Dani Josie – Tuning Fork: October 25, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)
Another Saturday, another electrifying night at the Tuning Fork in Auckland, this time to watch Dani Josie perform as part of her SUCKERPUNCH tour. It’s always thrilling to watch local artists perform, and last night was no exception to this particular occurrence.
May-C
While I didn’t get in till a couple of songs before the end of May-C’s set as the first opener of the night, she had an electrifying stage presence. I caught her songs J+J (short for Juliet + Juliet) and the most recent single, Talking Stage. May shimmied across the stage, blew kisses to the crowd and just overall set the scene for an audience that was clearly itching to be fully immersed in the world of pop.
Liberty
Next was Liberty, bringing low-key mostly acoustic ballads to the stage. She performed tracks including the upbeat Are We Dead and the tongue-in-cheek Why The Hell Am I (inspired by situationship after scrolling on TikTok; we’ve all been there). The best song was undoubtedly Champagne, which was clever, multifaceted and just fun to vibe to, whether standing and dancing or chilling in a chair. Her more intimate instrumentals and narrative sass kept the audience undoubtedly engaged while anticipating the final opener.
Emerson
That final opener was Emma Wagner, stage name Emerson. An artist who not only sings but plays three instruments (guitar, piano and bass), she certainly proved her talent was multifaceted and extremely impressive. Luring in the crowd with songs like I Want You To Know Me, Amy (yet to be released) and Show You Off, her set was both passionate and uplifting with a sprinkle of dramatic rock.
Dani Josie
Finally, Dani Josie took to the stage. For those unfamiliar who may be reading this, Dani (who is also a student studying finance and marketing), has been recently branded one of Aotearoa’s most exciting pop voices. Her work most commonly blends captivating hooks with rock-punk urgency, and that’s exactly the vibe she brought with her to the Tuning Fork.
Opening with the indeed vivacious SUCKERPUNCH, her latest single, Dani immediately enthralled the room. The first section was super high energy, with lots of around-the-stage movement and defiant lyricism, and featured Handle It after SUCKERPUNCH. We then got Losing My Breath followed by the night’s first cover, The Man That Came Back.
This first cover was the first indication that the night would switch between tempos, but nobody seemed to mind. By the time Dani played an upcoming track titled Colour The Stars, an emotional song about losing someone and coming to terms with it, the audience was well and truly into it. Hollow was also slow and contemplative live, another possibly upcoming single focusing on the theme of selflessness. After this section, it was back to the high energy (arguably Dani’s best vibe throughout the night).
For those of us who were there for that signature flair, it was well and truly provided. Being at the show also felt like a treat in the sense that Dani played SO much unreleased music. The second half of the show featured three other upcoming tracks, All Of Me, New Me and the infectious Horror Stories. Horror Stories was a definite highlight, with heavy guitar and what seemed to be strong punk influences. The song’s centring on toxic relationships definitely worked in a live setting, as the lyrics were perfect for Dani to inflect some cheeky sarcasm.
But where the crowd truly went crazy was the show’s end, with Lovebomber and Go Go Go closing the night. These are Dani’s officially released hits, and it’s clear that the audience loved hearing them live. They’re both super fun, powerful tracks that make you want to dance and embrace living, and an ideal way to showcase how Dani’s known talent in the studio translates to the stage.
Unsurprisingly, the set was quite cover-heavy as Dani is still up-and-coming, but luckily she had the vocal versatility and ability to capture attention that really made it work. No doubt there will be many fresh fans after the SUCKERPUNCH tour, and it sounds like we’ll hear many new incredible tracks from Dani soon if this setlist is anything to go by. Watch this space!
Chantal Dalebroux
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Mingxuan Lyu
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