Simone Waddell reviews Kate Ceberano’s Australian Made Live at the Sydney Opera House, celebrating iconic songs, memories and musical brilliance.
Some concerts entertain. Others transport us through time, awakening defining memories. Kate Ceberano’s Australian Made Live at the Sydney Opera House celebrated Australian music and the songs woven into our lives.
On her birthday, Kate delivered electrifying artistry, humour, and heartfelt connection. As a lifelong Kate Ceberano fan, I felt memories flooding back. I could only imagine the countless memories her music was awakening for others throughout the auditorium.
Gifted guitarist, singer, and songwriter Kathleen Halloran opened the evening; her excitement and humility at performing at the Opera House were infectious. Then Kate took centre stage, joined by Kathleen and outstanding multi-instrumentalist Dusty Lee Stephensen. Just three musicians created astonishing depth and power, their arrangements and genuine chemistry revealing Kate’s vision.
Kate was phenomenal! Moving between vocals, keyboards, tambourine and drums, she was magnificent. Watching her play the drum kit standing up, with sheer enjoyment, was thrilling. Her signature voice remains a force of nature: rich, commanding, expressive, and capable of exquisite tenderness. Born to sing and create!
The repertoire swept through Australian classics including Science Fiction, Boys in Town, No Secrets, Harley & Rose, The Real Thing, Beds Are Burning, Outta Mind Outta Sight, Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, Bedroom Eyes and I See Red.
I recalled my 14th birthday when my friend David Towill asked, “Do you want any tapes as a gift?”
“Yes! I would love Brave!”
He gave me that cassette. I played it endlessly and treasure it still.
Around 1990, I brought friends to see Kate at the Harbourside Brasserie in The Rocks. We were underage, the show was sold out, and my teenage planning skills needed work! Refused entry, we stood outside in the freezing cold for an entire set, Sydney Harbour behind us, peering through the windows.
Kate noticed us, sent people to bring us inside and seated us near the stage. She came over, amazed by our commitment: she couldn’t leave us outside all evening. She opened her second set with her arrangement of Hunters & Collectorrs’ Throw Your Arms Around Me. Thirty-six years later, I remember her kindness as vividly as the music.
That same generosity filled the Opera House. Kate, Kathleen and Dusty celebrated one another’s talents, sharing the spotlight with unmistakable affection. Kathleen’s dazzling guitar brought fire and finesse; Dusty’s outstanding voice soared in his duet with Kate on Burn for You. Their chemistry was sublime!
Special guests Fanny Lumsden, on Mountain and Earth & Sky, and Kate’s daughter Gypsy Lee, on Bedroom Eyes, added further joy. Seeing mother and daughter together was especially touching.
Kate’s recordings profoundly shaped my musical education. I learned countless songs through her interpretations, many of which I’ve performed throughout Australia and internationally. I still tell my band we’re using the “Kate Ceberano ending” to One Note Samba, inspired by her 1987 septet recording!
When Kate sang Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, I was instantly transported to Japan in 1998, on my first international contract. There I was again, seated at the grand piano, singing that very song every night. Decades vanished in an instant. Music returns us to another life.
In 1995, I performed See Right Through for visiting Berklee College of Music Dean Dr Warwick Carter at The Rails in Byron Bay, and Calling You in a university examination. I’ve recently recorded my own version, inspired by Kate.
In 2022, esteemed jazz critic Eric Myers wrote in The Australian of my fifth album, The Art of Collaboration: “a gorgeous singer, her talent of Kate Ceberano proportions, Waddell moves effortlessly between jazz, soul and pop genres.” What an honour to be compared with an artist who had inspired me since my youth!
These are some of my memories. My friend Tracey recalled Friday nights watching Mental As Anything, INXS and Icehouse. During Kate’s Everything’s Alright, she was moved to tears, afterwards telling me the performance “healed her soul.” Imagine the memories stirring throughout the auditorium, including Kate’s own.
Then came a moment of pure affection: the entire Opera House audience sang Happy Birthday to Kate. After decades of her singing for us, how beautiful to hear everyone singing for her!
Behind the stage hung a striking tapestry Kate designed and created, with lyrics from Brave hand-embroidered around it: another expression of her heart.
Sound engineer Danny Olesh brought warmth, definition and impact to the arrangements; Steve Granville’s lighting beautifully complemented the performances. Congratulations to producers Kate and her husband Lee Rogers, and promoters Premier Artists and Ceberano & Rogers.
Fellow singer Dannielle Gaha described Kate’s gift for making audiences feel “like you’re in her lounge room.” Exactly! Her humour, authenticity and genuine appreciation for her musicians and audience are inseparable from her artistry.
Having attended Kate’s richly deserved ARIA Hall of Fame induction, I treasure her contribution to Australian music. Her determination to keep creating and evolving is equally inspiring.
For so many Australians, Kate’s voice feels like home. Her songs have accompanied our celebrations, heartbreaks, adventures, and milestones, becoming part of the soundtrack to our lives. She has helped us create the memories that make music meaningful, while reminding us to embrace our gifts and pursue a lifetime of creativity with unquenchable passion.
What I will remember most is the love: between three gifted musicians, from an audience celebrating Kate’s birthday, and between an artist and the people whose lives she has enriched.
We all brought our own memories to the Opera House. Together, we created another.
Bravo, Kate! An exceptional artist, generous spirit, beloved icon and sensational five-star triumph! As a devoted fan, I’m grateful you declared, “I won’t ever walk away, I’ll just be brave and stay.” Thank you for the music, the memories, and the inspiration to keep creating.
Experience Australian Made Live!
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Photographs by: Sunflower Sessions
Review by: Simone Waddell