Every now and then I am moved,
on a cold winter / early spring morning
to make a bonfire, but it's very wet here in Auckland thanks to rain.
What I meant to say was every now and then I am moved to render forth a review of a gig, because the gig was so cool. I am about as interested in reviewing something that didn't blow me away, as I am in going out and trying to set fire to a pile of jungle greenery in the mud of my back yard.. Last night was such a nice bright warming kind of show it couldn't stray into the realm of any other kind of fire. Little Bonfire is the perfect EP for August or perhaps September..
I already love Anna's performances, and I'd only seen a few over the last seven years or so... describing the bolt of persuasive vocalizing that comes unexpectedly to friends who hadn't. Anna you see, is demure and she giggles; sometimes she has a look about her that could be described as wistful or patient if you catch her off guard, but on stage her self-assuredness is rock solid and her musicianship exquisite. Her voice is wonderful. Up at the Gin room at the Queen's Ferry, it felt a bit like a birthday party packed with a small and select crowd of friends and admirers, and Anna, giggled, and punkrocked pogo'd and sang through a high energy set. "This one's intense... and then "see I told you it was intense" And she Sang. No I think she SANG. Sanguine, Gamine, but as usual incredibly strong on stage, as well as chatty. Anna seems uncertain about this playing around with pretence, and takes a laidback path to avoid pretension altogether. "If anyone tells you to get Back on Board, Go the other way" she tells us and laughs. Which is what she does with any interpretation or expectation of her music. She is still laughing when she comes in on the first line of the next song, transitioning like a pirate in the rigging with consummate ease. "Bones are over-rated"- a lyric in her song Girl with No Bones is a purposefully unacceptable line, a throwaway odd comment that she's caught up again, and favoured recording it to perfection in the studio as part of the eerily balanced oddness of the whole song.
The engineers, played with heart and delivered a beautifully poised counterpart to Anna, both pushing the music and containing the spirit of these well formed songs. B.O.B. got a little lost in exuberance, although fun, and whichever engineer did the vocals I thought that was a hit.
I'm still getting these songs, and not playing them over and over too much. They're a showcase for a band that could go anywhere do anything. Making her E.P. both articulate and articulated. There's a Pop option too, and Back on Board would break your heart if it wasn't for the Girl's Army Chorus line riff that will not let us wallow, I love that foghorn...
All in all the Queen runs an excellent Ferry.
I will not go without mentioning Jesse Sheehan, who sang both originals and some Leonard Cohen classics too. His amazing performance will draw you in as it did me. Check out his music video:
I am also looking forward to the tour. ?
