Live Review: Angie McMahon, Leif Vollebekk, Hayden Calnin

With just three releases to her name, you’d be forgiven for questioning whether Angie McMahon has the material to fill a headline set. And then you hear her voice, a voice of such quality it could fill an entire stadium regardless of quantity, and given her performance at the Forum Theatre, it one day surely will. Coming off a mammoth 2017, she’s spent the year working on her debut album, playing festival slots and now embarking on her first national headline tour.

The evening is kicked off by Hayden Calnin, an artist McMahon admits she “used to fangirl over”. She’s arranged for a local act to open at each stop on the tour in addition to official support, Leif Vollebekk, and if you missed Calnin, well, “you fucked up” – McMahon’s words.

Described by McMahon as one of her “favourite artists in the whole world,” this tour is Vollebekk’s first visit to Australia. While unknown to many, his album Twin Solitude was shortlisted for two of Canada’s biggest music prizes and his unique poetic style has received critical acclaim. Comfortable behind the piano in a T-shirt, it feels like he's jamming in his bedroom as he delivers tracks including Elegy and Vancouver Time. It’s a distinctive performance, in which the words come from his mouth but emotion seeps from every pore.

McMahon takes the stage to Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac, a nod to her folk influences. A cover of the band’s Silver Springs comes later in the set, but first there is a new track and Keeping Time, her latest single. Missing Me follows, with her vocals backed by an enthusiastic crowd before she delivers some songs off her much-anticipated album. While McMahon speaks with a shy, quiet sensitivity, the power of her vocals stops you in your tracks from the deepest growl to the most heart-wrenching high note. She’s casual and humble about what’s coming out of her mouth, yet the quality and control gives the impression she’s backed by total confidence in her craft.

McMahon is joined by Vollebekk for two songs, including Springsteen’s Atlantic City, before she plays And I Am A Woman – written about her anger over women being groped at gigs. “I have two songs left and won’t be doing an encore because that’s awkward,” she tells the crowd, and promptly launches into Slow Mover, ironically the song that put her in the musical fast lane, and Pasta, a crowd-favourite written about overdosing on gluten. McMahon and her bandmates, Alex O’Gorman and Lachie O’Kane, exit to rapturous applause and leave a crowd craving the new album. “Marry me?” asks a punter. “No,” replies McMahon, “but thanks for coming.” Thanks for having us, Angie.