Live Review: kd lang

Canadian music icon kd lang wasted no time in delivering a compelling mission statement to the audience, as lush four-part harmonies danced around the smooth verse melody of Save Me, all the while weaving through an emotional slide guitar. Ingenue had begun and the album’s 25th anniversary celebration kicked off in fine style.

Lang fell into a trance during the soul-driven The Mind Of Love, with its soaring chorus lines dishing up nothing but pure class, despite ear-piercing feedback.

The singer's eclectic style transformed the venue into something unrecognisable, and punters were transported to a different world with the French vibes of the accordion-led Miss Chatelaine, complete with lang shuffling back and forth in bare feet.

It was early days, but the entire audience was already transfixed; a sea of love crashing over lang amid some chuckle-worthy heckling. "That takes it to a whole new level," she said, as someone demanded she take off her jacket.

"I'll talk to you after the album is over, so sit back, relax, and jack off if you want."

The crash course on love and lust continued with Wash Me Clean; a raw and intimate number that captured the essence of the album perfectly.

It was Ingenue's subtle intricacies that made it truly captivating live, as proven during Season Of Hollow Soul, which utilised instrument spacing. Every sound - from faint brush hits to uplifting bass runs - had an important purpose.

While stripped-back numbers such as Still Thrives This Love were beautiful, nothing compared to uplifting hits like Outside Myself - during which long-running bassist David Piltch stole the show - and Constant Craving; both unleashing the best harmonies of the night.

Tears Of Love's Recall gave guitarist Grecco Buratto and pianist Daniel Clarke the spotlight between bursts of gut wrenchingly emotional vocals from lang; her band once again proving to be some of the best as they adapted to a forgotten verse during Sing It Loud.

"This is really just validation that I'm a senior," lang said to another congratulatory Ingenue heckle.

The overall experience was enriching and took punters on a unique and memorable journey. Lang is only getting better with age and still has one of the best singing voices going around, cemented in the final choruses of Neil Young’s Helpless and a spine-tingling version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.