November 15, 2020

Concert Review: Fly My Pretties – Auckland Town Hall, November 14, 2020

The loose creative music collective consciousness that is Fly My Pretties laid it down and played in triumphant spirit from start to finish in the Main Concert Chamber on a warm Saturday eve.

Well-rehearsed, tight but flowing, covering multiple genres and held together by the engine room of doubled up drummers and bass. The last to leave the stage. They did fly high like a bird up in the sky. Fly High!

Barnaby Weir, founding Black Seed guitarist and singer, and probable band leader tonight, thanks the audience for their patience in waiting over a year for this show. A tsunami of fear and repression convulsed the globe and closed down the human spirit. It was touch and go for tonight too. But Anna Coddington reminds us that the rest of the planet still cannot do what we are enjoying tonight. I count perhaps a dozen masks in total tonight in the capacity crowd. Mostly staff.

It’s Never Blown Like It’s Goin’. Sixteen on stage. Heavy on the beat, tribal Funk. Elements of King Crimson and Bush of Ghosts. You can’t hear the top range and the voices are lost. All this is rectified on the next and the sound crew maintain the excellent standard all night. The Chamber is possibly the best place in Auckland to experience deep bass notes which rumble up through the floor.

Lucky. Nice Seventies Soul vibe weaving its way into R’nB with a Robert Cray styled guitar lead from Ryan Prebble.

Anna Coddington comes back on stage and showcases a new song, Do I Exist? Recently toured with material from a forthcoming album. Has an Eighties Soul-with-Synth sound. Big Foot drums and bass like latter-day Motown. She builds her vocal performance and pushes up the inspiration factor.

Then on Garden she plays acoustic guitar on a dreamy Folk Pop lament to nature. Trees on the backing screen. Electro power added by the ensemble.

Hollie Smith has been a Pretties featured artist. She also has new material, some of which was recently showcased in an excellent solo show in Ponsonby recently. One of those, Something Good, is given an airing to stunning effect. Gospel Soul and Hollie has a big voice able to take it to church like Aretha. With the female backing singers helping in the lift-off, this elevates the show to the peaks.

And it’s just the start. There are many peaks tonight.

Barnaby Weir is back on with a brace of songs which change the mood a little with Country Americana. Catch the Light and Champion. Tribal beats but a smooth expansive sound of Roots music gliding across vast plains and badlands.

Turn it Around has shades of Steve Earle. Atmospheric guitar twang and a drum kick at the bridge. The band then stretch out in the vamp.

L.A. Mitchell is on to sing her Apple Heart out. Soul Jazz and light and playful with a nice swing. The harmony singers add depth.

More modern Soul with Bailey Wiley and Take It From Me. Soft Rap in parts, some strutting and swagger.

To end the first set, Let’s Roll. I assume it is about marijuana and we are all bemused at its recent failure. Power Pop verging to early Byrds Jet Engine sound. Drums send out artillery fire, guitars scythe across the top. Incantatory voices. Moves into Eighties synth-powered Pop.

The audience have started to dance but this really brings out the middle-aged boogie.

The second set starts with Angel, a lament dedicated to the late Aaron Tokona. A gifted musician who played with the Pretties amongst others.

Mud & Stardust and Sugar features A Girl Named Mo. Moana Ete sings in a bright Pop Soul style with a Funk rhythmic architecture surrounding her.

Ria Hall makes a strong statement with Where Did All My People Go? Anthemic, a slow shuffle beat. New Orleans R’n’B trance music accenting the off-beat.

Then the band take Hall’s Walk and from the soul vocals they Funk it up with splashes of Robert Cray guitar and a great Jazz flute to end.

What hasn’t been covered? Laughton Kora is on singing Get Out. Reggae in the later style of Bob Marley. Verging into Pop and highlighting activism.

Walking On and with Laughton and the rest they put all the elements into a big gumbo pot. Funky New Orleans strutting rhythm, counter riffs and fiery blasts from the guitars. The singer out front and riding the audience heat.

The whole ensemble never let up the entire evening and nailed what was a total experience. Sound, visuals, superb playing and plenty of inspiration. And that’s how it goes down on a Saturday Night Live.