/lifestyle/music/rss 九一星空无限 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:10:13 Z en /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-the-national-i-am-easy-to-find/ /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-the-national-i-am-easy-to-find/ Artist: The National Album: I Am Easy to Find Quite an album. The film is a killer. The songs are wise and observant but with the female voices singing in The Nationals familiar style it adds so much texture to a well trodden National path.  Mike Mills has pulled out the hackneyed musical tricks that threatened to "Coldplay" the last album.  The addition of a vast orchestra means the album has a familiar yet fresh new sound. I've always been a fan but this is the best thing they've done for a decade. 9/10 Sat, 18 May 2019 01:52:57 Z /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-sara-bareilles-amidst-the-chaos/ /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-sara-bareilles-amidst-the-chaos/ ALBUM: Amidst the Chaos                                                 ARTIST: Sara Bareilles                                                         INTRO SONG: Saint Honesty                                              Sara Bareilles is one of those artists that you can overlook but the more you look at her career the more you realise how big she is.  She's a singer songwriter with a distinctive piano style. After bursting onto the scene in 2007 with the hit song Love Song she plotted an interesting career that's included writing a hit Broadway musical score, playing Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar opposite John Legend and a number of successful books.  Now she's back with her sixth studio album Amidst the Chaos, and it's a response to Trump's American. There's no doubting her skill with a tune but this album finds her stuck between two camps. The world of the musical and the world of the studio album.  Some of the songs sound calculated, others sound too stagey.  But when it works it works such as the duet with John Legend called A Safe Place To Land.  It feels though that shes played it too safe. 6/10    Sat, 18 May 2019 01:47:25 Z /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-pinks-hurts-2b-human/ /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-pinks-hurts-2b-human/ Pink stunned audiences last year with her aerial-filled world tour, and now the pop star is back with her eighth studio album.  Andrew Dickens shared his review with Jack Tame:  "This is Pink being Pink, which is actually quite amazing.  All the songs are bangers.  It's notable for the use of classically organic instrumentation like guitars and pianos, and yet it still sounds modern.  "Pink's themes of regret and self empowerment are front and centre.  She is the most reliable superstar in play at the moment.  You could argue there's little growth but then again if nothing's broke why fix it.  "Listen to it in a car and sing your heart out.  8/10" Sat, 18 May 2019 01:47:15 Z /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-golden-by-kacey-musgrave/ /lifestyle/music/andrew-dickens-golden-by-kacey-musgrave/ Kacey Musgrave, the 30-year-old country singer from a town called Golden in Texas is in a golden period right now.  Fittingly, it's with her fourth album called Golden hour. She has just swept the Grammy Awards with the album winning Best Country Album and two of her singles winning the Gramaphones as well. What was really impressive is that she also won the Grammy for overall Album of the Year. However, New Zealand's strange aversion to country music continues. This album has been the biggest thing for a year now and yet not here. I went down to the music stations here and no one is playing her. But that's a pity! Atmospheric, light, poppy and distinctly dance-y in places, it's country music but not as you know it, and slow burn is possibly my favourite song of this summer. Even though it was almost released last summer. A delightful fresh album.  8/10   Sat, 18 May 2019 01:47:04 Z /lifestyle/music/review-evita/ /lifestyle/music/review-evita/ The main action of the hit rock musical Evita may take place in Argentina in the wake of the Second World War, but the tale of the “rainbow high” political rise of figurehead Eva Peron is as timely as ever. An ambitious “woman of the people”, Eva Duarte is a radio star who wins the heart of Argentinean colonel, Juan Peron, and sees him take office as President in 1946. The musical interprets her life across more than a decade – beginning as a seemingly idealistic young “descamisado” before taking on a life of privilege and duplicity – professing support for "her people", but seeing very little tangible change for the lives of those in the lower class she left behind. The role of Evita is as ambitious as the woman herself, and in this Amici Production, Heather Wilcock proves she’s more than up to the task. Her voice is spine tingling, and she is utterly convincing in both stage presence and conviction. Her interpretation of the show’s most famous hit Don’t Cry For Me Argentina was more original and nuanced than any I’ve seen, and gave stunning context and depth to the lyrics, which so often are interpreted as a reference to Evita’s death and demise. In Wilcock’s interpretation we hear it as a living political melody. Matthew Pike’s Che Guevara acts as the watchman on the wall, calling out Eva’s seeming lack of integrity and pleading with the audience to see through her Christian Dior-clad façade. Pike delivers compelling performances in the role, particularly in the second act’s And the Money Kept Rolling In. Russell Dixon performs well as Juan Peron – the stoic but ultimately weak man at the helm of Argentina. His interpretation while somewhat bland, delivers powerful and satisfying vocals. The familiar tale of the clash between the rich and poor, between the powerful and those at the bottom of the heap, plays out with an intensity and some admirable work by the strong core cast and chorus. The show’s score is arguably one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best – haunting melodies and unapologetic lyrics that explore layers of conflict that keep an audience engaged. While the sound felt too quiet for a rock musical in the first act, and the timing and pacing in the earlier numbers was somewhat lagging, on the whole the show was well executed. An odd set choice saw a jarring use of a projector screen as a backdrop which while appropriate when used to add historical context and scale, felt odd when used like a PowerPoint slide to shoehorn in extra props. Some of the staging could have been more creative and less paint-by-numbers, but it was outweighed by originality in the performers’ interpretations of the demanding score. This was evident in a stunning vocal performance of Another Suitcase in Another Hall from Emily Hermon as Peron's mistress, which could have been better supported by stronger direction and staging. At a time where politicians and figureheads appear on talk shows, have social media accounts, and are forever attempting to find appeal as “those of the people”, the historical account of Eva Peron’s battle against the upper class, while embracing their folly and privilege in her own life, is a sobering but relevant narrative. She professes to be Brand:Argentina, long before state visits by dignitaries included prescribed hashtags. The show glides along with sultry dose of tango and political intrigue, making it well worth taking a theatrical trip to Buenos Aires for an evening – it will be surprisingly good for you. Mon, 30 May 2016 04:01:17 Z /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-otherworldly-emotions-at-sufjan-stevens/ /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-otherworldly-emotions-at-sufjan-stevens/ Last night at the Michael Fowler Centre I was transported, I felt like I was part of the music as Stevens and his enigmatic band put on a faultless production. The concert was one of two halves and each was just as mesmerising. First came a showcase of the stunning work that is Carrie and Lowell. The word death is mentioned in almost every song from this album which explores the difficult relationship he had with his mother, who was bipolar, schizophrenic and suffered from drug addiction. She died of cancer in 2012. But Stevens' music, although it tells a depressing story, is uplifting in concert. Surprisingly, lines like: "Should I tear my eyes out now? Everything I see returns to you somehow. Should I tear my heart out now? Everything I feel returns to you somehow" didn't make you feel like the world was ending. In fact, at the culmination of the show 4th of July, the audience happily sung along as the musicians chanted "we're all gonna die"  over and over with a mass of noise building underneath. In this show Stevens almost played Carrie and Lowell track for track, this record has been widely acclaimed as his best yet so there were no complaints from me. Rolling out with Death With Dignity, Should Have Known Better, All of Me Wants All of You and The Only Thing all in the row at the beginning was a clever way to hook the many new fans in the crowd right in. These songs are great on record, but seem genius when performed live. They have many layers which were cleverly built up on stage and with such heavy use of synth they really reverberate through you. Older songs popped up now and again, a real highlight being the slow and haunting piano ballad The Owl and the Tanager and an intense Vesuvius which had me feeling like I was onboard a rocket ship heading for outer space. Also, I have to thank Stevens for making me feel better about my 'actions to match words' dance moves because he is the master of this. I loved his quirky hand movements which he busted out in a rehearsed routine during certain tracks. Not a word was breathed from Stevens throughout the entire first half, but the music spoke for itself. I didn't need reassurance from him that he wanted us there, I knew he appreciated the crowd by the way he played, sang and moved. When he came out after the encore though, there was no quiet Sufjan Stevens, he shared funny quips and highly intelligent philosophical life messages which give you an insight into his spirituality. Big ups to his wonderful band, particularly Dawn Landes who provided haunting harmonies and also put on an opening show to be proud of. The many talents of these musicians was especially evident in the acoustic second half as they crowded around one microphone, and all managed to shine. After the intensity of the Carrie and Lowell half of the show, this stripped back series of songs was magic in a different way. Here Stevens explored his older works and songs like To Be Alone With You and Heirloom were chilling  and the much-loved Chicago was the ultimate finale. I sang "all things go" over and over all the way home. Sufjan Stevens plays Wellington again tonight before heading to Auckland on Tuesday at the Civic. Get your tickets now, this is a show not to be missed. Philippa Ormrod is the Executive Producer for the Tim Fookes Morning Show Sun, 06 Mar 2016 22:51:24 Z /lifestyle/music/review-elton-john/ /lifestyle/music/review-elton-john/ There’s a reason Elton John is still packing out concerts with crowds of 30,000 people. At 68, this music superstar still knows how to put on one hell of a show. Last night Westpac Stadium in Wellington every attendee would have been mesmerized as he played his Yamaha piano with every bit of fervor imaginable and sang those lyrics we all love so much to life. The tempo was upbeat right from the get go as we were treated to a nice warm up with Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, before the diamante-clad, sunglass wearing icon burst into Bennie and the Jets and a contagious happiness spread around the crowd. A poignant moment came next during Candle in the Wind when the modern day lighter – people’s cellphone torches – had the whole stadium twinkling like thousands of tiny stars. Watching his fingers glide up and down the piano was gripping, particularly in a stripped back version of The One and the always enchanting Your Song. We were reminded why his most famous album was named after the song Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as the crowd echoed every word of the epic ballad. I was blown away by how the crowd took over the chorus, it was a moment I’ll never forget. A similar feeling of overwhelming emotion came as John dedicated Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me to Jonah Lomu on the week of his death. There were plenty of wet eyes around me as the song built in crescendo to a chilling finale. Elton John has so many hits that his 24 song set list could have featured only number ones, but it was lovely to hear a few random songs from different albums over the years interspersed between the real bangers, especially because you could see the joy he felt in playing them. In saying this, there was one run of big hits all in a row which was particularly fun for the audience to dance and scream along to: Levon, Tiny Dancer, Daniel, Philadelphia Freedom, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Rocket Man – it doesn’t get much better than that does it? The concert came to a close with a dance party as he energetically sang I’m Still Standing and Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting. Fists were punched into the air as people took on the role of back-up singer and echoed “Saturday” over and over with ridiculous grins on their faces. Elton John was back on stage in a flash to give us the encore we all wanted and nobody was disappointed to hear Crocodile Rock which was a stellar way to finish the night. Before the show there were whispers around me that he just couldn’t be the performer he used to be any more. “He’s too old” they said. Well last night Elton John proved those naysayers wrong, he’s still bloody fantastic. The Bitch Is Back. Sun, 22 Nov 2015 03:00:17 Z /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-return-of-the-mac/ /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-return-of-the-mac/ They may be old, but they sure don't act like it. Fleetwood Mac are the ultimate performers, and last night's show at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin was just what fans were after. After the first four songs - 'The Chain', 'You Make Loving Fun', 'Dreams', and 'Second Hand 九一星空无限' - my friend turned to me and exclaimed: "And there are still so many good songs to come!" That statement perfectly summed up how you felt the whole night as the band charged through hit after hit with a contagious energy.  Having Christine McVie back on board for this tour was acknowledged by Stevie Knicks early on as being a blessing and I definitely agree. When the band last toured here in 2009 they were powerful enough with the four of them, but adding her musical abilities and her amazing collection of songs into the mix gave this concert a whole extra layer. It was fantastic to hear 'Little Lies', 'Everywhere', and 'Say You Love Me' all sung by McVie whose voice is well intact.  The magic of a band like this is that each and every member is such a talented musician. With three of the best songwriters of all time, the variation between songs is refreshing when so many acts today sound same-same. Each writer's tunes are equally loved by the audience and it sounds fresh and exciting going from  an impressive Lindsay Buckingham guitar picking track like 'Big Love' straight to a slow Nicks ballad like 'Landslide' which had the whole crowd captivated. Other highlights for me included 'Gypsy' which had punters dancing up a storm, a lovely rendition of 'Never Going Back Again' and an attention grabbing 'Gold Dust Woman' (during which Nicks donned an appropriately shiny gold jacket). As with their last show, Lindsay Buckingham really stood out for me. He lead the action on stage, didn't take a single break, sang beautifully, and played guitar solos that sent shivers down your spine. In comparison, although as compelling as ever, Nick's voice is definitely not what it used to be. It's a pity she can no longer hit the higher notes in tracks like 'Rhiannon', but she does make up for it in presence.  As the set came to a close with a singalong during 'Go Your Own Way'. They came back on to rapturous applause and played 'World Turning' featuring an interactive Mick Fleetwood drum solo in his true, hilarious fashion. Then the crowd went wild as they busted out a foot-stomping 'Don't Stop'. I thought it was all over then, but my dream came true as the group played 'Silver Springs'. This song was mesmerising. I was completely enthralled as it grew in momentum and their voices built a wall of sound too good to be true. I could have gone home happy then, but we got one more taste of Fleetwood Mac and it came in a beautiful performance of 'Songbird' which left a tear in my eye. What a way to finish. My only complaint about last night is that the acoustics at Forsyth Barr are shocking. It was my first concert at this venue so I was interested to check it out but the technical quality I witnessed last night doesn't make me want to travel here for a show again. It's great having a roof on a cold Dunedin night but the echo at the back of the stands was so bad it hurt your ears. Things got better after we ditched our seats and headed into general admission but only marginally. I was glad I'd seen the group before at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth because it meant I knew they sounded even better than they were coming across last night.  That said, last night was one hell of a show and worth every cent. Fleetwood Mac are easily one of the best live acts of all time and with a set list as good as that - you can't go too wrong. Auckland are in for a treat with their two shows this weekend.  Wed, 18 Nov 2015 21:16:21 Z /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-refreshing-new-sound-of-mel-parsons/ /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-refreshing-new-sound-of-mel-parsons/ Before last night I liked Mel Parsons, now I love Mel Parsons. Last night’s show was a hit with fans who filled the Paramount Theatre to check out her latest offerings live. The Christchurch based Kiwi folk artist has created a refreshing new sound in her latest album Drylands which was recorded at Wellington's Surgery Studio with the help of Lee Prebble, Oliver Harmer and Gerry Paul. The quality of the record has been endorsed by Prebble and Harmer winning the Best Engineer gong in the New Zealand Music Awards, a well deserved prize I say. Drylands has a more mature sound than her previous works and when performed live it takes on a whole other level. Parsons voice is so powerful, it soars above the instruments and holds the attention. But the backing work from her compelling band was also mesmerising. Gerry Paul was captivating on guitar, drummer Jed Parsons is one to watch, he stood out when he stepped forward to sing with his cousin in the dreamy track Don't Wait. Julia Deans is one hell of a vocalist and packs a punch even in a backing role and double bassist Aaron Stewart stole the show a few times as he busted out mighty solos. I admire an artist who truly appreciates their band and Parsons relationship with hers is clearly a good one, it was nice to watch. Parsons shared with us a series of beautiful songs from Drylands, interspersed with material from her two previous albums. She is a natural storyteller, not just in her songs but in conversation, which meant each tune had a short but solid explanation which helped to connect the audience. We learnt Fireworks, a gentle love song anyone would enjoy, was written for her sister on her wedding day. We giggled away as she narrated the struggle she went through to name her album because all the song titles she wanted to use were already taken by Nickleback, Katy Perry or Bear Grylls. In the end she went with Drylands, one of the first lyrics of Non Communicado. This song was a favourite of mine, it showcases lovely light and shade in her voice and instrumental crescendos. The most poignant moment for me was when the band left the stage and Parson's played a stunning acoustic take on Things Will Get Good, a song she tells us was written for her friend who had a hard time dealing with depression and eventually took his own life. She dedicated the song to everyone in the crowd with a little "sadness in their hearts" telling us this song contains all the things she wishes she could've said to her friend. It is a beautiful lyrical piece and she played it with impressive emotive control, her voice soaring across the notes without a shake - it was tear invoking. Her two latest singles Get Out Alive and Far Away were more upbeat tracks which had you foot tapping and clapping along. The tale of her near-death car crash experience isn't your normal song material as she expressed with humour, but it works and makes for a fresh and compelling tune. To finish the set Parsons got her musician friends in the audience up on stage to form a powerful backing choir in Far Away. This song with an Irish twist was first showcased when she toured with Fly My Pretties so it was lovely to hear it performed in a group setting again. A very impressed crowd applauded with enough enthusiasm to provoke an unplanned encore which we were lucky to get. Parsons and her band performed a chilling version of the Eagles Seven Bridges Road. Their five part harmony was epic, it sent shivers down my spine and made my mouth drop open. The perfect encore. A night with Mel Parsons and her band was the perfect way to finish the weekend, I'll be lining up to get tickets next time she's in town. I must also pay credit to Julia Deans who was the opening act for the night. She tested out her latest material, which will make up a new solo album being released next year, and I was impressed. For a start, this woman has one of the largest vocal ranges around. She soars above the high notes with absolute control of her voice. For just one woman and a guitar, Julia Deans commanded the audience, threw in a bit of comedy for good measure, and put on a stunning show. I'll look forward to hearing these songs, particularly my set favourite, We Light Fire, when her album comes out around April. Philippa writes music reviews at pipsqueaksblog.wordpress.com/ Mon, 02 Nov 2015 02:06:10 Z /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-robbie-entertained-us/ /lifestyle/music/pip-squeaks-robbie-entertained-us/ Robbie Williams wanted to entertain us and that he did. The naughty English rocker played the Basin Reserve in Wellington last night. This show of singalongs was the perfect way for Kiwis to distract themselves from the nerves of the looming Rugby World Cup final this morning. I have no doubt big fans of Robbie Williams would have got exactly what they were after last night. His show was typical of his cheeky character and hilariously amusing, it featured hit after hit from the musicians 90s heyday and it was pulled of with an on stage ease. To love a bit of Robbie you’ve got to love a bit of cheese, and that’s exactly what he gave. He burst onto the stage following a dramatic, NASA-rocket-launch type countdown, teasing us with lyrics from some of his best songs. Immediately the thousands of middle-aged women around us were screaming as if they’d traveled back in time to their teenage years as he leapt around the stage pelvic thrusting during Let Me Entertain You and Rock DJ. Things slowed down a notch here with a dreadful song I’d never heard before, Me and My Monkey. It was a stupid track to include in a mostly upbeat set list. But it wasn’t long before things were back on track and the crowd was boogying again. He brought out his opening act, boy band Lawson for a lovely version of Take That’s Back For Good and from there came the ones we were waiting for. Feel was my pick for performance of the night and Supreme was another crowd pleaser. A duet with his black tie wearing “daddy” to Better Man was musically flat but rather cute. I still find it rather ironic hearing him sing about wanting to be a better man when he spent half the show swearing, talking about being “soberish” and singing a tune written for his two-year-old son called Motherf****r. His real performance nouse was showcased as he brilliantly recited the poem Hello Sir from the album The Ego Has Landed. He wrote this as a ‘look where I am now’ message to his school teacher who believed he’d amount to nothing and took real joy in performing it to his legions of fans last night. The Basin Reserve proved to be a fantastic concert venue for Wellingtonians, on a stunning spring night it was the perfect setting. A few neighbours cashed in on a free concert and Williams wasn’t going to miss the chance to give them heaps for it. At one stage he had apartment residents flashing their lights on and off to tell him they were enjoying the show. The way he involves his audience is admirable. He chatted freely between songs and it was very well received. One thing that didn’t work for me were the many covers throughout the set. We heard snippets of Wonderwall, Lorde’s Royals, I Love Rock n Roll and even Hey Jude. Not to forget the cover of Bohemian Rhapsody he led out with in his encore. They didn’t work. His songs were what people wanted to hear and they’re the ones he performs with the most skill. One cover would have been more than enough. I’m certain the crowd would have preferred to hear tracks like Strong and You Win Some, You Lose Some more than these weak replications. But Robbie Williams did finish in fashion. The show was brought to a close with She’s The One and Angels bringing down the house in true 90s singalong fashion.  Overall, it was a great blast from the past and a fun concert to check out but I’m not sure people will be rushing out to buy tickets if he returns in the next 18 months as promised.   Philippa writes music reviews at pipsqueaksblog.wordpress.com/ Sun, 01 Nov 2015 20:08:20 Z /lifestyle/music/the-phoenix-foundation-live-review/ /lifestyle/music/the-phoenix-foundation-live-review/ The Phoenix Foundation seem perfectly at home in quintessential Wellington venue the San Francisco Bathhouse. The start of their Give Up Your Dreams album tour went down better than an ice-cold beer for a crowd full of longtime fans. A perfect set list to thanked them for their ongoing support. The Foundation's earliest work had easily won me over, and leaving a few experimental records, Give Up Your Dreams is easily their greatest effort yet. While the old favourites rang true, the new tracks were vibrant, energetic, and dance-inducing. They stood out a mile above the rest which was lucky considering it was a Give Up Your Dreams-heavy set. The show was roaring from the get go with Mountain immediately setting the tone of their new live sound before Bob Lennon John Dylan (played with attitude) had every crowd member screaming the lyrics in perfect time with their pumping fists and jiving feet. Another standout from the latest album is Prawn, which slowed the show down to pure melody and magic. These new tracks bring out a bizarre new dance style which had the audience quickly tapping their feet while moving your upper half in a dazed, hippy-like fashion. It works surprisingly well. Before long the guys, lead by the always-enchanting Samuel Flynn Scott and Luke Buda, took us back “14 years” (sadly not '40 Years' as many were hoping) and busted out a stunning rendition of 'Going Fishing'. In the journey back through their work came 'Buffalo', a middle-of-the-set highlight echoed passionately by the crowd, and 'Bright Grey' which was performed with a contagious ferocity. There’s something refreshing about The Phoenix Foundation and their don’t-give-a-damn attitude. The guys are there to play their music the way they want to and nobody else will have a say in it. In a venue like San Fran, this sits perfectly with an audience who are happy to be taken in whatever random direction the group wants to go. The set came to a radiant finish with Give Up Your Dreams' title track provoking a singalong to be proud of for such a recent release. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about screaming lyrics with a depressing message like “don’t let anyone say that the world is your oyster, the world is not an oyster” when the music is invoking the complete opposite emotional reaction in you. The encore, however, wafted a bit and could’ve been brought together for one final hit singalong instead of fading out in a haze of synth sounds. But that is a mere afterthought. The Phoenix Foundation have been a New Zealand indie institution for more than a decade now, but they’re only getting better and this concert was proof of that. Get along to see them on their NZ tour and you’ll be glad to give up your own dreams.  Fri, 18 Sep 2015 23:08:57 Z /lifestyle/music/marlon-williams-live-review/ /lifestyle/music/marlon-williams-live-review/ June 26, 2015 Crystal Palace, Auckland On Friday night Auckland was treated to a performance from one of New Zealand’s finest, in an absolutely magic venue. Lyttelton-raised Marlon Williams has returned briefly from a stint in Melbourne for the New Zealand leg of his album release tour. His self-titled debut (released back in April) is a mix of country, from old school honky-tonk and bluegrass, to blues and country rock. Don’t be put off by the genre; this man is one of the biggest talents I’ve come across, with a voice that will pierce and woo even the coldest of anti-country hearts. Many in the crowd were as excited to be in the mysterious Crystal Palace as they were to see the man himself. You could easily mistake the old cinema for an abandoned (or at least much neglected) building from the outside, but when walking through the doors of the dilapidated Mt Eden venue a cavernous hall of former Art Deco glory is revealed. Pearlescent seashells border the stage in a magnificent arch, a scalloped velvet curtain tumbles down behind, and the cobwebs and cracks laced around the building’s crumbling interior somehow add to the ambience. You feel like you’ve been allowed a glimpse of a bygone age of entertainment; I half expected a troupe of feathered ladies or a vaudeville act to appear on stage. Instead, as the lights lowered and Gatsby-esque orbs around the walls suddenly glowed red, Laura Jean took to the stage. I’ve been very intrigued to see what she can do, given that Williams was overflowing with praise for her ahead of her trip across The Ditch. The Australian folk singer is an artist in the same vein as Laura Marling, her beautiful and frank song writing littered with a charming mixture of heart-tugging melodies and dry humour. Armed with her magnificently powerful yet beguiling voice, an acoustic guitar and an auto harp, Laura Jean was a crowd-favourite from the first note. The former choir boy turned country king didn’t keep the audience waiting, promptly following his opening act and opting to wow the audience with simplicity - showcasing his best asset, his voice, in an acoustic rendition of one of his favourite concert openers, ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’. It was absolutely mesmerising, sending a hush over the heretofore bubbly crowd. It was a night of cameos and collaborations, with Williams calling upon his ‘number one partner in crime’, girlfriend and fellow musician Aldous Harding to join him on stage; followed by his right hand man and former The Unfaithful Ways band member Ben Woolley (the trio delivering some top notch honky tonk harmonies on a Stanley Brothers cover). Multi-instrumentalist Dave Khan and drummer Angus Agars rounded out Williams’ impressive line-up of musical comrades The Yarra Benders; Khan providing jaw dropping electric strings talent on guitar, mandolin and violin. Williams’ solo debut is a recipe of work shaped by the many strands of country, weaving from melancholic love ballads and peddle steel-soaked laments, to unadulterated country rock. On Friday he performed the entire album, entertaining with tracks such as the eerie ‘Strange Things’, single ‘Dark Child’ performed live with Laura Jean, the juggernaut that is ‘Hello Miss Lonesome’ (a speeding steam engine of a song), the deliciously dark ‘Ballad of Minnie Dean’, and Bob Carpenter cover ‘Silent Passage’. Williams officially closed the set with ‘Trouble I'm In’ – a song he wrote when he was 16 and well known from his days with The Unfaithful Ways – before returning for a triumphant encore. ‘When I Was A Young Girl’ is another example of Williams’ ability to cast a spell over a sold-out audience using only his voice and an acoustic guitar. This breathtakingly raw and sincere number was followed by a hilarious, full-band cover of The Zombies’ ‘Time of The Season’ which had the audience up on its feet, cheering and laughing uproariously. In a final blast of relentless musical prowess, Williams channelled the king of blues Screaming Jay Hawkin for a rousing, screamer of ‘Portrait of a Man’. I’ve seen Williams countless times now, as part of The Unfaithful Ways, The Harbour Union, and most recently as a solo artist in his own right. Every time I am blown away by the power of his voice and his sheer, raw talent. With a level of showmanship beyond his years he never fails to impress, and he now has a solid collection of work in his songbook to impress with. Williams has also brought together a group of very talented artists to help him do just that. Australia and its sizeable country music scene has welcomed this Christchurch boy with open arms and seen his name whispered by many influential lips; spreading word of his undeniable talent in a way that can be much harder for a country artist to achieve in New Zealand. Fingers crossed it’s not too long between drinks and we see Williams back here quick sharp, leaving audiences speechless once again. Mon, 29 Jun 2015 00:27:44 Z