Cat & Calmell: Support Act Review

Bringing her Bite Me Tour to Australia for her first visit to the land down under tonight is Renee Rapp, gracing the Riverstage as storm clouds loom overhead. The crowd is consuming the surrounding university and gardens, all eager to see the famed Broadway-performer and singer-songwriter. And to warm up the masses on an already warm night, we were treated to a sexy and sensual opening set with Cat & Calmell at their biggest show to date, as they took over the stage with their edgy pop and dance beats.

This is what happened at Cat & Calmell’s set at Riverstage on January 27^th, 2026.

CAT & CALMELL

As the sun lowered beyond the horizon, illuminating the grey clouds above, a pulsing beat exploded from the stage, lights flickering in sync to the song as Cat & Calmell sauntered on in their cutest coordinated club outfits. They opened with the moody and sensual song Z-List Girl, dancing together and teasing the audience with their flirtatious moves. Following up with Hotness!!! the duo invited us into their curated world of dance and drama.

The pair, Cat and Calmell, are long-term friends who have been on the rise with their glamorous indie-sleaze catalogue. Their recent album, Live Laugh Cool Star, gave us some insight into the life of a popstar, the parties and pitfalls of these magnified personalities, and it’s great to see part of it live tonight. The pair launched into Give Urself 2 Me, showcasing their strong vocals, enhanced with an autotuned edge.

No stranger to a throwback, the duo paid homage to one of the great club tracks in their cover of Zedd’s Clarity, turning the moment into a sneaky sing-along. Although they returned to the on-stage decks throughout the set to lead into their next song, they were unrestricted and unrestrained, using the full width of the stage to their advantage to reach as much of the crowd as possible, before meeting back up in the middle to break into a fun choreographed moment.

At the halfway point of their set, Cat & Calmell hyped us up further, instilling a sense of excitement for the night in their liberating song Feel Alive. As excited to see the night’s headliner as the loyal fans who had been waiting all day were, the band expressed their gratitude to be performing, as pop girls in front of one of THE modern pop girls, in their song Pop Music. It felt like a full circle moment, leading to a surprisingly obvious answer: Duh! Of course, Cat & Calmell are playing Riverstage. Who else would be in their spot?

With a keen understanding of their audience, the duet gave us one more crowd-uniting cover in The Veronicas’ 4ever. If the crowd wasn’t sweating yet, they certainly were now! It seemed like Cat & Calmell were just getting started, when it was already time for the end! With this little taster, it would be difficult to pass up a chance to see them again soon and I think they’d bring the roof down in a more intimate venue where they can amp up the clubbing atmosphere even further, just as they did in their final song of the set, Rot. If you’ve got tickets to Renee Rapp or Sydney’s Mardi Pardi, make sure you turn up and turn out early, because Cat & Calmell have all the right vibes to make sure your night is rocking from the get-go.

Fave song: Rot