Jon Toogood
12th August 2021
Paisley Stage, Napier, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers. Photography by Eileen Potter.
Shihad star Jon Toogood is currently touring a solo show, where with just a guitar and voice he takes us through the highlights of a life in music, while relating tales of adventure (and misadventure) along the way.
A vastly more intimate setting than what he’s normally encountered in – think of it like a night in with your cool uncle/cousin/brother, the one who can play guitar and tell a good yarn. Only this one draws on a long career in which he’s been involved in creating some of New Zealand’s best known songs, and a few bona-fide classics.
The performance was given added resonance by the fact of it being his first gig as a 50-year-old, albeit one who says he feels better now than he did a quarter of a century ago. This showed in the relaxed vibe present throughout the show – although that’s not to suggest that there was any lack of energy about the playing and singing, as evidenced by opener “Think You’re So Free” which gained an extra element of brooding intensity from the stripped back format. Taking nothing away from the original rendition, but demonstrating that it’s not always just about volume!
There was somewhat of a feeling of a gathering of the nation about the crowd, with representation from Hamilton, New Plymouth, Dunedin, Hastings, as well as a few from just down the street – all coming together for a set that drew from far and wide in its make-up, paying tribute to heroes and compatriots in amongst the original material. Those gathered together were heartened by Jon’s announcement that he and his family are in the throes of a decision to come and live in New Zealand – a process brought on by the contrast between the peaceful paradise that is Aotearoa, and the crazy land that is their current home in Melbourne. Anyone out there got a house available for rent? I’m sure Lucy and JR could probably find a back room at Paisley, but that’d get old quickly!
I could reel off a list of the individual songs, with comments for each, but that’d be kind of cliched (wouldn’t it Jon?) so you can see the setlist below if you really need to know. For those not so concerned about minutiae, suffice it to say that the evening contained many musical highlights, along with tales ranging from Pacifier to Pantera, all delivered by a man showing no sign of his recent milestone (apart, perhaps, from a profession to being “too old for encores”) but is energised by the prospect of getting out amongst the people and playing his songs and telling his stories. A highly recommended experience all round, one that is available to the residents of Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, The Mount & Auckland before this round plays out. As for Hawkes Bay, though, we look forward to a regular residency at Paisley, once we’ve all convinced Jon that this is where he wants to be!
Were you there at Paisley Stage for this great night of storytelling? Or have you seen Jon Toogoood perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note: AAA Touring provided passes to Ambient Light 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. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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