Neil Finn & The APO – Silo Park March 9, 2018

 

Does it get any better than this? Neil Finn…the APO…a dozen or so of New Zealand’s top singers…and a beautiful late summer night.

As part of this year’s Auckland Arts Festival, Neil Finn presented his latest album, Out Of Silence, much the same way as it was recorded.

You may remember that Finn recorded the album in several hours in a live streaming session with a full orchestra and a coterie of vocalists.  Many of those same vocalists (Reb Fountain, Julia Deans, Steve Abel, James Milne) could be spotted among the dozen or so backing singers that also included Neil’s wife, Sharon, his nephew Harper and string arranger Victoria Kelly.

To round out the family, sons Elroy and Liam shared duties on bass, drums and guitars, as needed. But, with Finn at the piano, it was really the  Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra that made this a special night .

Well, to be fair, Neil Finn’s songs were pretty special as well, especially when they were attached to Kelly’s stunning arrangements.

Neil and the APO presented the entire Out Of Silence album, beginning with Love Is Emotional, through to I Know Different…shuffling the running order along the way.

Liam and Elroy Finn added some dynamics to Chameleon Days  and Second Nature with bass and drums, Second Nature in particular sounding very good and proving to be one of Finn’s finest pop songs.

After the songs from Out Of Silence came, what Neil described as, “a hint of what’s to come later in the year”.

It was a performance of the Neil/Liam tune Where’s My Room, featuring Liam’s frenetic drumming.

Then Sharon Finn took over bass duties for Impressions, from Dizzy Heights. There was one more from that album…Divebomber…then a handful of hits to round out the night, with Private Universe sounding particularly gorgeous out in the open sky.

The audience was patient and well behaved during the lesser-known new songs although there was one vocal character in the crowd who insisted on hearing Give It A Whirl near the end of the show. Neil capitulated with a verse or two, then wrapped with the obligatory Don’t Dream It’s Over.

The show repeats tonight…do yourself a favour and get on down to see and hear it.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

Neil Finn Setlist:

1. Love Is Emotional
2. Independence Day
3. Chameleon Days
4. More Than One Of You
5. Alone
6. Widow’s Peak
7. Second Nature
8. The Law Is Always On Your Side
9. Terrorise Me
10. I Know Different
11. Where’s My Room
12. Impressions
13. Divebomber
14. One Step Ahead
15. Four Seasons In One Day
16. Private Universe
17. Give It A Whirl (partial)
18. Don’t Dream It’s Over