Live Review: Kate Ceberano Triumphs on the Australian Made Tour 2026

Kate Ceberano the Australian Made Tour 2026 at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre Western Australia

“We want Kate, we want Kate, we want Kate.”

The chant rose again in memory as I stood there, transported back to a story my sister once told me about her very first concert in Australia. It was 1989, somewhere in Sydney’s western sprawl, Blacktown, Parramatta, or a venue now blurred by time, and the artist at the centre of it all was Kate Ceberano.

“My sister saw you in 1989,” I told Kate in between rehearsals for her second show. “She even received your Kate Ceberano album as her twenty-first birthday gift.” It became a full-circle moment years later, when she met Kate at a private function hired by Pan Pacific Group in Sydney, in one of the clubs.

“Ah, that was so long ago,” Kate said, almost dismissively, before softening into the kind of humour that makes the passing of time feel both cruel and strangely beautiful. “Sigh, we are old now.” She smiled as if accepting the inevitable truth on behalf of all of us.

“Where are you from?” she asked.

“Malaysia,” I replied. “And you’re from the Philippines, aren’t you?”

“Yes, my background is Filipino, and part of me is Swedish,” she said. “But I grew up here.”

It made me wonder if her musicality came from her Philippino heritage or Swedish.

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

There is something about Kate Ceberano. After spending time behind the scenes, it becomes clear that the woman offstage is every bit as genuine, jovial, charismatic, and disarming as the performer under the lights. There is no manufactured alter ego, no guarded celebrity distance, only an artist with the rare ability to make a room feel personally invited into her orbit.

Whatever the source of that gift, Ceberano has long been an artist of my generation, of Gen X, and for many of us who grew up as minorities in Australia’s cultural margins in the 80s and 90s, she represents an emblem of possibility. She also inspires other singers, which makes her current mammoth tour across 32 cities and towns feel like a nostalgia circuit and a celebration of Australian songs that shaped the soundtrack of our lives, reimagined by a three-piece ensemble. Just like at the Astor Theatre to kick start this tour, the second show at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre was sold out.

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

The night began with Kathleen Halloran, whose presence immediately changed the temperature of the room.

For anyone still unfamiliar with her work, Halloran is one of the most compelling guitarist-singer-songwriters in Australia.

“You remind me of Ian Moss,” I told her later. “Your guitar style, the savagery of performance- how did the guitar survive?”

“Yeah, Mossy!” said Kate, clearly agreed by the comparison.

“That’s the best compliment I could have,” Halloran said.

Offstage, Halloran carries a quiet, almost shy presence, quite the opposite of Ceberano’s expansive persona.

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

Onstage, however, she transforms. The reserved figure becomes a force of controlled voltage, Clark Kent stepping into the light as Superman, Adam into He Man or Fangs into Face Face (OK, I’m showing my age here). Across five tracks, “Wolves Like You”, “I Am Hunted”, “Showstopper”, “Stolen Night” and “Nobody’s Baby”, Halloran built tension with the patience of a storyteller, then tore through it with the precision of a guitarist who knows exactly when to hold back and when to unleash.

This was the second time that this photojournalist had seen Halloran since she supported KT Tunstall across Australia a few months earlier. Under a single spotlight, surrounded by darkness, she made the acoustic guitar sound feral, elegant and wounded all at once. The room was so still we could almost hear a pin drop; all eyes and ears were fixed on her as the songs rose and fell in dramatic waves, moving from delicate melody to thunderous release. Even her hair seemed part of the performance, whipping through the light with the grit of a rock-and-roll shampoo commercial.

Halloran later told me what Kate Ceberano meant to her: “In a time where musicians and artists are doing it so tough to get gigs off the ground and find audiences, it has never been more apparent to me what a privilege and gift it is to open on the Australian Made tour. I’m truly honoured to support Kate for the second year in a row. She has been such a significant part of my musical growth and expansion over the last few years. After just releasing my debut album (Nobody’s Baby), to have the chance to present my original material to her receptive full houses around the country each night is special on every single level.”

After that blitzkrieg of an opening set, we needed the twenty-minute interval to catch our breath.

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

Before returning to Kate Ceberano, however, credit must be given to the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre (ManPAC). The venue revealed itself is one of the most beautiful performance spaces in the Perth metropolitan region, with excellent acoustics, lighting, sightlines, comfort and ambience. For a sold-out crowd of around 700, it felt intimate without being cramped. As for location, it is perfect – sitting alongside the Mandurah Estuary boardwalk.

When the main set began, Halloran returned alongside guitarist and backing vocalist Dusty Lee, forming a lean three-piece arrangement around Ceberano. Kate entered in a sharply cut military-style jacket, gold rope braiding running across the chest and shoulders, as if she were about to lead a parade through the great Australian songbook. The look was theatrical but playful and perfectly suited to the evening’s sense of ceremony.

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

What followed was a delightful surprise: Ceberano behind percussion. “I didn’t know I could play the drums,” she quipped before launching into Divinyls covers “Science Fiction” and “Boys in Town”. It was beautiful chaos, Kate standing at the kit, driving the rhythm while flanked by two guitarists, yet still sounding unmistakably like the Kate Ceberano of the late 1980s and 90s, her voice seemingly preserved in a time capsule of soul, warmth and instinct.

She made the covers her own mix of persona and style. We loved it.

Ceberano moved through the setlist with acoustic and percussion-driven reinterpretations of Australian classics, including “I’ll Make You Happy” by The Easybeats, “Slave” by James Reyne and “No Secrets” by The Angels. Each song carried the familiarity of the original while being reshaped through the intimacy of the trio format.

The night surged with end-to-end riffs. Halloran’s prodigious guitar work was already clear, but her solo turn on Spectrum’s “I’ll Be Gone” confirmed it. The silhouette of Halloran raising her guitar, superimposed against Ceberano drumming in the background was a striking image. Dusty Lee, too, proved essential, drawing texture and colour from his guitar with an instinctive command that recalled the theatrical energy of 27 Club and its songs of artists lost too soon.

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

A local singer Clayton Bolger, who happened to be one of this photojournalist’s first live shoot in 2019 at the Navy Club in Fremantle, also had his moment with “Harley and Rose” by The Black Sorrows while Ceberano played tambourine. “I auditioned for the Black Sorrows as a teenage, but Linda and Vinka Bull got it.” The crowd politely booed while giggling at the same time. It was a joy-filled performance, the kind where pleasure is shown on stage. “Sweet Inspiration” arrived in a beautifully stripped-back acoustic form, followed by one of the evening’s most tender passages: Wendy Matthews’ “You’ve Always Got the Blues”. The beauty continued through “Everything’s Alright” from Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Memories of Ceberano singing alongside John Farnham and John Stevens flickered through the room, yet the performance remained firmly alive in the present.

The duet of John Farnham’s “Burn for You” was an intimate highlight with Dusty Lee. As the light swept across the stage, the moment belonged to the two voices, with Halloran seated quietly on the drum riser, partly hidden yet fully present in the atmosphere of the song. It was a moment when we thought to ourselves – boy can that man sing!

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

Throughout the set, Ceberano connected with the crowd exactly as one would expect from an Australian icon, effortlessly, generously, and often in the middle of the music itself.

Her stories were as entertaining as the songs: getting drunk on cider while watching Hunters & Collectors, singing backing vocals for The Models, and sharing memories from the original Australian Made tour. At one point she joked about kissing Greedy Smith and discovering the infamous third nipple “that everyone knows about”, before laughing that it might have been the first time she had told the story quite that way. Then, with the timing of a seasoned performer, she swept the audience into the second half: “Don’t be scared, there’s lots of fun. At every point, there’s a dance sequence. Stand up and dance.”

From there, the set shifted into a faster, more danceable pulse with her original track “Pash Me”. Ceberano moved with a kaleidoscopic 1960s energy, weaving body and hair through the light with a free-spirited sensuality that remained elegant and controlled. The main set closed with “Bedroom Eyes”, and suddenly the years collapsed.

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

For many of us, “Bedroom Eyes” remains the defining Kate Ceberano hit. In that moment we were back in 1989, held by the warm, expressive velvet of her mezzo voice, a blend of soul, clarity and emotional honesty that still feels uniquely hers. The smell of Sydney’s V Set and bone rattler evoked the memory of the cold, dark, wintry days of the last century. It was a moment that would evoke our memories and minds.

The three-song encore included an acoustic version of “Brave”, performed with Kate alone on stage. It was raw, intimate and emotionally exposed, centred entirely on her voice, phrasing and connection with the room. In this arrangement, the song seemed to reveal vulnerability more than defiance. Perhaps that was this photojournalist’s imagination, but whatever it was, the room understood the significance of the moment. With the spotlight resting solely on her, it became one of the evening’s memories to cherish.

Ceberano’s great strength is her emotional truth and connection with the crowd. She conveys sincerity without melodrama, moving between tenderness and emotional power with an ease that only comes from decades of instinct, craft and lived experience.

The set may have leaned heavily on covers, as expected from this tour, but it was irrelevant once we were immersed in Kate Ceberano’s remarkable interpretive artistry.

We want Kate indeed.

Kate Ceberano tours 32 cities and towns across Australia. Tickets are available from Kate Ceberano

Kate Ceberano at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Photo by Sheldon Ang/ Sheldon Ang Media

About Sheldon Ang Media: Sheldon Ang, photojournalist, writer and the founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to over 250 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AC/DC, KISS, Metallica, Iron Maiden, RHCP and P!NK with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Roxette. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), Suzi Quatro, John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.

Kate Ceberano Australian Made Tour Setlist

“Science Fiction”, originally by Divinyls, from Desperate (1983).

“Boys in Town”, originally by Divinyls, from Music from Monkey Grip (1982), later included internationally on Desperate (1983).

“I’ll Make You Happy”, originally by The Easybeats, released as a single in 1966.

“Burn for You”, originally by INXS, from The Swing (1984).

“Slave”, originally by James Reyne, from James Reyne (1987).

“Stranded”, originally by The Saints, from (I’m) Stranded (1977).

“No Secrets”, originally by The Angels, from Dark Room (1980).

“The Unguarded Moment”, originally by The Church, from Of Skins and Heart (1981).

“All Tied Up”, by Kate Ceberano, Steve Kilbey and Sean Sennett, from Australian Made Live! (2025).

“I’ll Be Gone”, originally by Spectrum, from Spectrum Part One (1971).

“The Real Thing”, originally by Russell Morris, released as a single in 1969 and later associated with The Real Thing compilation releases.

“You Got Nothing I Want”, originally by Cold Chisel, from Circus Animals (1982).

“Harley and Rose”, originally by The Black Sorrows, from Harley and Rose (1990).

“Sweet Inspiration”, by Kate Ceberano, from Sweet Inspiration (2021).

“Calling You”, originally written by Bob Telson for the Bagdad Café soundtrack (1987).

“You’ve Always Got the Blues”, by Kate Ceberano and Wendy Matthews, from You’ve Always Got the Blues (1988).

“Everything’s Alright”, from Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, originally released on the 1970 concept album.

“Burn for You”, John Farnham’s version, from Chain Reaction (1990).

“True Romantic”, by Kate Ceberano, from True Romantic, The Best of Kate Ceberano (1999).

“Pash”, by Kate Ceberano, from Pash (1997).

“I Hear Motion / Talking to a Stranger”, combining Models’ “I Hear Motion” from The Pleasure of Your Company (1983) with Hunters & Collectors’ “Talking to a Stranger” from Hunters & Collectors (1982).

“Holy Word”, by I’m Talking, from Bear Witness (1986).

“Beds Are Burning”, originally by Midnight Oil, from Diesel and Dust (1987).

“Out of Mind Out of Sight”, originally by Models, from Out of Mind Out of Sight (1985).

“Can’t Help Myself”, originally by Icehouse, from Icehouse (1980).

“Bedroom Eyes”, by Kate Ceberano, from Brave (1989).

Encore: “Brave”, by Kate Ceberano, from Brave (1989).

Encore: “If You Leave Me Can I Come Too? / Barbados”, combining Mental As Anything’s “If You Leave Me Can I Come Too?” from Cats & Dogs (1981) with Models’ “Barbados” from Out of Mind Out of Sight (1985).

Encore: “Women in Uniform”, originally by Skyhooks, from Guilty Until Proven Insane (1978).

Kate Ceberano Australian Made Tour 2026 Dates

4 September, Perth WA, Astor Theatre

5 September, Mandurah WA, ManPAC

6 September, Margaret River WA, HEART

11 September, Mackay QLD, MECC

12 September, Gladstone QLD, GECC Theatre

13 September, Rockhampton QLD, Pilbeam Theatre

25 September, Cairns QLD, CPAC

26 September, Townsville QLD, The Warehouse

27 September, Ayr QLD, Burdekin Theatre

2 October, Orange NSW, Orange Civic Theatre

3 October, Tamworth NSW, Tamworth Town Hall

4 October, Wyong NSW, The Art House

9 October, Thirroul NSW, Anita’s Theatre

10 October, Canberra ACT, The Playhouse

11 October, Sydney NSW, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

17 October, Toronto NSW, Toronto Hotel

18 October, Richmond NSW, Regent Theatre

23 October, Melbourne VIC, Hamer Hall

24 October, Bendigo VIC, Ulumbarra Theatre

25–28 October, Rock The Boat

30 October, Warragul VIC, West Gippsland Arts Centre

31 October, Geelong VIC, Costa Hall

1 November, Warrnambool VIC, Lighthouse Theatre

5 November, Port Pirie SA, Northern Festival Centre

6 November, Renmark SA, Chaffey Theatre

7 November, Adelaide SA, Her Majesty’s Theatre

13 November, Tweed Heads NSW, Twin Towns

14 November, Brisbane QLD, QPAC Concert Hall

15 November, Sunshine Coast QLD, The Events Centre

19 November, Ballarat VIC, Her Majesty’s Theatre

20 November, Shepparton VIC, Riverlinks Eastbank

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