In The Shallows – The Tuning Fork: November 1, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)

Better late than never…originally scheduled to perform here in July, Wellington’s In The Shallows finally made it to Auckland last night, and the wait was worth it.

To be fair, the band was here in July, its just that vocalist and bandleader Danni Davis’ voice  was…gone…due to having laryngitis and vocal nodules after a really rough winter.

So, here we are tonight…the band, along with a string section and a choir…and original opening act Levi Lights On.

Levi Lights On

Levi is Michael Levin Sesaga, and tonight he’s got his little sister Mema Wilda on stage with him, along with a violin player and percussionist.

I had just seen Mema a week or so ago at The Button Factory…but this was a different setting for her wonderful voice.

They performed 6 songs during their 30-minute set including a few singled released over the years by the Levi Lights On Project…Live To Be and Eyes Of A Child…but the highlight of the short set was a beautiful reading of the traditional Irish song, Whiskey In The Jar. Sure, its been covered by everyone from Thin Lizzy to Metallica, but this version was simply stunning. I suggest they record a studio version so all can enjoy…

In The Shallows

Unlike on July 26th, Danni Davis was in good voice last night. She and her core band…drummer Sam Holdum, bass player Shane Hamill, guitarist/vocalist Ben Brunskill and keyboard player and vocalist Arna Wnek…performed 18 songs over the course of 95 minutes with contributions from harpist Michelle Velvin, cellist Olivia Grace and violin player Jean-Baptiste…and six members of the Auckland Mixed Barbershop Chorus.

It was almost too much.

Almost…

Danni and the band played new songs, old songs, unreleased songs and they were all wonderful.

There’s a new album on the horizon, and from what we heard last night, it’ll be worth giving a spin.

After five songs with the string section, the chorus clambered up on stage and together everyone sounded lovely, with that portion of the show closing with a special, full Te Reo version of Hold On/Kia Mau Tonu.

Things got louder once the chorus departed with Not Normal Behaviour giving thee band an excuse to “dust off the cobwebs”.

Danni…and drummer Sam…provided plenty of background stories and banter…most was entertaining and insightful, although some seemed a bit much. I reckon the set could have done with a little less banter and tighter transitions…a minor quibble, along with the bass guitar-heavy mix.

But, this was a triumph for all concerned and I reckon that new album will also be worth the wait.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Mingxuan Lyu

In The Shallows:

Levi Lights On:

In The Shallows setlist:

  1. Who Were You Before
  2. Come Back
  3. Here We Go Again
  4. Walkin’ Away
  5. There You Are
  6. Sixty Days
  7. Not The One
  8. Are You The One
  9. Hold On/Kia Mau Tonu
  10. Let’s Not Start A War
  11. Let It Go
  12. Do You?
  13. Remember Me
  14. Not Normal Behaviour
  15. Feels Like Home
  16. I Can’t Reach You
  17. As I Am
  18. Remember Me (acoustic)

 

 

 

Marty Duda
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