September 21, 2024

Georgia Lines – Powerstation: September 20, 2024 (13th Floor Concert Review)

Georgia Lines pulled out all the stops during her “monumental” show at Auckland’s Powerstation, with bubbles, guests, audience participation, a great band, a cool cover, costume changes and, best of all, Georgia’s own voice and songs.

Things got underway early at The Powerstation with the first of three opening acts kicking things off at 8pm.

First up was Auckland’s own Emily Bateman, a young talent who released an EP earlier this year titled, Like I Always Do. Emily was already mid-set when I arrived, but what I heard sounded good.

Up next, and almost immediately, was Country/pop artist Rosie Teese along with her brother William on guitar. Rosie, sounding more pop than country, performed her singles, Overboard and Two Sided Hearts. She’s a strong sassy singer, but the songs got a bit repetitive at times.

Alayna Setting the stage for Georgia was Alayna, who we caught last year at Big Fan and we also hosted on a 13^th Floor Singles Session. With vinyl copies of her album, Self Portrait of A Woman Unravelling available at the merch counter, Alayna got the ever-expanding crowd in just the right mood.

Georgia Lines

The wait for Georgia and her band seemed longer than expected, but the lights finally dimmed at 9:45 as the sound of lush strings swelled from the PA. Cheers go up as Georgia takes her place behind her keyboard and sings Grow Old Without You, the lead track from her debut album, The Rose Of Jericho, solo. From the first notes out of her mouth, it becomes clear that Georgia Lines is more than a talented singer…she is a gifted performer who knows how to inhabit a song.

And she proceeds to do just that for the following 85 minutes, playing eight of the 10 songs from Jericho, along from gems from her back catalogue and one lovely cover.

Georgia Lines “Hello everybody, welcome to the Powerstation”, Georgia addresses her audience after Never Had Love. She describes the evening as ‘monumental’ and, indeed, we have followed her from tiny shows at Frieda Margolis, Anthology Lounge, Tuning Folk, even the Auckland War Memorial Museum, so she has paid her dues.

We last caught her at Spark Arena, opening for Brooke Fraser in front of 10,000 of Brooke’s fans, and she won them over.

Tonight, The PowerStation’s second floor is closed, but the main room is full of very excited fans. And they get what they paid for as Georgia and her band (acknowledged but never introduced) sizzle through 16 songs.

An early highlight is Wayside which is followed by some folksy banter about Georgia’s dress, bought just hours ago at Savemart!

At the end of Distance, Georgia disappears from the stage, only to re-appear in the middle of the crowd where she and her guitarist perform an impossibly-intimate version of Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me.

Then, out come the bubbles as the band gets things bumping with End Of The World and Trust…glow sticks are handed out and a singalong is organized with Georgia pitting on half of the audience against the other during Made For Loving.

Georgia Lnes Myself, I could have used less singalong and more of Georgia, but the crowd loved it.

Georgia Lines Then it was guest time with producer Nic Manders playing the keys and Teeks reprising his role on Not By Your Side.

The end is near and Georgia thanks one and all, noting fans could have chosen to buy a block of chees at the supermarket but instead chose to come here.

Grand Illusion is a powerful closer and of course there is more…

My Love, from a 2020 EP, builds up to a huge crescendo and then Hine Hine sends us home happy, with many fans happy to stand in line and meet Georgia at the merch table after the show.

It has been a wonderful night…and with both The Beths and Louisa Nicklin performing elsewhere in Auckland, a very good night for New Zealand music.

Marty Duda

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