IT'S not often you see an audience one minute on the verge of tears, and then the next laughing uproariously.
But Missy Higgins is that type of performer.
If you were lucky enough to have caught Higgins back on her original tour for her seminal debut album The Sound Of White in 2004, you would have heard an insanely talented singer-songwriter, who was far from comfortable in the ever-brightening spotlight.
Twenty years on, the recently-divorced mother-of-two bears more scars than she ever did, when as a wide-eyed young woman with a pixie haircut she asked, "And doesn't that sound familiar? Doesn't that hit too close to home?"
Higgins' willingness to be so genuine and honest with her audience is undoubtedly the reason why her two shows at Newcastle's Civic Theatre sold-out like hot cakes.
She also possesses an endearing and self-deprecating sense of humour.
The show was split into two acts - the first a collection of new and old songs stripped back, followed by a complete performance of The Sound Of White's 13 tracks with a backing band.
The opening set was dominated by songs from Higgins' forthcoming sixth album The Second Act, due for release in September.
It will be her first album in six years and promises to be an emotionally bleak affair, written in the aftermath of her marriage breakdown.
But as Higgins explained, she's "completely living" these songs currently as her heart continues to mend. There's no safety in retrospection here.
The Civic Theatre hung off every word.
You sensed Higgins was receiving as much from the exchange as the audience.
Blue Velvet Dress written about the night her relationship with ex-husband Dan Lee ended was emotionally wrought, but it was nothing compared to A Complicated Truth, penned for her five-year-old daughter, Luna, to explain why their family is a little different.
"I will always love your daddy because together we made you," Higgins sang.
The misery might have overwhelmed had it not been for Higgins' humour and the jazzy rendition of Ed Sheeran favourite, The Cactus That Found The Beat, which was hammed up for the crowd.
For the second act Higgins returned in a cowgirl-inspired white outfit and with a more upbeat demeanour.
The six-piece backing band sounded a tad disjointed on Katie, but soon settled and offered greater colour and depth than heard on the original album.
This was particularly true on Ten Days, which Higgins joked was written in America and posted back to Australia to "some dickhead next to a beard trimmer [as a birthday present]."
A rare outing of Casualty, was another highlight, as it was infused with a slinky strut and rousing trumpet solo.
The trifecta of The Special Two, Scar and The Sound Of White were both a joyous and moving way to complete Higgins' first night of her Newcastle weekend.
The ongoing influence of The Sound Of White is clearly recognisable among the modern crop of Australia's best young female songwriters like Angie McMahon, Stella Donnelly and Gordi.
It's difficult to see the next 20 years dulling any of the album's enduring influence.
