Live Review: Missy Higgins – The Second Act Tour 2024 in Perth
Missy Higgins at the Perth Concert Hall on 18 April 2024.
By Lee Garces
Photography: Praia Photography (Lee Garces)
Missy Higgins is back! It may be time for the second act, but how does the one and only Missy Higgins follow the much-deserved success of her album The Sound of White when it is still so prominent in our minds and in our charts? This is how…
Missy kicked off the Perth leg of The Second Act Tour 2024, with some bangers (if you caught the show, that reference is for you) in a two-part performance that was set to make you cry, laugh and bop, sometimes all at the same time!
The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle, Sweet Arms of a Tune was the opener at the Perth Concert Hall on Thursday night – marking the first night of the tour and the first of three completely sold out Perth shows…with another 34 performances right around the country across 20 cities and towns – all but Cairns are sold out. Could Missy do it any other way?
With The Sound of White (20 Year Anniversary Edition) currently sitting at #1 on ARIA Top 20 Australian Albums this week and #6 on ARIA Top 50 Albums, it’s almost hard to believe that it has been 22 years since Triple J came across this now Aussie icon in 2002, Unearthing this little Missy for our benefit. Although it seems we haven’t had enough of The Sound of White, for those of us who have grown alongside Missy with her lyrical storytelling as a musical soundtrack to accompany our own journeys, her yet to be released The Second Act album comes with a personal warning as this most honest and humble artist introduced our first taste, Story for the Ages.
“I started writing for this album a year ago…the whole album is about the break-up of my marriage and how I’ve navigated the last couple of years…it’s been a really, really full on ride. I’ve gotta warn you – the new songs are really f**king sad…I know you know my music is sad, but this is like another level…I know you didn’t come here for the bangers!”
Missy’s ongoing humour travelled through the evening as she regularly garnered laughter from the crowd, lifting the mood as she delivered her deepest feelings through her vocals and effortless piano performances.
Missy powered through an emotive first set comprising of a handful of old but mostly new works of art from The Second Act, in a stripped back and raw performance. Introducing Broken Ones, “a song about trying not to fall for d**kheads anymore…”, alongside first single release You Should Run. The video for which was also mentioned and is well worth a watch! Adding a bit of ‘dab and doo bah’ to the mix with oldie The Cactus That Found the Beat to uplift the crowd before an ‘awwww-ing’ crowd moment of introduction to When Four Become Three, Missy closing her first set by taking hold of her electric guitar and performing title track of the new album, The Second Act.
A short break giving the crowd an opportunity for another drink before settling for the final half of the evening, with Missy casually strolling onto stage with a new set and a new outfit! This all white number with tassels and all, gaining much attention from the crowd who absolutely loved her, well…tassels (those in the crowd will understand this part is a little too inappropriate for this website).
It was All For Believing, Katie and The River to get started before Don’t Ever and Ten Days followed. Missy and her band absolutely delivering on this evening as they all poured themselves onto the stage in all of the numbers, with This Is How It Goes a particular favourite from the audience.
Casualty being performed “for the first time since the Sound Of White was toured many, many years ago” featured an epic trumpet solo by one of Missy’s instrumentalists, bringing soul and funk to the stage with the audience absolutely devouring every second of this not so sad song, and the crowd indeed confirming, “that was a banger!”.
Silence filled the concert hall during Missy’s sheer brilliant delivery of Any Day Now. A sign of what was to come for the remainder of this set as we welcomed a solo completely stripped back performance of They Weren’t There on piano, until being joined on stage by her three angelic back up vocalists dressed in white. Nightminds also making an appearance just before Missy engaged with the audience and explained The Special Two is actually a song about her sister, “kind of an apology letter to her”.
While also confirming that Scar is in fact not about coming out of the closet as a bisexual, but actually written about her co-writing experiences in LA. Missy threw it to the fans with an invitation to sing and clap along to this 20 year old hit and in exchange, telling them “It brings me so much joy to hear you all sing those lyrics back to me, it’s amazing”.
Rounding up the evening by thanking the audience for supporting her over the years and introducing The Sound Of White, the title track that “holds a very special place in my heart”. A deeply personal song about the passing of Missy’s cousin when she was a teenager, leaving many in the audience wiping away a tear or two.
One top fan, Morgan Griffiths summing up the evening with, “What a treat to spend an evening with Missy and her band. Such a talented voice, a storyteller, a true musician”. I couldn’t agree more. A true musician you are, Missy. Thank you for brining your raw and authentic self, and for allowing yourself to be so vulnerable through your art.
The Second Act will be released on 6th September 2024 but you can pre-order now at www.missyhiggins.com. Get it in your ears and in your hearts, and importantly continue to support our local Aussie artists by getting your hands on a physical copy of this absolute jewel of an album. Oh, and maybe also buy a new box of tissues – you’re going to need it.
Tickets (if available) are on the Frontier Touring website
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Frontier Touring and Missy Higgins for the media accreditation
About the Writer/Photographer – Lee Garces is a local lifestyle photographer based in Rockingham with a great appreciation of Australian music. Keep an eye out as she endeavours to continue to capture more of our homemade talent, right here in Perth! Oh yes, hotel rooms creep her out! (apparently).
Perth based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to over 80 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), KNOTFEST (Melbourne), Coldplay (Perth), KISS, P!NK, Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Rod Stewart with reviews shared by the likes of UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media.
