Eb & Sparrow and Carnivorous Plant Society – Tuning Fork April 13, 2018

Eb & Sparrow and Carnivorous Plant Society – two of New Zealand’s finest live acts converged at Auckland’s Tuning Fork last night keeping fans warm and dry even as the weather raged outside.

“We’ve come to the storms of Wellington to come to the storms of Auckland”, announced Ebony Lamb, “bringing our gloomy songs”.

Those seeking shelter from the storm could do no better that spend the evening with these two outfits.

Eb & Sparrow were first, performing their new album Seeing Things, full of those deliciously “gloomy tunes”, from start to finish.

The quintet has been touring for a little while now, but this is the first time they’ve performed the album from beginning to end.

“We’re experimenting”, claimed Ebony.

Well, consider the experiment a success.

The nine songs that comprise Seeing Things work well together, shifting the mood from dreamy to almost danceable over the course of their allotted hour.

Lamb’s voice is a wonder to behold and the rest of the band…Jason Johnson (aka Gram Antler) guitar/bass, Bryn Heveldt lapsteel/guitar, Chris Winter trumpet/bass/guitar/melaphone and new drummer Justin Barr all know just what to do to support Lamb and her songs.

Ebony and Antler also work well as a deadpan comedy team.

Antler to the audience: “You’re allowed to come forward”

Lamb: “I’d prefer that you didn’t”

After running through those nine fine tunes, the band topped things off with a few old favourites, closing the set with a showstopping version of Etta James’ I’d Rather Go Blind.

Carnivorous Plant Society are a very different beast.

While Eb & Sparrow aim straight for the heart, CPS concentrate on the groove.

Led by trumpeter Finn Scholes, the band makes mostly instrumental music that melds indie rock, jazz, and spaghetti western soundtrack music with a few nods to outer space along the way.

And addition to Finn, the band includes brother Tam Scholes, bassist Cass Basil, drummer Alistair Deverick, Siobhanne Thompson on violin and Jeff Scholes…Finn and Tam’s dad…reading the occasional fable.

Together they made their way through tunes from their new album, The New King, along with a few from their 2014 self-titled long player.

In addition to the music, video clips based on Finn’s animations were featured, adding to the charm of the songs, but also, unfortunately causing some delays as technical issues cropped up.

Fleshing out the group were a couple of guests…Mimsy Cable added her vocals to Car Dance and Don’t Go Outside, while Hopetoun Brown’s Nick Atkinson’s sax was heard during Journey Of The Sacred Crystal and set-closer Swamp Bossa (along with an expanded “novelty horn section”).

All-in-all another fine night of original Kiwi music at The Tuning Fork.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Michael Flynn:

Eb & Lamb set list:

1. Death
2. To The West
3. Vic
4. The Timbers
5. Wayward
6. Settle
7. Working
8. Prodigal
9. My Old House
10. The Sun
11. Coward Son
12. I’d Rather Go Blind

Carnivorous Plant Society set list:

1. Carp In A Pond
2. Dry Spell
3. Misty Magic Land
4. Bob Dylan
5. Car Dance
6. The New King
7. The Fashionable Bee
8. Temple Kiss
9. Spaceship Romance
10. Journey Of The Sacred Crystal
11. Lovers In An Apocalypse
12. Don’t Go Outside
13. Swamp Bossa