LIVE REVIEW: MATT CORBY at the Limelight, Belfast

LIVE REVIEW: MATT CORBY at the Limelight, Belfast

After a three year wait for his debut album Telluric, which came out in March, Matt Corby and his band have set out to tour the album. Last Night saw Matt Corby play his debut Northern Irish show at the Limelight Belfast, and for being his first show in the country, having the venue upgraded due to demand shows the impact his music is having.

Support came from Laura Ann Brady, An Irish singer-songwriter and zither player. Brady’s short set was filled with beautifully honest songs about love, strengthened by her absolutely gorgeous voice. I personally really enjoyed her set, including her cover of Blackstar by Radiohead however, unfortunately the crowd weren’t hugely receptive of her performance and so at time she sounded a bit drowned out, but she definitely gained a few fans last night.

Matt came on at half eight, kicking the set off with opening track from the latest album, Belly Side Up. The spacious, psychedelic sounds filled the packed out room and the incredible power of Corby’s voice absolutely blew me away. Corby himself looked so confident, his calmness really was reflected in his music, and it really emphasised the atmosphere of the night. I loved that he let the music do the talking, speaking briefly to the crowd only once during his set, to share his experience at Filthy McNastys the bar just around the corner from the venue.

A highlight of the night was when the band left the stage for Corby to play Monday a single from Telluric. Using just a loop pedal and his voice, Corby built up stunning harmonies to create an almost gospel-like experience. The lighting beaming down on him from behind only made that comparison more true. The range of Corby’s voice is something that has blown me away since I discovered his music a few years ago, when he was releasing his 2011 EP Into The Flame and “Monday” serves as the best showcase of his talent.

I was pleasantly surprised actually by how well his older music fitted into the new style. The first of his older songs that he played was Resolution, and was actually the first time he picked up a guitar into the set, up until that point he had only sang. The audience exploded in applause as the first notes of the riff played out. The performance of this song was absolutely amazing and so was the performance of songs like Brother and Soul’s A Fire. As much as I love Telluric, the older songs were definitely highlights and I’m glad that Corby hasn’t thrown these songs from his set lists like I have seen other artists do the same when they undergo such a great stylistic change between releases.

Overall Matt Corby played an absolutely fantastic set, he and his band were incredibly tight and the music was really all that was needed to make a stand out set. Matt Corby has really created something special with his debut album and he only prove that point last night.

Avatar for Fionn Crossan
Fionn Crossan 48 Articles
Fav Artist(s): John Martyn, Aphex Twin Fav album: Solid Air - John Martyn

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