Presented by ONE LOUDER & THE HARBOUR AGENCY
@ Idolize Speigeltent – The Garden of Unearthly Delights
WEDNESDAY 14th March
On a blustery and frankly depressingly wet evening in unpredictable Radelaide, I run into The Garden of Unearthly Delights, little rivers of water trickling down the paths. Once inside (after an extensive battle with my battered umbrella), I sink into my seat, the warmth of a full house of eager audience members filled the tent. Rain pours down the awnings of The Idolize Speigeltent, the pitter patter somewhat comforting.
All of a sudden the rain is all but forgotten…the lights shine on, and Kate Miller-Heidke appears on the stage. She smiles, almost bashfully, and begins to sing immediately. Her voice is strong, almost piercing at first inside the small tent. Guests are still spilling through the doors, and with nowhere to sit, they stand staring at the blonde beauty, obviously in her element. She sways to and fro, her long skirts floating in the breeze of her steps.
Her first song seems to end so quickly, the audience mesmerized by the sound. We quickly snapped out of it, brought back to life with Kate’s vivacious personality and wicked (in both meanings of the word) sense of humour. “I’m so sorry about the rain,” she says, ”I’m just trying to think of it as one big Dido song!” The audience laughs, but only for a moment, as she drifts back into song.
The Brisbane-born artist’s songs are all intricate stories, some she says specifically are taken from her own life. I think it is part of the mystery of her character that we are not privy to know the extent to which the tales pertain to her own experiences.
One of her songs describes the tradition of the Triple J Hottest 100 on Australia Day, and another, she says, is essentially all about “being socially awkward, which is something we can all relate to.” They are a mixture of comedic wit, beautiful chords and melodies all strung together in an addictive little tune.
The sounds created are gorgeous, with Kate on vocals and piano (and the occasional maraca), a back-up singer who creates beautiful harmonies, and a guitarist with character to burn. With the ability to perform blissful background strumming, the guitarist, Keir Nuttall, who is also Kate’s husband (coolest. couple. ever.), produces some of the best solo jams I have seen in a while.
Kate flits between old and new tunes, sporadically adding in operatic arpeggios. Stunning. Classically trained, the songstress reveals to us that she has just been in London performing in an opera. Somewhat unexpected, her classical singing appears several times in the performance, stirring a host of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ amongst the audience.
As soon as she lifted the microphone from her lips, this beautiful voice would be juxtoposed with a toilet joke, the audience roaring with laughter. Her candid humour and ability to be incredibly serious about her craft, whilst also having fun with the audience is extremely refreshing.
Perhaps the most captivating moment of the show is the most surprising of all – when she begins to sing Eminem’s classic ‘The Real Slim Shady’. With effortless cool, she pulls it off marvelously, so much so I’m sure the controversial rapper himself would approve.
Another highlight is her song ‘Are You Fucking Kidding Me? (The Facebook Song)’ which is a hit on YouTube. Just as hilarious in person, she sings of an ex-flame who wants to add her as a friend, and ‘poke’ her and tell her useless facts about himself through ‘groups’. Scarily relatable, and worth a laugh because let’s face it, we’ve all been there.
Pearls of wisdom are also given out as liberally as witty jokes and stunning melodies. “I don’t think of myself only as an entertainer, but as an educator as well,” she says to us, smiling. The audience can’t help but smile too; I find myself grinning like a school girl who’s met her high-school pop-star idol. That’s just the kind of effect Kate has on you.
Talent oozes through her music – the pretty piano verses, her sometimes-hilarious-sometimes-heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics, and everything in between. Bravo Kate, looking forward to getting my mits on the new album (out soon she revealed!)
