Katie Noonan is one of Australia’s best singer-songwriters, with a career and resume that very few in the industry can match. She has worked on the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games as musical director, released 30 solo albums and been a fierce and passionate advocate for Australia’s arts sector. To celebrate the release of her 30th studio album, Noonan played two exclusive shows at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for  members and her fans, which sold out in lighting quick time, reflective of the demand for arts and culture in Australia at the moment.

Concertgoers were treated to a private viewing of the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne Prize exhibitions before the concert and it was a wonderful way to experience some of Australia’s finest art. It felt extremely exclusive to be able to see such amazing works in such a private setting and the level of talent on display was incredible. I’m not an art critic and don’t pretend to be but I was absolutely blown away by the level of talent in this country.

Then it came time for the concert and Noonan explained that this was not an album she expected nor wanted to write as it dealt with her divorce, but it resulted in some of her most heart-wrenching and powerful work as she contemplated the demise of a 26-year relationship. She opened with “Alone But All One” before moving into “Everything You Know”, delivering a powerful and haunting performance that immediately showed off Noonan’s breathy vocals as she sat at the piano alongside the River Suite string quartet, who accompanied her wonderfully.

She then performed “When the Heart Falls Apart” which was also gut-wrenching, as she combined Trent Dalton’s lyrics with her beautiful music writing, before “Special Ones” showcased her haunting head voice which was a special treat for the audience. With a mix of art lovers and Noonan fans in attendance, it was an interesting combination at first but everyone quickly became entranced by the magic of Noonan’s vocals and storytelling as she used her music to process a deeply traumatic event, which resonated with the crowd.

While Noonan didn’t hold back in acknowledging the support from her group of friends and the pain that the breakdown of the relationship had caused her, she was also very clear that this was not an opportunity to criticise the father of her children. Some of the more heavy-hitting songs, like “A Coward’s Punch”, were instead reserved for a friendship breakup, which sounded very much in the same realm of pain but were more cutting. Noonan added some older songs like “Bluebird” to the set as well, which resonated especially well with the crowd and we also got some trademark Noonan quips about Spotify and supporting Australian artists, which the audience seemed to connect with.

After finishing the album with the very painful “Nothing Woman”, she returned for an encore of “Breathe In Now”, getting the audience to sing along, which was a nice, engaging touch. It was a wonderful night of music and a celebration of Australian art and it felt fitting that the Archibald portrait of Noonan hung behind her as she performed, while the string quartet also did an exceptional job, further highlighting the amount of talent this country has to offer.

Overall, this was an excellent show, as evidenced by the richly deserved standing ovation at the end. Noonan’s new album is powerful and rich and is definitely one of her more introspective works, but it still packed a mighty punch, showing just how strong her vocals and songwriting remain even 30 albums into her career. I couldn’t help thinking that the combination of Noonan’s musicality and Trent Dalton’s lyricism would be an exceptional pairing for one of the many Australian singer-songwriters with exceptional voices who are struggling to match some of their older work with new refined songwriting but maybe that’s just a pipe dream on my part. Ultimately, this was a great show that showcased Australian artistry at its finest in every way, making for a truly wonderful night.

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Katie Noonan – Art Gallery of NSW – 11 July 2026