Everyone who took their seats did so hoping for something more than just a concert. From the moment I saw flocks of middle aged women, it became clear to me just how much Missy Higgins means to generations of people, and to be honest, after the show I understand why. Driving to Geelong with my best friend, we didn't know much about Missy Higgins or her music. We didn't know about her epic 20 year career as an Australian icon. We did know that both our mothers and older colleagues gasped with excitement when we told them where we were going on an unsuspecting Sunday night in August. We knew that it would be fun to go to a concert where we could sit down and have a scheduled toilet break in the middle. We knew that it would be a fun experience regardless of our lack of preparation; and we left all the better.

In its structure, this was unlike any concert I have been to. Rather than an actual concert, we were all seated at her feet while she spoke to a whole crowd of people with a frank intimacy that had the women around me laughing and crying. And then when she sang, it became immediately apparent how naturally talented she was, and how vocal training lent itself to an obvious expertise in breath control and range. The show itself was in two acts, the first of which was an extremely conversational section of acoustic versions of some of her more deepcut songs. Higgins demonstrated an instrumental finesse with both the acoustic and electric guitar, the ukulele, and the piano. While there were a few stumbles and technical difficulties, she pulled through with a laugh and a humble acknowledgement of her own mistakes, in a way that even worked to enrich the performance. With every song came a passionately detailed anecdote that had us all enthralled, and as she spoke frankly about motherhood and her divorce, the soft sniffles of the suppressed tears became the score to the night. I found my own mind occupied by thoughts of my own mother and the ways in which her life, and a lot of women’s lives, often pan out. Higgins spoke frankly about how her life was ultimately anew with the arrival of her first child and now again with the recent separation from her husband. The landmarks of her life seemed to crumble away and a new act, a second act (hence the name of tour) was beginning.

I suppose there isn't much situational common ground between Missy Higgin's life and my own, but sitting there I felt like anyone could relate to the feelings of becoming unmoored, to the passage of time beckoning, as it must, change. As Missy discussed, there are common truths in the ebbs and flows of life, where the stories we build for ourselves, that we worship like mythology, suddenly collapse under the weight of life and its “complicated truths” (a song Higgins wrote for her daughter, answering her questions about Higgins’ separation). And despite some slightly cringeable moments, like an insistence that her romantic type in a person is the tortured, unhinged kind, because she herself is tortured and unhinged. Despite myself cringing, I think the fellow mothers and women in the audience exhaled with relief. Mothers can be and often are a bit unhinged, it’s part of the job, but someone on a stage with this amazing voice and platform, was allowing them to breathe, laugh and sing. It was more than a concert for a lot of the audience, it was a catharsis.

In the process of beckoning in a new chapter of her life, Higgins reflected on the lore of her past reminiscing on songs from her first studio album, (The Sound of White) in the second act of the concert.

The second act of Higgins’ concert saw the addition of a backing band, which added a liveliness to the music, especially with the inclusion of somewhat unconventional instruments for a live pop show, such as the cello and trumpet. Each member of the band was also kindly recognised and respected by both Higgins and the audience. Additionally, the second act included visuals, changes in lighting and special effects catered to each song. However, while the show did maintain a certain aesthetic and used these visual aids to accentuate the songs, the show’s primary focus remained on the music and Higgins herself. At large, this show was an introspective reflection on the past 20 years, Higgins singing The Sound Of White in the second act and scattered songs from varied points in her discography in the first. Higgins joked about a song she wrote for VCE and how the critique she received condemned her “disinterested” appearance during her performance. In general, what 17 year old doesn't look disinterested, even when scatting during a jazz performance? She spoke about music and songwriting being a way to “claw” herself out of hard times. Higgins discussed how growing up in the industry, she didn't know how proudly she could discuss her achievements (2004 ARIA for Best Pop Release, the 2005 APRA Award for Song Of The Year, acclaim Platinum accreditation and rank #2 on triple j’s Hottest 100 for 2004— to name a few) without coming across as arrogant or stuck up.

In remembering the past, Higgins is gearing up for the future. She acknowledges that the meanings and significance of things; events, situations, people, from twenty years ago change shape and colour and take upon new meanings. The relationships with others that may have not lasted but left remnants of the love that existed; the relationships that continue on; what it means to be a sister, a daughter and then a mother. It's all tenderness, if I could describe the show in one word, it would be tender.