Andrew Keoghan, Auckland NZ, 2017

Andrew Keoghan with support from Madeira

28th April 2017
The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Mike Thornton.

Tonight The Tuning Fork plays host to the final show of now LA based New Zealand singer songwriter Andrew Keoghans five date Australasian tour.

The support act for this evening comes in the form of Madeira, a solo artist whose sound is very alt-pop. Real name Kim Pflaum, many would recognize her as the former vocalist for local act Yumi Zouma, from whom she departed in 2015. Dressed in variations of black, with an interesting and almost statue of liberty style crown adorning her shock of red hair, Madeira opens with her first track of the evening ‘Let Me Down’ from her debut EP ‘Bad Humours’. Armed with both a guitar – the sheen and whiteness of it standing out against her black outfit – and a laptop, Madeira easily has the rather small crowd tapping their feet along to her sound. Unfortunately the vocals on the EP come across better than they do live – with a few very minor issues in regards to pitch and hitting some of the lower octaves that she uses.

She introduces the audience to a “relatively new song” by the name of “Feel for You’, the juxtaposition of the dark lyrics with the pop overtones rather appealing. Mid-way through her set Madeira mentions the fact that there is currently a refugee crisis in the world and that we as a country could take more people in – “then they could come to the show and fill up this large space here” she gestures towards the vacant spot before her “I would love that”. While musicians have every right to voice their opinions political or otherwise, to mention something as prominent as a refugee crisis and then write it off in such a frivolous way of how they could be used to fill up a gap in a venue, left a slightly bitter taste in the mouth and would be a comment best avoided in the future.

Madeira’s songs are certainly catchy and she makes great use of the stage by stepping out to the edge to sing when not playing the guitar and letting go with some dance moves during the more instrumental sections of the songs. While she has stage presence there was an underlying tone of ‘not quite here’ which could easily be put down to nerves – Madeira has a solid body of work, and would benefit from a little more on stage confidence, allowing herself to own the space. Her cover of ‘Crave You’ by Flight Facilities which saw her come alive with her obvious love of the song, proving that she certainly has it in her to do so.

Andrew Keoghan first appeared on the New Zealand music scene with his debut album Arctic Tales Divide in 2011. Both classically trained in singing and playing the violin, Keoghan arrives on stage wearing a simple long sleeved white t-shirt and black pants. He is accompanied by both bassist Cass Basil (Tiny Ruins) and Alistair Deverick (Lawrence Arabia).

“Running’ immediately showcases Keoghans vocal range; he is committed to his songs and the tales they weave and this comes through strongly, capturing your attention and holding you there. Second song of the night sees Keoghan swap his guitar for a violin that he holds against his side as he plucks away at its strings. Dropping down to one knee he hits a few buttons at his feet and the plucking surrounds us courtesy of a loop pedal as Keoghan lays down the violin and begins to conduct Deverick behind the drums, his hands gesturing towards him, encouraging more. The end result is a beautifully layered live track upon which Keoghan builds his story, his vocals taking on different characters, reminiscent of Morrissey.

Andrew Keoghan’s first album was nominated for a Taite Music Prize back in 2012 and at the time it was very obvious to all why; his latest submission ‘Every Orchid Offering’ has taken his initial talents and expanded them tenfold, providing us with an ornate tapestry of intriguing work. Basil on guitar and backing vocals is a delight, her stage presence subtle yet masterful. “Basil is my new dance partner” Keoghan quips with a smile “we never dance front on though, only with our backs”. Throughout the first song, the room has filled with people and now Keoghan beckons them forward closer to the stage with his hands and hips; as if they have invisible strings attached to the front of their clothes, the crowd steps forward simultaneously their eyes firmly on the man himself.

“This is a song about girls who don’t want a boyfriend – and you know what, that’s ok” Keoghan explains to us before playing “They don’t want a boyfriend’ a brilliant track where both Basil and Keoghan play off of each other on stage. The song paints the picture of two girls that he saw one day at Britomart holding hands as they stepped onto a school bus. Basil plays the part of the student teacher trying to explain to a concerned mother that there is nothing to worry about in regards to her daughter preferring a girl over a boy; a simply honest and delightful song.

Halfway through the set Keoghan invites Jessie Cassin (another local Auckland musician – originally hailing from Christchurch) on stage to duet on the song ‘ Stuck in Melodies’ the combination of their voices transfixing many in the audience who stand with eyes closed. Cassin remains on stage for the next couple of songs, yet again another layer being added to this wonderful showcase of New Zealand talent. ‘Queues at Dani Keys’ (If you have not seen the video yet, it is highly recommended!) revolves around the confusion with gender and features a rich 80’s synth-pop feel with a strong punch of funk that has more than a few audience members breaking out some dance moves; Keoghan himself at one point jumping down off the stage to lead the crowd in a quick one-two step.

Finishing with ‘Everything’ Keoghan thanks everyone for their attendance and Madeira for supporting. The applause lasts well after the group leaves the stage – Keoghan popping back up with a slightly awkward smile on his face as he tries to read whether the applause is demands for an encore. The audience picking up on his look calls out for more, Keoghans smile becomes wider and he laughs “Think we’ll play something on the acoustic guitar…yeah…thanks for staying!” He then plays a touching version of ‘Spots on the Leaves’ from his first album Arctic Tales Divide, this stripped back version really showcasing just how talented Keoghan is both vocally and lyrically.

Madeira:

Andrew Keoghan:

Were you there at The Tuning Fork for this awesome kiwi music showcase? Or have you seen Andrew Keoghan live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!