Kate-Miller-Heidke

Kate Miller-Heike plays The Sydney Opera House: Review

The Australian singer songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke made her Sydney Symphony Orchestra debut at the Sydney Opera House and I was lucky enough to witness it. Clearly a milestone in her career, the 35 years-old prodigy described the moment as a ‘dream come true’ or more precisely as ‘a wet dream come true.’

The audience responded well to Kate’s humor. The soprano regularly made quick witted jokes while giving some context about her songs. The overall performance was very much a rollercoaster of emotions, mostly dominated by a combination of goosebumps and laughter.

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When Miller-Heidke started singing, I remember thinking – how can such a powerful voice come from such a small body? The singer looked like an angel with her halo-esque headdress. She was trained as a classical singer at the Queensland Conservatorium and definitely masters her singing techniques. The songs O Vertigo! and You’ve underestimated me, Dude are perfect examples of her talent. She didn’t have any trouble with the high notes and her voice offered astonishing variations.

The strength of Kate’s voice was emphasised by the presence of the talented Sydney Symphony Orchestra. ‘Standing in front of an orchestra, is like piloting a big jet plane’ Miller-Heidke told Fairfax Media in January, ‘…so it’s terrifying, but it’s just like riding this enormous wave of energy to have all these brilliant musicians up there behind you, the feeling is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.’ If the orchestra was an enormous wave, Kate Miller Heidke was undoubtedly a gifted surfer.

Almost burlesque, Kate Miller-Heidke mixes different genres. All her songs are very different from one another. The eccentricity of Words or Can’t shake it made me think of Gwen StefaniAre your fucking kidding me? reminded me of Soko or Garfunkel and Oates. While Caught in the crowd is more of a light hearted sing a long song. Kate Miller-Heidke is a versatile artist who has clearly been influenced by several genres to create her own unique sound, music that can be enjoyed and appreciated by a diverse audience.

-Aimy Guez

Kate Miller-Heike is currently touring Australia, check out her upcoming dates so you don’t miss out!

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of Kate Miller-Heidke
Image Credit: Kate Miller-Heidke