16/06/2025

Georgia Lines & Friends – Civic Theatre: June 15, 2025

We go Under The Stars with Georgia Lines and her very special friends in what turns out to be a very special concert.

With her debut album, The Rose Of Jericho, finally out and filled with world-class original songs, and shows at Spark Arena and The Powerstaion under her belt, what else is there for multi-Tui winner Georgia Lines to do?

The answer came last night with her innovative and adventurous show at Auckland’s iconic Civic Theatre.

Billed as “Under The Stars with Friends”, the show used the breathtaking venues, in particular, its star-studding ceiling as part of the show, at one point dropping a curtain on the stage, leaving the audience in total darkness except for the shimmering “stars” above.

And with friends like Hollie Smith, Louis Baker, Nikau Grace and Teeks, how could this not be a magical night?

It was.

Georgia opened the show alone at the piano, singing Grow Old Without You as the band joined in creating a lush, powerful foundation for Georgia’s emotive vocals.

In addition to the usual guitar, bass, drums and keys, Georgia was accompanied by four members on of the APO…Violin 1: Christine Haeun Lee, Violin 2: Gillian Ripley, Viola: Christine Bowie and Cello: Begonia Chan.

The band consisted of music director Nic Manders on piano, along with: Guitar – Dave Rowlands, Bass – Holly Webster and Drums – Elijah Whyte.

The 90 minutes set was divided into three parts, beginning with six songs by Georgia, including new tune…Wonderful Life…and a wonderful “re-interpretation” of Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

If the show had ended there, I’d have been happy.

Then the curtain dropped, the lights went down and we heard the voice of Louis Baker singing his 2013 single, Birds, in the darkness, followed by a crystal-clear female voice (it turned out to be 17-year old Nikau Grace) singing Toku Tuakiri.

It was both beautiful and a bit unsettling not being about to see who was on stage, only what was up above.

Hollie Smith’s husky voice pierced the darkness with a new song titled Message In A Bullet and Louis Baker returned for Te Utu o Te Aroha before another familiar voice was heard…that of Teeks singing along with Georgia, recreating their duet of Not By Your Side from The Rose Of Jericho.

Unfortunately, I can only imagine what they looked like singing together and the curtain was still down.

And while I admire the idea of doing something different like this, after two songs I was ready for the curtain to rise.

It finally did after Nikau’s operatic solo performance of O Mio babbino Caron.

Finally all was revealed and there on the stage was the whole cast.

Louis Baker sang Black Crow, Hollie Smith sang Bathe In The River, but as for me, I wanted more Georgia Lines.

And I got it.

The final third of the show featured four already-classic George Lines tunes including the now-madatory singalong of Made For Loving and a rousing Grand Illusion.

Georgia herself spoke eloquently and humbly about the joy of music, calling it “a powerful, wonderful thing”

And indeed it was on this very special night.

Everyone involved in the event wound up on stage at the end, taking a bow and basking in the genuine audience appreciation and love being given back to Georgia Lines and her Friends.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Izaak Kirkbeck: