Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo – Tuning Fork: February 4, 2024

Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo brought their Australian/Mexican musical collaboration to Auckland on a balmy Sunday night.

Mick, the former Bad Seed, has been recording with Mexican songstress Amanda Acevedo resulting in the stunning debut album, Phantasmagoria in Blue, rated one of 2023’s best by 13^th Floor.

When we spoke to Mick and Amanda last year, they revealed their passion for music that was “slow and depressing”, but tonight’s performance was a mix of “beauty and unease”.

The beauty in the form of Mick and Amanda’s voices, the unease coming from the somewhat awkward stage banter from Harvey.

Motte

Motte, aka Anita Clark, warmed up the rather sparse crowd with her violin and loops, with a few vocals added for good measure. Anita’s been keeping herself busy composing soundtracks and touring with The Phoenix Foundation. Tonight she’s serving double duty as the opening act and accompanying the headliners.

Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo

By 9pm the audience began to accumulate, although it never reached the numbers it should have. Undaunted, Mick, Amanda and Anita took the stage.

“Hello”, intoned Harvey, “we’re here…sorry, I’m a bit stunned…I have to play some songs now”.

Then Motte’s violin got the ball rolling as Harvey sang, “Long afloat on shipless oceans, I did all my best to smile”. Its Tim Buckley’s Song To The Siren, and just like that we are under Mick and Amanda’s spell. Amanda’s seductive voice responds with, “Sail to me, let me enfold you”.

The crowd creeps closer to the stage, almost afraid to break the spell.

From there, Mick fiddles with his foot pedal. “We’re gonna try some technology, so hopefully it’s all functioning”.

It is, and Creators of Rain, complete with a deep, dark, drum beat, is mesmerizing, with Amanda sounding like the perfect mix of Nico and Marianne Faithfull, but with a Mexican accent.

The song ends and the room is completely silent, save the sound of a fan softly whirring.

Harvey can hear the sound of the silence…”we can compete with that”.

Over the course of just over an hour the three musicians performed 13 songs, 8 from their album, a few Harvey solo tunes…Amanda sat to the side on a chair provided by and audience member…and a few surprises.

One of them was A Suitcase In Berlin, and old German song, written in 1922 and sung by Marlene Dietrich. Mick has recorded it for an upcoming solo album. It is also the “B” side of their Love Is A Battlefield 12” which I duly bought at the merch table after the show.

There were plenty more highlights among the awkward banter…”Amanda’s gonna tell you about it”, Mick tells us as he introduces The Decadence Of Lust. Amanda’s response? A nervous giggle and a “No”.

Yet, the song, reminding me of Nico’s Desertshore, powered by Motte’s John Cale-inspired drone was nothing short of majestic.

And after that…more awkward silence.

Strangely it all made sense. And by the time the set wrapped with Robbie Fulks’ Bethelridge and Billy Falcon’s She Won’t, the adventurous fans who did show up knew they had witnessed something special.

And with that I can’t help but look forward to Mick Harvey’s next solo album and hope that there may be an Amanda Acevedo record in the works as well.

Mick altered the lyrics to Pat Benatar’s Love Is A Battlefield slightly…”You are young”, he sang to Amanda …”You are strong”, she sang back to him.

Together they are very special.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Chris Warne.

Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo:

Motte:

Mick and Amanda setlist:

1. Song To The Siren
2. Creators Of Rain
3. Milk & Honey
4. The Decadence Of Lust
5. Love Is A Battlefield
6. Photograph
7. A Suitcase In Berlin
8. Cover Me With Roses
9. Phantasmagoria In 2
10. The Blue Unicorn
11. I Wish That I Were Stone
12. Bethelridge
13. She Won’t