MontaigneSpectrum Now has bounced back solidly after a wet and sparse first year with a musical line-up that boasts class in current and retro form. An Australian female double bill would close out the festival for 2016 and it was an inspired decision.
When the diminutive Montaigne takes the stage you can have no idea of the remarkable sound that she can produce and it would have come as a surprise to the Big Top crowd when she struck her high notes. Montaigne's confidence, charisma and sheer talent shine, particularly in Life and her very first performance of In the Dark. She certainly picked up a slew of new fans tonight.
The draw of Missy Higgins is her clear and pristine vocals, which underlie the emotional and often sad nature of her lyrics. She has a way of drawing you in to her world. Despite the crowd swimming in a "sea of sweat" under the Big Top, we were enthralled by the precious lilt of Higgins' voice, which has softened over the years.
A mix of new and old songs kept us traversing Missy's journey. Her version of The Drones' Shark Fin Blues was an early win and the combination of Ten Days and Peachy revealed a link. "Same key. Same person. Few years later," highlighting the personal nature of her tracks. This was never more evident than when she shared a delicate lullaby delivered on ukulele penned while rocking her new son, Samuel, to sleep. Precious indeed.
Another excellent Australian cover of Perry Keyes' NYE, and her new heart-wrenching single, Oh Canada, rounded out the set. The friendly banter from Higgins and the loose nature of the set only endearing her to us more. We wiped the sweat from our brow having witnessed two exceptional Australian talents.
