Icehouse, Auckland NZ, 2020

Icehouse

5th March 2020
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Richard Myburgh.

ARIA Hall of fame inductees Icehouse arrived in Auckland last night, bringing with them a vibrant show that belied their forty-three years in the industry and a group of kiwi friends that began the show with a taste of South Island nostalgia.

Nestled within the heart of the recently renamed Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, the sold-out audience took to their seats early in order to catch support act and New Zealand music legends The Narcs, the Christchurch natives having lost none of their light it would seem over the passing decades. Led by Andy Dickson, the four-piece consisting of Tony Waine, Liam Ryan and Josh Sorenson helping out on drums delivered a set that included not one but two recently released singles, proving that the beloved legacy band still have their finger on the pulse.

Opening with ‘Summerhill Stone’, an ode to their hometown and the very bricks that built much of the affordable housing in the area in the 50’s and 60’s, the track is one that speaks of origin and the desire to rebel against the conformity of it all, the bluesy overtones the perfect lead in to ‘Lazy Susan’ from their album The Great Divide.

Threading in a little more of an upbeat tempo both ‘Ran Tan’ and the synth drenched ‘Diamonds on China’ had the front row patrons up on their feet and dancing before last year’s single release entitled ‘I Don’t Want to Go to Work Today’ had a few of the audience members wistfully thinking about Friday at work and seriously considering whether or not they might just rebel themselves and spend the day lying in the sun instead.

Of course it wouldn’t be a true set from The Narcs without their award winning single ‘Heart and Soul’, the track extended out as Dickson, supported brilliantly on backing vocals by Waine, led the audience through a call and response of the song’s title; ‘Stay Away’ from their Best of the Narcs compilation bringing the set to a close, the audience giving the band a well-deserved standing ovation as they left the stage.

A short intermission to allow one and all to reset and anticipation soon began to prickle the skin; Icehouse may not have released any new material since 1995, but their music has forever coloured both the radio waves and the hearts of many. Hardly surprising considering their discography includes eight top ten albums and twenty top forty singles. Whether a devoted fan or casual, each and every person in the room could point to at least one song that is now eternally a part of them, each listen once again unlocking the part of their soul connected to it.

Arriving under the cover of darkness, theirs was a theatrical entrance befitting of a band of their stature. Spread across the stage and making use of a riser to ensure their fans had a clear view of all, shards of blue pierced the black and the screen behind them came to life as the opening notes of ‘Icehouse’ filled the room. This is how you begin a show!

Led by the incredible Iva Davies at the helm, Icehouse gifted Auckland an evening of music and performance that will not soon be forgotten, those on lighting also deserving of praise as they perfectly complemented each and every track, from soft pinks and purples through to dramatic pulses of light that made the heart skip a beat with excitement; ‘Walls’ seeing everyone abandon their seats in order to let the music flow through them completely.

Soon the true classics made their way into the set, Davies causing butterflies in stomachs as he placed his guitar down in order to sing to a few lucky ladies in the front row; ‘Hey Little Girl’ still a song that wraps itself around you in a melodic slow dance while ‘Electric Blue’ saw Davies vocals take flight, the chorus joyously uplifting all as Glen Reither unleashed one of his many outstanding saxophone solos between cross-hatched beams of golden rays that caught the edges of his leather hat.

A dedication to the vivacious and sadly now departed Chrissy Amphlett of The Divinyls by Davies saw ‘Love in Motion’ rock the crowd in just the right way, Amphlett’s sultry husky vocals sauntering through the aisles as the official music video played behind the band; ‘No Promises’ doubling down on the emotive nature of Icehouse’s music before ‘Touch the Fire’ introduced a little more of that rock n roll essence that the band are so renowned for.

Up until this point the concert was exemplary in every possible facet of what a live show should and can be, the audience completely enraptured, whether they were dancing their socks off or swaying gently from side to side while wrapped in the arms of their significant other. But Icehouse had yet to even begin to unleash their arsenal of talent upon the Auckland crowd.

An acoustic trio of songs which included ‘Street Café’ and an exquisite version of ‘Man of Colours’ sung by Michael Paynter allowed fans to once again sing along and just enjoy the mid-set cooldown; Paynter’s astounding vocal range drawing murmuring’s of delight and wonderment from all as he hit falsettos with ease. At the conclusion of the aforementioned, Davies joined the band back on stage, taking a moment to introduce each member and inject a little humour into the mix (the camaraderie between each of the six artists was wonderful to witness, their bond half of what makes the music what it is) Davies feigning memory loss in regards to Paul Wheelers name, the punchline an impressive drum solo as a reminder.

Once again Icehouse took everyone by the hand and pulled them into the middle of their hits, ‘Crazy’ and the iconic ‘Great Southern Land’ – a song that is part of Australian culture and also one of the first tracks that Davies wrote on the revolutionary Prophet-5 synthesiser – creating an atmosphere of both timelessness and togetherness; ‘We Can Get Together’ only fortifying the feeling and the connection between the band and their followers.

Not one, but two encores were to follow, fans no doubt willing to have continued calling for three and four should the opportunity have arisen; a cover of Bowie’s ‘The Jean Genie’ accompanying ‘Nothing too Serious’, before ‘Fatman’ from their debut album finished the night off in style.

There aren’t many shows that can be described as flawless, but Icehouse is quite easily one of them; from the sheer talent of the musicians themselves who often switched between instruments with the greatest of ease, through to their genuine professionalism, Icehouse delivered a show that people will no doubt be recounting for years to come.

Were you there at The Town Hall for this classic synth-rock performance? Or have you seen Icehouse perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Icehouse Setlist:

1. Icehouse
2. Walls
3. Hey Little Girl
4. Electric Blue
5. Love In Motion
6. No Promises
7. Touch The Fire
8. Street Café
9. Kingdom
10. Man Of Colours
11. Don’t Believe Anymore
12. Crazy
13. Great Southern Land
14. Can’t Help Myself
15. We Can Get Together
16. The Jean Genie [David Bowie cover] [encore]
17. Pretty Vacant [Sex Pistols cover] [on setlist but unplayed]
18. Nothing Too Serious [encore]
19. Fatman [second encore]

The Narcs Setlist:

1. Summerhill Stone
2. Lazy Susan
3. Ran Tan
4. Not Over
5. Diamonds On China
6. I Don’t Want To Go To Work Today
7. Heart And Soul
8. Over My Head [on setlist but unplayed]
9. Stay Away

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