Reneé Rapp
Riverstage, Brisbane, QLD
Thursday, January 27th
The intense Brisbane humidity was no deterrent to legions of dedicated Reneé Rapp fans, with lines winding around the botanic gardens surrounding Riverstage in anticipation of the US artist’s debut Australian show.
If there was ever a local act who could match Rapp’s freak, it was Cat & Calmell.
Supporting her across four Australian appearances, they were a Noughties-esque vision in mini-skirts and knee-high boots that emphasised the nostalgia of their performance. Beaming at the crowd, they declared this was “the biggest crowd we’ve ever played to,” before hitting their choreographed marks.
The duo declared “we’re all rockstars tonight baby” as they broke into their recent Like A Version cover of The Veronica’s “4ever”, praising “the best audience we’ve ever performed for.”
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A QR code appeared on the big screen as a pre-recorded Rapp spoke of the atrocities being committed towards children around the world, particularly spotlighting the conditions in Gaza and the neglect from global governments, urging fans to donate any amount possible to Save The Children.
Bright red flashing lights ushered the crowd into an awestruck trance as Rapp bounced onto the stage with the lead single of her touring album, “Leave Me Alone”. Energy buzzed through the crowd as the “Kiss It Kiss It” cam panned across the barricade, and the singalong grew louder as Rapp travelled back through her discography with “Talk Too Much” and “Poison Poison”.
“This is my first time in Australia, that means that you guys are my first audience in the whole continent! Do you think you’re ready for that responsibility?” Rapp teased.
Credit: @gabirankinecreative
A concert highlight was her powerful vocal performance in more tender songs including “Why Is She Still Here?”, “That’s So Funny”, and “Sometimes”, the latter two accompanied by piano.
Pausing to read some fan posters, Rapp addressed a sign that read “Can I be your Australian souvenir” by first telling a story about her woes with airport customs, before proclaiming, “I’ll tell you right now, I won’t bring you back to the state of my country.”
She later journeyed down to the barricade, singing directly to fans who’d camped out days in advance in the hopes of this very moment. Back onstage, she and her band sat on the star platform for “I Think I Like You Better When I’m Gone”, as the crowd partook in a fan project by holding up signs that read “We like you better in Australia”. The fan favourites continued with Rapp’s phenomenal vocal performance in “I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore”, as well as a crowd-wide singalong to “Tummy Hurts” and “Pretty Girls”.
Wisely saving herself from the crowd pressure of doing a shoey, Rapp had posted a TikTok earlier that day proclaiming her interest in another Australian tour tradition: leading the Brisbane crowd in an “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi” chant.
After four lively rounds, Rapp laughed into the microphone before entering the most vulnerable section of the night. “In the Kitchen”, complete with lyric changes to match the Brisbane setting, led into “Snow Angel”, a powerful performance that left few dry eyes in the crowd.
Rapp made a tongue-in-cheek allusion to her movement away from acting when her bass guitarist Tim cut off her song from the Mean Girls (2024) movie, “Not My Fault”, with a plea of “let’s play the song I want to play,” leading them to close the night with “At Least I’m Hot”.
“Get home safe, I love you so much, this was the best first show in the whole continent!” Rapp told the crowd at the end of her set.
Check out Rapp’s remaining Australian tour dates here.
