Review: Doja Cat at RAC Arena
Doja Cat at RAC Arena
w/ Sailorr
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Much to everyone’s surprise, Doja Cat kicked off her world tour for her latest album Vie in Australia and New Zealand, with Perth being the second stop on the tour, and she was keen to impress after backlash from her Auckland show.
Along for the tour was Sailorr, who brought a level of professionalism and stage presence rarely seen from a support act. Usually, as the opening act, it’s a hard slog to get the fans to notice you, but Sailorr commanded attention and won over the crowd’s support at the same time. Her vocals were incredible, and flanked by two backup dancers, she gave an impressive performance. Her songs Itadakimasu and Sincerity were favourites, with Sailorr delivering inspiration and letting the crowd know not to let anyone “dim their shine.” Finishing her set with Pookie’s Requiem, she received very warm applause from the crowd, clearly winning over many new fans. If you like SZA, you will enjoy Sailorr.
The last thing many expected to see opening up a Doja Cat show was a brass section, and yet when the lights came up, there were three men in purple suits absolutely grooving whilst playing their respective instruments. They were flanked by a full band and backup singers all positioned on a Rubik’s cube-looking platform that continued to change colours throughout the show. And then Doja Cat appeared. Dressed in a very 80s-inspired purple and leopard leotard, she opened with Cards, and the performance at this point was like if Madonna was singing at a jazz club—as unexpected as it was enjoyable. Doja followed it up with brassed-up versions of Kiss Me More and Get Into It (Yuh), which featured a saxophone solo that brought smiles to everyone’s faces.
Agora Hills was a highlight of the set and the start of the pyrotechnics use, which throughout the show included fire, sparklers and miniature fireworks. Doja’s vocals absolutely shone throughout the performance, as she proved her chops as a vocalist as well as a rapper. She got the whole crowd shouting along with Aint Shit before launching into Paint the Town Red, which topped triple j’s 2023 Hottest 100. At this point, she started to utilise the massive runway, taking her into the middle of the crowd. She was passed a sign with “fuck costume changes,” which she scrunched into a ball and ate, a comment on the backlash from the Auckland show, before ripping off the leopard leotard to reveal a leather two-piece.
The audience were eating out of the palm of her hands, cheering at every vocal run, chorus and twerk. As we reached the middle of the show, Doja’s persona started slipping from the ultra-professional 80s frontwoman into a singer going slightly mad, wrapping the microphone cable around her neck and body and crawling around the stage. Need to Know featured an amazing guitar solo, and Demons is where the crazy persona started to really take hold. It was absolutely brilliant to watch.
Doja snapped back into an 80s frontwoman for the final song of the night, Jealous Type, which seemed like the perfect combination of everything we saw throughout the show: melodic raps, incredible vocals and a live band that was sharp and joyous. Doja’s smile when she thanked the crowd was genuine, and when confetti rained down, she threw roses out to those in the front few rows, closing out one of the most surprising and special shows of the year. Doja is a true performer and proved just as much, with or without a costume change.
KIERRA JEFFERIES
Photos by Stu McKay
