Live review: Kate Miller-Heidke at Bush Hall

I went to see the lovely Aussie popstar Kate Miller-Heidke in London a few weeks ago and did a review for Londonist, but it got a little lost along the way so now I’m posting it here instead…

After Lenka’s recent triumphant appearance, Bush Hall in Shepherd’s Bush played host to yet another quirky Aussie popstar. Kate Miller-Heidke is a big name back home (proven by the fact that one of her songs recently appeared in Neighbours!) but she hasn’t released anything yet in the UK, so she was pleased to attract quite a large and enthusiastic crowd. Kate sang songs from her latest album, Curiouser, including our favourites, Caught in the Crowd and Can’t Shake It, the latter accompanied with moves which suggested Kate definitely can shake it!

She also performed a hilarious new song which went down extremely well with the audience. It started off as a sad tale of the boy who had hurt Kate more than any other, but then came the chorus, where she revealed that this boy had requested her friendship on Facebook. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she sang, to the audience’s delight. The song went on to inform us that she didn’t care whether her ex was a ninja or a pirate (although she suspected he was a pirate) and that she certainly didn’t want to be poked by him (again)!

Other highlights of the night included her story about a little boy who wanted her to ‘sign his undies’, a fantastic cover of You’re the Voice by John Farnham, and an operatic burst of Beyoncé’s hit, Single Ladies! Kate is a classically-trained singer, but unlike a certain Welsh warbler, her pop voice is just as tuneful and she can blend seamlessly between the two. I already loved what I’d heard of Kate, but seeing her live cemented my appreciation, and I couldn’t leave without buying her CD from the merch stand. If you want to join in the fun, keep an eye on her MySpace for info on her forthcoming acoustic dates around London.