Reviewed onSunday February 14 (photo by Ashley Mar)
It’s hard to picture a more appropriate event for Valentine’s Day than Missy Higgins playing a show as the sun set on Taronga Zoo. Lovers were out in force, spreading out in the grass and admiring the view of Sydney Harbour.
Alys Ffion opened up the evening with a handful of songs that were quick to win over the crowd, mixing acoustic pop songs with nervous energy. Dustin Tebbutt worked more electronic influences into his set, with his two-piece band creating enough layers and sounds for eight.
Phones came out to capture the sun falling behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge, soaking in the gorgeous amphitheatre as Missy Higgins took the stage. She instantly created a warm atmosphere, talking to the audience as if she were playing in someone’s living room; a few songs in, she invited the crowd to come to the front, and many quickly did so as she launched into The Drones’ ‘Shark Fin Blues’, following it up with ‘Ten Days’ to make sure everyone was dancing.
The set featured many tracks from her 2014 covers album Oz; songs by The Angels, Don Walker, and Kylie Minogue all got a showing throughout the night. Midway through the set, it began to rain and Higgins ran through ‘Watering Hole’ as people scrambled to pack up their cheese platters and picnic blankets. Spirits were still high, however, and ‘NYE’ kept the mood on track.
The evening peaked as Higgins asked the audience if they would be interested in a sing-along before launching into ‘Scar’, leaving the last chorus for the crowd, which was more than happy to give every word back to her. Then came some confusion onstage, as Higgins suddenly announced that she had to stop the show. It was later revealed that Taronga Zoo had received a lightning warning with three songs left, and Higgins had no choice but to leave the stage.
While she still had a few hits left on the table, she was still able to get in 75 minutes of covers and cuts from across her discography. It was an unceremonious end, but with a performance like that, it’s hard to imagine it ruined too many people’s Valentine’s Day.
