Milk And Honey – a Celebration of International Women’s Day, Silo Park, 8 March 2020

Auckland celebrated International Women’s Day with the Milk & Honey Festival at Silo Park, featuring 13 NZ artists. The Rev Orange Peel was there and files this review, plus a set of photos from Todd Buchanan.

It is perfect late summer weather today in Auckland for this International Women’s Day Milk & Honey Festival. Clear blue sky, relentless sun, not many areas of shade, but the breeze is cooling.

There is a smallish stage set up for todays’ show. I have only seen the larger one at previous concerts. It is dwarfed by the huge grey silos to the left of stage. Reminiscent of austere Colin McCahon paintings, a monolithic modern-day Stonehenge with bright harsh sunshine above.

The people are ambling in leisurely as the Angitu Kapa Haka group form up in front of the stage. A haka led by TJ Perenara’s look-alike starts the afternoon. My conditioned response is to sense that kick-off is 5 minutes away.

Instead we hear a great song led by the young women, Tamaki Herehea Kanaka. It sounds like a Bob Dylan ensemble singalong, maybe like Lay Down Your Weary Tune. It’s a beautiful melody and an apt taster for the music to come.

I will say now that the whole afternoon had music of great quality, and all who were down here were given a treat. I have been immersed in listening to local music from the late seventies. I lost contact in the nineties (career, family), but have since been reconnecting with New Zealand artists performing live over the last five years, and I feel the standard and diversity of music is  superior to the prior time. I attribute a lot of that to the internet age and sites like YouTube.

I knew nothing of these artists today with the exception of Imugi who I have seen once previously.

Three DJs’ provide the beats and melody between the stage performers sets this afternoon. Little Bok Choy up first, later The Gingham Twins and Phoebe Falconer.

First up on stage are two acts from the Girls Rock Camp Aotearoa. This is a non-profit organisation, based at Victoria St in Auckland, run by women to assist and help develop girls between the ages of 12 and 18 who are keen to perform. They run a camp for a week. They have mentors for all instruments as well as vocal coaches. After a week, having formed into bands, they perform an original song.

Today, we see two of those girls. First is Xani Hall, accompanied by a second guitarist. Opening song is a bit hesitant, next one she brings out a big voice with an impressive high register and a Buddy Holly style guitar sound.

Then she does Bruce Springsteens’ Dancing in The Dark, which is Holly-like itself. This is a very good version, her singing now reminds me of The Slits.

She finishes with her own song, Sindy with an S, which is in Spotify.

The next performer from Girls Rock Camp is Edie VC. She looks like a young Stevie Nicks.

She sounds Indie-Folk, she writes songs, and she has some on Spotify. First is a new song Lola Bunny (I think). Dream Person sounds like The La’s, she calls it a post-metal apocalyptic folk song and her singing sounds stronger. Hotel Song and the opener very reminiscent of Jonathan Richman. I ask her about that later, she has heard of him.

These are two impressive alumni. I recall 2 years ago I saw a young band called Bene open a show at the Tuning Fork. I was very impressed by the young female singer, nineteen at the time. She had an excellent stage presence more in keeping with an older performer. And now she’s getting her photo taken with Elton John.

These two young performers I think we will see more of, and it reinforces my impression of the high standards that young local artists are putting out.

Disciple Pati is singer Sapati Apa-Fepulea’I and she comes from the Polynesian heartland of South Auckland. The band assembles first, a five piece (!) horn section, two backing vocalists, drum, bass, guitar and keyboard. When Pati starts, she has a stunning voice. A strong soul voice not unlike Chaka Khan, and also very jazz orientated. She has a great range, can leap into a high register, and can sustain without using vibrato or melisma.

In half an hour they get through a range of well-rehearsed material. Flawless by Beyonce is a highlight with vocals going from rap to soul R&B, with the horns really working out sounding like The Skatalites. The Boy Who Cried Woman is a recent single with keyboards sounding like Tubular Bells and rhythm riffs that lock in like The JBs’.

We also hear a song from Toto, her own ones, Beautiful, Jennifer Lewis, Turn up the Light at Camp David. I think that’s what they’re called.

She tells me the band has been together and rehearsed for three weeks, and this is not what she usually performs. Which is more rap or Trap Hop. But the quality of her singing and the range of material she can cover, we will definitely be hearing more from her.

Imugi are a rap and keyboard duo, Yery Cho on microphone and Carl Ruwhiu on instrument and vocals. They are Rap with a lot of melodic overtones.

Yery sings with a soft melodic voice. Carl provides the electronic music with waves of trance and techno along with the beats.

The largely younger crowd is urged to come up and dance.   

Own songs I think, I Hate Competition, Working in the Fleamarkets, Cash is All You Need (inspired by the Rutles?), Somebody Else.

A song by Wolf Tyler is a duet with Yery sounding like a young Madonna, and vocoder from Carl. There is one song which is soft soul with a very languid backing groove, maybe Lounge Rap?

She’s So Rad is a post-punk sounding four-piece band. They are Anji Sami on guitar, Jeremy Toy on guitar, Phil Hadfield on bass, John Parker on drums. They have been playing since 2011 and have been gaining a reputation, having also played off-shore.

They have a Husker Du guitar sound but also married to a heavier bass at times. Music for confined spaces, sweaty armpits like the Whammy Bar. This afternoon is a good contrast in the sun, next to the giant industrial installations.

Second song in is a wall of guitar with a doomy bass. The vocals by Anji sound atonal and are hard to hear above the instruments.

Calling is a slower tempo and sounds like Black Sabbath. Devils has a chiming guitar wall of sound with a descending bass line that recalls Joy Division.

A new song, possibly Give it Up or Given Up Hope, they give it a first-time workout. More guitar dissonance and rapid Ramones style bass on closing song Check Out Love.

JessB is Jessie Bourke, a female Rap artist and a pro netballer in a previous life. She has a DJ on keyboard and platters, I do not catch her name.

They bring up a large group of dancers, the majority young and ethnically diverse.

Second song in and the dancers are heaving, the song starts with sirens much like Public Enemy.

Third song, Big Boss sees two extra backing dancers, Kayla and Leila energise everyone further. Black Girls Got Links All Over the World has an early Beastie Boys sound.

The song that follows, Take it Down I think, is a highlight of her rap with heavy beats style.

It seems to me a lot of her music is reminiscent of the era around the time of Public Enemy and Run-DMC, which is why it appeals to me.

And in fact Tricky is played by DJ Phoebe Falconer straight at the conclusion of the set.

The final set is from MC Tali + Chicorelli. The MC is Natalia Shepherd originally from Taranaki. She is quite a well-regarded Drum and Bass artist especially in the UK. She is a little older than the other musicians playing here today.

She appears in a gold glitter costume, she looks a bit like Madonna, and she is an excellent vocalist. I am continually being surprised at discovering great local artists who have been active for a while that I have never seen before, making me wonder if I have been hiding under a rock too long.

I think she has a more classic-style soul voice, she sounds like a singers’ singer.

Then I notice her DJ Chicorelli, who provides some shimmering music along with the solid rhythm grooves, a little like Suicide when they are melodic.

Third song in goes back further in vocal style to The Jacksons and DeBarge. Next song is a House rave, with a male soul singer being cut in, MC doing some toasting–style vocals before more shimmering dance music.

There is a lot of infectious energy coming from her dancing in Doc Marten boots which works its way into the crowd up front here. Drum and Bass sounds really get revved up for the two closing songs.

And so the International Womens Day music festival closes on a high. I have been surprised at the quality of music. I think this has been a good demonstration of the depth of talent that is here in New Zealand from women and I look forward to seeing these artists develop and continue.

I was standing next to the mixing board as the set closed, a writing pad in my hand, A slightly older gentleman came up to me, took off his hat, shook my hand and thanked me for the show this afternoon. I started to splutter a bit, then just smiled and said “You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it”.

~Rev Orange Peel 

Click any image to view a gallery of photos of the Milk & Honey Festival, by Todd Buchanan