Musical mastermind Miller-Heidke has performed to crowds of 300 million viewing listeners before. Still, Friday night’s performance will be a stripped-back and warmly intimate affair as she takes to the stage with just her partner (in life and music), Keir Nuttall, at Riverlinks Eastbank.
It’s one crowd you’re going to want to be caught in.
The whopping 55-show tour, which is Miller-Heidke’s longest yet, started in January.
She and Nuttall are avoiding capital cities this time around in favour of taking their top-tier talent to the somewhat starved regional areas where Miller-Heidke said people perhaps didn’t get to see many artists performing.
“It has been such a treat to see more of Australia,” she said.
“The audiences tend to be really appreciative; it’s always a warm and beautiful feeling in the room. Every show is different, so it’s a lot of fun.”
The tour was paused after March so Miller-Heidke could pursue another feather for her already weighty career hat after delivering coaching duties on the 2024 season of Channel 7’s The Voice.
If for no other reason, the musical talent show’s local viewers will recognise her as the judge who pushed her button first during Shepparton teenager Kaitlyn Martin’s stirring audition.
But Miller-Heidke’s impressive resume extends far beyond that realm.
With 17 ARIA award nominations and a raft of other entertainment accolades, hers is already a household name worldwide.
It’s been more than a decade since she performed in Shepparton.
The star said she was looking forward to returning to perform a somewhat audience-driven set, playing her biggest hits and most-loved classics, new material, songs she’s written for musicals, unexpected covers and, basically, whatever the Shepparton audience wants.
“It’s been so, so long since we’ve played in Shepparton; I can’t wait to get back and see the locals again,” Miller-Heidke said on Tuesday from Caloundra in regional Queensland, one of the locations her Catching Diamonds tour takes in.
“The shows are very intimate and there’s space for the audience to yell out requests and for us to interact with them, so every show’s different; it’s a lot of fun.”
The classically trained vocal powerhouse said having been in the business for 20 years meant she had quite an extensive back catalogue, which allowed her to keep shows fresh.
“It’s nice for us to mix it up, so if anyone has any particular song requests, hit me up on Facebook or Instagram,” Miller-Heidke said.
Her musical performances will be interwoven with spoken-word storytelling as she finds a comfortable space with a close crowd.
Despite performing night after night to those hundreds of millions in Eurovision crowds, Miller-Heidke said she got nervous before every show, no matter how big or small.
“You learn how to hide your nerves. I’ve always struggled with nerves. I’ve got a bunch of techniques to help me with that, but Eurovision really took my nerves to the next level,” she said.
Those who saw the performance might recall Miller-Heidke staying poker-faced with no hint of fear evident in her body language as she hit the highest of notes wearing a crown and ballgown while strapped to the top of a five-metre sway pole being circled through the air and swirling fog from smoke machines.
“The whole thing was terrifying, singing in front of 300 million people and having to find that stupidly high operatic note night after night; it’s a vigorous schedule,” she said.
“I think the pole was actually useful for me because it gave me something else to focus all my fear on rather than just screwing up the song.”
Having learned to use her nerves to her advantage, she gets worried when she doesn’t feel the anxious sensation.
“As long as you can channel them in a healthy way, they give me focus and energy,” she said
The Voice might still be in full swing on our small screens, but filming has finished, allowing Miller-Heidke and Nuttall to jump back into the second stage of their tour.
Miller-Heidke said she enjoyed the mentoring experience and would sign on to coach again if asked.
“For me, the thrill of sitting in a room and listening to an incredible singer never gets old,” she said.
Now Shepparton fans will get to enjoy her incredible voice with their bums planted firmly in their seats, while Miller-Heidke’s ethereal notes dizzy their minds to a place of seemingly Zero Gravity.
∎ Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall will perform from 7pm on Friday, September 13, at Riverlinks Eastbank. To book tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/p8ewcrhw
