Kate Miller-Heidke @ Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide 8/6/2024
Exceptional! We already know that Kate Miller-Heidke is an amazing talent but her show Catching Diamonds at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival is next level. Performing the first of two sold out shows with collaborator and husband Kier Nuttall and backing vocals by Jess Hitchcock it was ninety minutes of sparkle and shine featuring songs from her five studio albums, original musicals, a couple of covers for good measure and the stories behind the songs.
The intimate surrounds of the Dunstan Playhouse gives that feel of being so much closer and as the show started you could harder hear a pin drop except for the plonker up the back who thought it would be ok to talk the whole way through the performance. People!
Opening with Five and Iron then O Vertigo! Kate charmed the adoring Adelaide crowd whether that was her music or the accompanying stories. Admitting that it took her half way through the second song to realise there was a balcony up there with even more people was followed by funny tour story from Tasmania and not to stand in that puddle of “piss”. Sarah was stellar and the musical theatre passion inspired Fallback which was from Bananaland, a musical comedy about a unsuccessful punk rock protest band finding fame as a kids band performing music for kids aka Wiggles style.
Can’t Shake It from the Curiouser album was sublime and the Paul Simon cover Kathy’s Song was a pleasant surprise. The Tiger Inside Will Eat the Child was followed by Kate saying she was expecting the crowd to be more drunk being so quiet (except the plonker up the back) with one person yelling out “to expensive” with Kate countering with “how much is a goon bag?” Caught In The Crowd was amazing and after Kate said her son Ernie opted not to come to Adelaide saying that her music “makes his ears cry” (harsh!). Humiliation was another standout as well as the sex fused Hectic Glitter.
The talent of collaborator husband Kier Nuttall can’t be denied either. Amazing guitarist with a clever sense of humour making for a formidable duo. All corners of the back catalogue were well and truly covered with Simpatico and You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore (about dancing on the grave of an arsehole). There was a touch of excitement when Kate played her song Zero Gravity from Eurovision and the description of her outfit worn from that occasion as the “singing toilet brush”. The story about her singing coach was priceless and had the crowd in stitches.
Last Day On Earth was another tune for the highlights reel with Kate taking a moment to reflect on the moment she heard her first Words played on the radio for the first time in what was “a hit or shit” styled segment and the only caller saying “if I have to hear that again I’ll scratch my bowels out with a stick”. Oh dear! Nevertheless, this song showed Kate’s vocal range and everything we love about the way she brings her uniqueness to her songs cleverly morphing in to The Rolling Stones Paint It Black. Returning for an encore Kier really wanted to break in to Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven but Kate shut that down jokingly. It was the cover of Talking Heads Psycho Killer that showcased both of their talents with Kier being able to weave in a bit of Zeppelin at the end. Fantastic show and we look forward to seeing what is next for Kate Miller-Heidke and kudos to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival for making these two shows possible.
Live Review By Rob Lyon
Photo Credit: Claudio Raschella