Concert Review: Graeme Jefferies – Wine Cellar February 5, 2021

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Ex-Cakekitchen/Nocturnal Projections/This Kind Of Punishment songwriter/guitarist  Graeme Jefferies returns to Auckland’s Wine Cellar to promote the reissue of Messages For The Cakekitchen (on red vinyl no less).

When last we met up with Graeme at The Wine Cellar it was Fourth Of July weekend last year (click here for review). Back then he was promoting Trouble Again In This Town. Now, on Waitangi Day weekend, it’s the reissue of 1987’s Messages For The Cakekitchen.

We start with a brief, but entertaining set from Proteins Of Magic (aka Kelly Sherrod), a Kiwi who just returned from Nashville to escape US lockdown. Another reason to thank our lucky stars that we are here!

As it was last July, Graeme’s set is completely solo, although he has a stage cluttered with instruments…a keyboard, a zither, a cello and his trusty Flying V electric guitar.

The room seems full and the crowd very clue-in and excited. There is immediate chemistry between artist and audience that only grows stronger as the evening progresses.

Graeme begins with All The Colours Run Dry, appropriately from the recent reissue, but after that all bets are off.

He takes to the keyboard for I Wish I Could Turn Back The Clock Like Its 1978, then back to guitar for a new song, There’s Trouble Again In This Town.  The audience is thrilled to hear a first-time ever performance of Prisoner Of A Simple Passion and Jefferies himself is very chatty as he takes up his cello to play Peter Gabriel’s Biko, followed by…wait for it…Joy Division’s Atmosphere.

That little couplet alone would have satisfied most punters, but there was much more to come.

The zither got a workout on Like A Canary In A Coal Mine, a song that was apparently a week old. Then it was guitar-driven distortion at its finest for Even As We Sleep and You’ll Never Know…a very old Nocturnal Projections tune.

The zither returned for East Meets West and the main set finished with a squalling guitar on If The Moon Dies and Tomorrow Came Today.

According to Graeme, that was “the last one, technically”. But after telling us how he loves to talk to people after the gig it was clear there was still plenty of gas left in the tank.

The crowd was yelling for obscurities and Jefferies engaged willingly…”what an interesting collection of songs”.

“What else should I play?” He asked. And then went on to explain why some were not to be heard…too thin sounding, brother Peter wrote that, I sing it too robotically”.

A true musical conversation.

Graeme Jefferies wrapped up his extra 30 minutes with a story about trying to cross Grafton Bridge earlier in the day and generally getting the Auckland vibe before wrapping up with The Old Grey Coast from 1996’s The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.

One gets the feeling he was just getting started and could have/would have played all night.

I’m sure he’ll be back for more.

Marty Duda
Marty Duda
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