Hot Potato Band
9th November 2023
Paisley Stage, Napier, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, photography by Andrew Caldwell.
Like a shot of molten metal, the hyperactive Hot Potato Band last night dropped in to Napier’s coolest little venue™ and raised the temperature by many notches! With their brand of relentless positivity and powerful beats, they filled the floor and left many wanting more.
Hailing from a wee place called Sydney, in the unassuming land that is Australia, the band, with their nine strong (!) line-up, have outgrown such an unpromising background to now be at the point of seasoned performers, travelling the globe to spread positive vibrations. Their unconventional array of members consists of two drummers, a vocalist, and six brass players – making for a potentially very crowded stage! But they’ve been doing this thing for nearly fifteen years now, and have obviously learned to accommodate.
From the first bars of the opening “Let it Go”, it was clear that this was not going to be a dreary affair in any way, with its duelling sax and trombone pointing the way towards much of what was to ensue. And for the next hour and change, it was a high-energy spectacle of happy tunes and the sheer joy of performance, accomplished without the aid of artificial stimulation (save super-strong Turkish-style coffee!).
The spirit of positivity is perhaps best exemplified by “Little Bird” with its lyrics of ‘playing this song to make you feel better’, and judging by audience reaction, it definitely does what it says on the tin! “All night” spoke of the reality of climate change, while recognising that just as important a priority is shaking your booty, to the extent of inviting a pair of audience members on to the stage to do exactly that.
“So Long and Goodnight” showed how it is possible to even put a positive spin on the ending of a relationship, by reflecting on the different person that it makes one become. But with a name such as theirs, it’s inevitable that the consumption of food and sustenance eventually comes in to focus, either in actuality or metaphorically. This took the form of the inspirational “Thick” (‘Life is an avocado, life is sourdough, spread it on thick’), and “Ritual”, a dedication to the morning rituals we all employ to get our days off to a good start. There’s a Dutch phrase ‘een bakje troost’, which translates as ‘a cup of comfort’-this was that in musical form!
But all things must come to an end, especially a performance such as this, which surely would be unsustainable for extended periods without serious help from Colombian marching powder, or similar assistance – and that’s probably not to be recommended, apparently… (Kids – just say no!). So off they went, off to provide more doses of pure joy, but not without a final reminder to “shake what nature gave ya!”. This band of joy has only a few more appearances to make in this spin through our islands – go and see!
Were you there at the Paisley Stage for this high energy positive gig? Or have you seen the Hot Potato Band perform live sometime else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only.
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