Above : The musical ensemble for the’Zero Gravity’ Tour (left to right) Jessica Hitchcock, Isaac Hayward, Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. Featured Image : Kate Miller-Heidke. Photo credit : Daniel Boud.
Kate Miller-Heidke’s strong storytelling talent, solid musicality and unique vocal brand became something of an international name this year as she represented Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest, performing ‘Zero Gravity’. She is now on a national tour named after this representative song. Audiences will be thrilled by moments of drama, fun, protest, sentiment in this artist’s new and familiar music.
Evocative use of lighting throughout included spots from all directions to highlight the singer and stage. A rear scrim of pinpoint stars added an otherworldly element to the atmosphere in the stunningly transformed Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.
Kate Miller-Heidke wore one outfit of glossy red hue complete with a striking headpiece as in the Eurovision production, suggesting a halo effect. Here it was in the form of a reverse crown moving on an angle from the back of her head. Her star-shaped tambourine was often close at hand.
Joining the singer on the stage were three excellent musicians. Jessica Hitchcock provided strong and well balanced backing vocals to ably support Miller-Heidke’s dynamic and hugely varied vocal resources. Hitchcock also provided piano and keyboard accompaniment.
The pair presented a fantastic version of the duet ‘Amazing’ from Muriel’s Wedding The Musical for which Kate Miller-Heidke was on the creative team. For those experiencing this musical for the first tile in this concert or revisiting its engaging charm, this was a special moment.
The success of this musical adaptation combined with the recent Eurovision exposure has made Kate Miller-Heidke something of a national treasure and ambassador for the idea of support and friendship. Her performance with Jessica Hitchcock in this duet was indeed a rare form of gold.
The hugely talented ensemble on stage also included Miller-Heidke’s collaborators on Muriel’s Wedding and much more. Isaac Hayward provided formidable additions of cello and piano to the atmospheres. His improvisatory moments with guitarist Keir Nuttall sans singers easily will amaze any audience member in attendance, regardless of their adoration of Kate Miller-Heidke’s career and live or recorded vocal delivery.
Above: Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. Photo credit : Daniel Boud
New or seasoned lovers of Miller-Heidke’s special species of songwriting, with its formidable social comment and extremely personal, relatable vignettes will not be disappointed throughout this tour.
Songs such as the super-strong ‘You’ve Underestimated Me, Dude’, written for a past International Womens Day, sit well beside super-personal stories such as ‘Sarah’, about a lost teenage friend. ‘Ernie’, her portrait of vulnerability as a mother, is a complex song whose emotional contours were beautifully created from the piano by the artist.
Kate Miller-Heidke’s ability to celebrate her chameleon like operatic-contemporary voice and expressive range was securely in evidence throughout the concert. From the arresting opening we heard such a varied voice in ‘The Devil Wears a Suit’ from the Nightflight album.
Lovers of the hit ‘The Last Day On Earth’ from the previous album Curiouser will enjoy the fluid chiming of the version included in this concert.
It has been an incredibly busy year for this artist but we are privy in this gorgeously compelling concert event to a sample of new music written since The Eurovision Song Contest.
This new material is beautifully bold and typically honest. It also appears to emerge on a new, excitingly expansive musical or philosophical plane. Kate Miller-Heidke’s future songs thus hint at crowning then developing previous triumphs, appearing to be as refreshed in impact as this concert’s fresh glance at her oeuvre.
The new classic, ‘Zero Gravity’, was delivered as yet another joyous celebration of Miller-Heidke’s stream of international hits. With the singer at the piano and Jessica Hitchcock taking fine care of the audience participation contributions, this was an electric conclusion to the stage collaborations already heard.
Rapport between the musicians on stage for this solid live event and Kate Miller-Heidke’s equally genuine chat between clear performances make this tour a fine combination of humanity and music.
The gravity level was definitely zero and the quota of happiness also shot through the roof of the Opera House Concert Hall during this event and the well-deserved standing ovation which followed.