Phoebe Rings – The Tuning Fork December 11, 2021
Phoebe Rings bring their brand of dream pop to The Tuning Fork as we ever so gently ease back into the live music scene and anxiously await moving into “orange”.
We previously visited The Tuning Fork a few days earlier to catch Anna Coddington and found the vibe decidedly low-key, although Anna was excellent (click here to read the review).
But that was Thursday and this was Saturday so the room was fuller although with everyone seated, the feel was still very mellow.
By now I had mastered the art of ordering my drink from the table and so, with a beer firmly in hand, I waited for Phoebe Rings who took the stage shortly after 9pm.
Let’s face it, after four months under lockdown, we are all a little out of practice so it was no surprise that there was a short delay as vocalist/keyboard player Crystal Choi revved up her midi. Bass player Ben Locke attempted to divert the audience’s attention with his witty banter and then with a, “Hi, we’re Phoebe Rings and we’re so excited to be back”, they were off the quartet playing a propulsive Cheshire.
In addition to Crystal and Ben, the band consists of Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent (guitar/keys) and Alex Freer (drums).
With one song under their collective belts, Crystal seemed both happy and relieved…apparently she was afraid she may have had to sing wearing a mask. I’m not sure their dream-poppy jazz would really work with muffled vocals.
The band’s set was similar to what we heard from them a year ago November when we covered their show at Whammy. They performed all five songs from their self-titled EP along with a cover of the Cocteau Twins’ Pitch The Baby.
The band’s sound is what is currently known as “dream pop” but in earlier times may have been lite jazz or easy listening. None of those terms is meant to be derogatory but they may have been back in the 70s.
Now, “dream pop” is everywhere and Phoebe Rings seems to fit right in.
Speaking of easy listening influence, their January Blues had be thinking of Sergio Mendes and Lani Hall with a bit of Roberta Flack thrown in for good measure…and I’m sure I detected a line from Misty as the tune came to an end.
Crystal herself is a luminous front woman with plenty of charm and talent in equal measure.
After performing Playground Song, the 45 minute set was just about over.
“This is our last song…seriously. We gave our everything!”
And with a promise of more gigs to come they closed out the night with Spissky.
It was the first night out for most of the audience and, while there was no mosh pit, there was a distinct joy to be felt in the room as live music made another tentative step forward in Auckland.
Marty Duda
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