Concert Review: The NZ Mixtape Ft. Nadia Reid, Liam Finn & Anna Coddington – Civic Theatre June 11, 2019

Time to gather around and celebrate the rich songwriting heritage that New Zealand enjoys.

The folks at Auckland Live have teamed the APO with three Kiwi singer-songwriters… Nadia Reid, Liam Finn and Anna Coddington… to revel in such classic Kiwi tunes as Anchor Me, Drive and She Speeds.

Sitting in the second row of The Civic, I could almost read the music off the orchestra members’ music stands.

Just after 8pm they raised their instruments and tuned up, making that glorious sound that always reminds me of Sgt Pepper. (What can I say, I’m just not that sophisticated when it comes to orchestras.)

The three vocalists sat on stools off to stage left (directly in front of me) and Anna Coddington was first up to sing Don McGlashan’s Anchor Me.  Let’s face it, this song always sounds wonderful, and tonight was no exception. Anna is probably the least-known of the three vocalists, but her confidence, experience and voice makes her the best-suited for this setting.

Up next was Liam to sing The Chills’ Pink Frost… the bleak lyrics standing out in sharp relief with the orchestra providing an unlikely, yet fitting backdrop.

Next was Nadia Reid, who opened with one of her own songs. It was Call The Days from her 2015 album, Listen To Formation, Look For Signs. Nadia seemed a bit tentative at first but she soon locked in to the tune and the orchestra. Her voice is a much different instrument that Anna’s or Liam’s, more fragile and suited to folk songs. But there is a long history of folk singers performing with orchestras, and Nadia can be proud to be in that group.

I won’t go song by song. The show was divided into two 45 minute, 9-sonbg sets with Liam acting as MC and light relief for most of it.

Highlights of the first set include Nadia’s reading of Bic Runga’s Drive, which she claimed as a song that “was my world when I was in high school.”

Andy, the Don McGlashan song originally recorded by The Front Lawn, was the emotional highpoint of the show. It’s a beautiful, sad song and the young Finn was seen wiping a tear away after his performance. I’m sure he wasn’t the only one.

Anna closed the set with some good old rock and roll, courtesy of Shayne Carter’s She Speeds.

The second set began with a traditional Maori song, attributed to Dr. Hirini Melbourne. Anna sang and strummed acoustic guitar as the other two provided harmonies.

Nadia sang another original, a song titled All Of My Love, that will appear on her next album, Liam sang his own Burn Up The Road and Anna contributed Apples, possibly the strongest of the bunch.

After Liam’s Stuff And Nonsense (composer Tim Finn was in the house), the show closed with a rousing version of the 1985 Netherworld Dancing Toy hit, For Today, dedicated to the recently departed Malcolm Black. By now the crowd as up, dancing in their seats.

“Don’t stage dive”, warned Liam.

The arrangements were impeccable, the performances inspired and the song selection perfect.

Let’s do this again…soon!

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Chris Zwaagdyk:

NZ Mixtape setlist:

Anchor Me – Anna Coddington

Pink Frost – Liam Finn

Call The Days – Nadia Reid

Gather to The Chapel – Liam Finn

Andy – Liam Finn

Four Seasons in One Day – Nadia Reid

Drive – Nadia Reid

System Virtue – Anna Coddington

She Speeds – Anna Coddington

(Interval)

Purea Nei – Anna, Liam and Nadia

E Ipo – Anna Coddington

Beside You – Nadia Reid

All of My Love – Nadia Reid

History Never Repeats – Anna Coddington

Apples – Anna Coddington

Burn Up The Road – Liam Finn

Stuff and Nonsense – Liam Finn

For Today – Nadia, Liam and Anna