28 May 2024 – Forum, Melbourne – words by Harry Leithhead – pictures by Cameron Brown
On Tuesday night I headed to one of my favourite venues, the Forum Theatre, to see Angie McMahon’s first of three sold out shows as part of her Light, Dark, Light Again tour. Angie wears her heart on her sleeve through her lyrics and her performance, and it was an intimate set that showcased both her incredible voice and her tight connection with band and audience.
Melbourne local Ruby Gill – a close friend of McMahon’s, opened the show with a small band that harmonised wonderfully. However, her standout moment was her final song, ‘If God Is the Pigeon’, with just her and her keyboard. It was reminiscent of Missy Higgins’ quieter moments, and a song I’ve found myself going back to again and again.
Ruby Gill – Forum – photos by Cameron Brown
Angie opened with one of my personal favourites, ‘Fireball Whiskey’, with soft rainforest sounds filling the Forum as she softly strummed. An endlessly relatable song about being young and drinking too much to calm the nerves around the ones we like (and the consequences of those nights), she followed it with more songs from her new album, including ‘Fish’, ‘Divine Faultline’ and ‘Mother Nature’. The band sounded great, with the real strength coming from the harmonising between members. The sound always occupies the space so well at the Forum. The punchy drums threatened to overwhelm the mid-tempo music early on, but was mixed well and stayed sitting just behind Angie’s vocals and guitar.
Angie McMahon – Forum – photos by Cameron Brown
Angie had a great knack for making the crowd feel close, sharing stories that humanise her and sit in line with her lyrics. She joked about her acid reflux and how she thought she sounded nasally. She also touched on the anxieties associated with her role – how she cried in the bathroom before playing the Forum for the first time, and how a hometown show is nerve-wracking because she doesn’t want to mess up in front of friends and family. These small moments in-between songs really won the crowd over, and always got a round of applause for her honesty and sense of humour.
There were many more great moments throughout the show. ‘Letting Go’ and its breakdown were high energy with Angie jumping and yelling. ‘Slow Mover’ had a great groove – an awesome indie pop rock song with a singalong chorus. Her cover of Australian Crawl’s ‘Reckless’ (from her ‘Like a Version’ in 2023) is a gorgeous ballad, with breathy verses and a soaring chorus, and she even brought Ruby Gill out for a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowing in the Wind’.
Angie McMahon – Forum – photos by Cameron Brown
By the end of the night, Angie sincerely thanked everyone for coming and letting her work her dream job, before treating the crowd to an unreleased song – ‘Music’s Coming Out’ – that started as an improvised jam in the studio and still plays that way on stage; friends connecting through their love of music.
Angie closed the show with the upbeat ‘Pasta’, a song about feeling lost in the world and trying to stumble your way through. Her lyrics are endlessly down to earth, relatable and often humorous, making for an easy singalong.
Angie’s first of three nights at the Forum Theatre was a fantastic experience. Warm lighting, great sound quality and a strong setlist made for an excellent show, and I feel very lucky to have been a part of it! Angie’s Light, Dark, Light Again tour continues with two more shows at the Forum, before moving on around Australia.
