Live Review: John Butler Trio, Missy Higgins

A double bill with two of Australia’s greatest musicians deserves a monumental venue and Sydney Harbour brought out all the stops as a breathtaking background on Thursday evening. “You guys have the worse view,” joked Missy Higgins during her set, visibly taken by the afternoon sun streaming down upon the Opera House and Harbour Bridge backdrop.

With a perfect setting came an equally perfect soundtrack as Higgins powered through a well-rounded set showcasing many of her popular releases over the years. Ten Days and The Special Two drummed up the nostalgia in the crowd, the latter dedicated to all of the lovers in the audience on Valentine’s Day, which Higgins conceded was a bit weird as the song was written about her sister. In fact most of her songs seemed connected in one way or another to those closest around her – Futon Couch dedicated to her husband, Song For Sammy, a breathtaking ukulele melody for her eldest child, even her impressive cover of Kiss’ I Was Made For Loving You had come from a duo between Higgins and her now husband for a close friend’s wedding. There was a special cameo side of stage by Higgins' newest bub Luna, complete with industrial headphones and a bubbly smile. With Higgins laughing along and prefacing most of her tracks with little stories or anecdotes, she effortlessly forged a familiarity with the entire crowd. Finishing with crowd favourites Scar and Steer as the sun set across the harbour, there was no doubt that Higgins, along with the audience, found a little bit of magic in that performance.

John Butler’s entry coincided almost perfectly with a nearby fireworks display on the harbour, with each burst of colour and sound adding to the three-drummer-deep percussion in Wade In The Water and Tahitian Blue. It was evident by his beaming face that Butler couldn’t be happier playing this special venue, and by the crowd’s excited responses and dancefloor formations, it was evident that his audience were pretty rapt to have him there as well. Rolling through some favourites like I’d Do Anything and Betterman with his ever impressive band, the clear highlight of the night was his hypnotic solo of the 12-minute instrumental Ocean, which managed to silence the entire forecourt as everyone hung on with awe.

Talking in between songs about all manner of subjects, including religion and politics, as well as a more targeted PSA about the Lock The Gate Alliance, Butler, like Higgins before him, managed to forge a feeling of intimacy in such a large venue almost seamlessly. Finishing off the night with Funky Tonight and a fantastic, audience-participating rendition of Zebra, Butler left the stage exclaiming the night was a "dream come true", and there’s no doubt that he’s not alone in that sentiment.