Cooktown’s Amber Farnan has been chosen as the opening act for Missy Higgins’ The Second Act Tour 2024 in Cairns this weekend. Photo: Supplied.
A Cooktown-bred musician will open the show for celebrated Australian artist Missy Higgins on the Cairns leg of her national tour this weekend.
Songwriter Amber Farnan said she was preparing to play an original setlist to kick off The Second Act Tour 2024 concert at Munro Martin Parklands in what she described as her biggest musical opportunity to date.
“Missy Higgins is actually my favourite artist of all time, so it’s pretty surreal; it’s like my life dream coming true,” the 21-year-old told Cape York Weekly.
“I’ve wanted to support her since I first watched her perform when I was eight.”
The authenticity and vulnerability of Higgins’ music has been a major inspiration to Ms Farnan, who bases her creations on “real experiences”.
“She’s a very good storyteller in her songwriting, and she sings with a lot of emotion and rawness in her voice,” she said.
“I have a chronic health condition and I wrote a few of the songs about that.
“I like to write about real stuff, because I want to connect it to myself, and not just write what’s trending or what everybody writes about.”
The artist said she believed her own vulnerability was the reason Higgins and her team chose her out of an extensive list of aspiring performers.
Ms Farnan moved to Cairns in 2018 to chase a larger music scene, but said she looked back fondly on her start on Cape York, including the influence of her primary school music teacher.
“She taught me piano when I was a kid, and I actually recall her teaching me some Missy Higgins songs, so it’s a bit of a full circle moment,” she said.
Currently in the songwriting process with hopes to release a single in the near future, the show will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ms Farnan to make her mark.
Missy Higgins and Amber Farnan will take the stage on 11 May at the Munro Martin Parklands in Cairns from 6:30pm.
