with us her thoughts on her songs and their backstories, which at times were obscured by the crowd's chatter. But her music spoke volumes – especially her new unreleased song ‘Swimming, Crying,’ which reflected on her recovery process. She played her debut single ‘Drive’ to close her set, blowing us a kiss to sign off her time.
The shadow-filled stage was set out with raised platforms of various heights and light globes hanging ready to illuminate the band. In silhouette, the players entered with Corby centre stage. Ray also returned as a backing vocalist for the night. A soulful instrumental led into the opener ‘King Of Denial’ – which is also the lead song on Tragic Magic.
Throughout the night, there were spotlights placed on different members of the band; firstly, the bassist had his moment for the start of ‘Big Ideas.’ Then the light globes lit up in an amber hue, complemented by the other stage lights. This set the precedent for the impressive lighting display that became its own band member for the night.
The spot turned to the drummer for the start of ‘Reelin’’, a single from 2023’s Everything’s Fine. “Is everyone okay?” Corby questioned, which was one of the few moments he spoke directly to us. But as much as his conversing was minimal, it was Corby’s singing voice that did the talking. In ‘Monday,’ his control was incredible and a perfect example of his vocal power – a moment that would be replicated throughout his performance.
READ MORE: Review: Genesis Owusu @ Thebarton theatre 23/05/26
A bevy of phones ready to record were raised during ‘Resolution’; however, the handheld tech never dominated the crowd. Gretta Ray mentioned in her set that Corby was the best vocalist in Australia, and every song showed how spot on she was with her assessment. During ‘Know It All’, Corby became introspective in his performance. As much as he performed for us, it was that notion of being lost in the moment that seemed to be happening. The buildup in the song brought the band in, and a stark lighting cue invaded the stage and the audience, with applause that did not want to end once the song finished.
“You guys still okay?” Corby checked in on us again after some more mellow numbers. The vibe picked up again with ‘Burn It Down’, creating a disco moment amongst the chilled-out vibe. He then continued to develop his own atmosphere with the Like A Version that aired recently – a cover of Tame Impala’s ‘Dracula.’ This was accompanied by ‘War To Love’, which he also played that morning. Definite crowd pleasers.
Corby started to worry about us after ‘Locked In’ – “You guys are so quiet…” Maybe we were just in awe. But as the opening of ‘Souls A’Fire’ began, the cheers rose with the lights during what was one of the highlights of the night. The set ended with ‘Miracle Love,’ another crowd favourite. “Wanna sing it with me?” The crowd obliged and even got some praise from Corby for how beautiful we sounded. After the song, the band departed without any real fanfare, ready for the inevitable encore.
Corby returned after the Thebby Stomp, informing us that three songs were still to come. The first being a duet with himself. After finding a recording of himself at 10 singing ‘Amazing Grace,’ Corby decided to collaborate with his past self for a moment that brought a tear to a few present. ‘Runaway’ brought the band back on before his biggest hit ‘Brother’ ended the night with another incredible vocal performance.
From rather commercial beginnings, Corby has carved out an incredibly unique place in the Australian music landscape. The radio plays may not always be numerous, but there is a dedicated fanbase that will always follow him. His soulful releases like Tragic Magic deserve to be heard by more; we need better recognition for Australian artists in the various algorithms out there. But maybe we want to keep him our slightly hidden diamond. Mind you, I hope I don’t wait another 15 years to see him again.
Want more pics of the gig? Check out our full photo gallery here.
