The Forum Theatre, famous home to a bevy of naked statues, wrought iron and a star-field ceiling, is a somewhat unique venue. Regarded by many as Melbourne’s best room, it played host to the unique inter-genre croon/wail/operatic/yodelling antics of Kate Miller Heidke.
She’s been plying her trade on tour for a good few months now, promoting her Curioser record, a success by all accounts. The record hit Number 2 on the ARIA charts, buoyed up by its unusual vocal technique, happy pop and plenty of surprises. This being her final show on the tour (not to mention the last in a series of sell-outs) , there is a palpable sense of anticipation in the room. The place was packed solid by 8pm. On a Saturday.
We were greeted upon entry by Melbourne’s Megan Washington. She has a voice that evokes the sweetly dark 90s-era tones of Lisa Loeb. It’s all Sunday morning sunshine awash with memories of the night before. Standing mid-stage like a musical Emily Strange, or Daphne from Scooby Doo, Washington’s a tiny figure in big glasses and plain black dress – a librarian with a hint of wintery darkness peeking around the edges. She’s surrounded by similarly big-glassed boys, who provide a competent backing tune. The tunes are all whimsical edginess. Singles Cement, Clementine and How to Tame Lions are fresher and more vital than they sound on record. A fitting support.
Leaden with intermission boredom, my friend and I had some fun guessing what the set-piece was meant to resemble. ‘Bullet shells?’ Said I. ‘An Indian headdress?’ Said he. We finally settled on an artful arrangement of pope’s mitres, and as Kate entered stage right, the whole thing lit up like post-modern Christmas lights. Being a highly aesthetically oriented show-woman, Ms M-H is well known for her unusual stage outfits, and tonight is no exception – the Brisbane local glimmers in a frilly eggplant purple confection, which clashes delightfully with her burnt range hair. She’s the very vision of an 80s fairytale rock princess. Her astonishing soprano vocals swing delightfully between Disney princess and pure oddness, reaching a glimmering, shining climax on the musical lucky dip that is The One Thing I Know.
Considering the bevy of musical styles dipped into, Kate’s band holds up their end admirably. Guitarist (and significant other) Keir Nuttal keeps the rock injections coming, Nicole Brophy on acoustic guitar and backing vocals helps anchor the sound, Ben McCarthy provides the groove on bass, and Steve Pope handles the odd strange time signature on drums. There is nary a snag nor dropped note anywhere. It’s clear these guys are one tight unit.
The crowd are loving it as the set bops along, keeping things exciting by a constant change in pace and style, with the result that no two songs sound too similar. The country edge of Politics in Space gets us jumping, while God’s Gift to Women gets the sing-along vote, and crowd favourite Can’t Shake It has a lot of the crowd showing off dodgy dance moves, with even a few dudes joining in. Kate also shows off her acoustic chops on charming tune, Our Song. She also treats us to an acappella track that shows off the bare beauty of her voice. The set never lags or sags anywhere – she remains engaging through her entire hour and a half set, which ends far too early. A triumphant end to a unique and very popular touring experience.
to listen to their music now on 
