Nessa Barrett
19th December 2023
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
Christmas is knocking on the door, but Tāmaki Makaurau were treated to one last international show at Auckland’s favourite little venue The Powerstation last night by TikTok star turned musician Nessa Barrett.
Here as part of her Church Club for the Lonely Tour, Barrett already had a legion of fans lined up outside the door well before the scheduled opening time desperate to get inside, many holding signs, wearing cowboy hats (an ode to her insta handle of baby cowboy) and carrying small bouquets of flowers. The venue going both Licensed and All Ages for the night ensuring that all of her admirers, even the underage ones, had the opportunity to witness her.
Hugging the barrier like it was the last lifeboat in a raging sea, attendees began the chant of Nessa! Nessa! Nessa! bang on nine thirty, the dropping of the house lights and the arrival of her guitarist Dan and drummer Sage eliciting screams that drowned out the backing track.
For those in the know, the arrival of Grammy nominated drummer Sage Weeber was rather auspicious too; born in Illinois and beginning his drumming career at age seven, he has already made a name for himself in both the social media realms and the touring world, having featured with bands and artists such as Bring Me the Horizon and Sueco the Child. He is also the drummer for rock band Point North who are definitely worth checking out having recently released their sophomore album entitled Prepare for Despair.
The arrival of Barrett herself on stage unleashed hysteria in the front rows, a sea of phones simultaneously rising into the air as numerous tears rolled down cheeks. This may seem silly to some, but to any avid music fan, that feeling of witnessing your idol in the flesh can be both all consuming and overwhelming. Barrett has already been named as one of Billboards artists to watch and at twenty-one her fans are looking for someone they can relate to, and Barrett provides that with her candid honesty on how she views the world.
Barely tipping five feet, Barrett thankfully began her set atop a riser, providing all those in attendance to take in her gorgeous outfit that consisted of an off the shoulder corset style top, matching shorts, and knee high fluffy white boots. Beginning with ‘scare myself’ it didn’t take more than a few lines before her followers were singing every word with her, at times the choir of voices so loud that Barrett could only just be heard.
Working the stage, she came down to the very edge of it, kneeling and leaning over towards the front rows, which was an experience that up until now they could have only dreamed of, but one that often left those further back in the room with no view at all. To her credit, Barrett continues to move in a somewhat choreographed pattern, never staying in one place for too long to ensure everyone gets their chance to see her and of course snag some insta footage.
Moving quickly through her opening tracks, ‘american jesus’ was an immediate favourite, Barrett strutting as she went with just the right amount of sultry attitude. ‘tired of california’ brings more tears, as Barrett asks ‘Can I be young forever? Would it be fun forever?’ a question that at some point has crossed everyone’s minds in their early twenties.
Pausing briefly, Nessa speaks of how she is so grateful to be here on the last night of her tour, and how New Zealand truly is quite beautiful, the crowd howling their approval of every word. “Thank you for choosing to spend your night with me. Let’s just have fun and I love you!”. The words may seem very formulaic, but they are what everyone wants to hear.
‘madhouse’ again sees a chorus of voices as many in the audience vibe to the beat but then it all takes a rather serious note as Nessa returns to the riser and takes a seat on a barstool. She begins to speak of how the next track is one of the most “gut wrenching” she has ever had to write; the song ‘Club Heaven’ written as dedication to her dear friend and fellow influencer Cooper Noriega who died of an accidental drug overdose last year, the song a double-edged sword as the lyrics point to Barrett’s own struggles with depression and mental health. “This is the part of the show where we get to grieve together” she announces, and in some ways, it must be both cathartic for her and her fans who more than likely have associated the track with someone in their own lives that they may have lost.
And herein lies the success to Barrett’s rise to fame; can she sing, sure, her voice is nothing remarkable, but she certainly knows how to use it, a breathy undertone to many of her tracks, giving that Lana Del Ray vibe that she most likely is aiming for. However, her live performances still need to time to evolve, as she often lets the backing tracks carry her, and after a while, it did feel as if the show was a carefully curated routine that she moved through like paint by numbers. Again, her live performances will develop with age, but she already has the most important part down, a knack for lyricism and the ability to not fear exposing her inner most thoughts and feelings to the world. Something that comes with its own risks in a day and age where social media will rip you to shreds and step over your remains to get to the next target with barely a sentimental look behind.
Group therapy session over, Nessa soon emerged from the side of stage, to spend time with those in the front row, before laying down her cover of Gnarls Barkley’s track ‘Crazy’ which was nice but did not quite capture the power of the original.
Then the big hitters started rolling in, ‘die first’, ‘dying on the inside’ and ‘girl in new york’ – where Barrett edited the last line to say “Girl in New Zealand” much to the thrill of the crowd – all whipping the room up into a singing and bopping frenzy.
Taking time out to thank her band and entire crew before the two-song encore, it was really pleasing to see an artist point out sound and lighting techs and thank them for their work. Sure, band mates are important, but a live experience is a team effort, and it was great to see an artist acknowledge that with heartfelt honesty.
“i hope ur miserable until ur dead’ (easily favourite pick for a song title ever and very reminiscent of something The Smiths would use) had a far more poppy vibe and saw the masses take great delight in letting out some harboured ill feelings towards past loves that had broken their hearts; ‘BANG BANG!’ literally taking the set out with a bang, both Sage and Dan giving it everything, Nessa – now barefoot and hair freed from the long braid she had trapped it in for most of the night – really taking the chance to have fun with it. It would be great to see more of this kinda vivacity throughout her shows.
Taking a moment to accept flowers, a pink cowboy hat and a few other gifts, Barrett soon was surrounded by loved ones and teammates as she jumped up and down in sheer excitement, the end of the tour and yet another sold out show enough to bring a smile to any artists face.
While TikTok and other such platforms have admittedly given an easy rise to many a music career, Nessa Barrett has the bones to make hers one that will last.
Only time will tell, but raw honesty and the ability to allow oneself to be open while in the public eye is certainly the foundations for a star in the making.
Were you there at Powerstation for this emo-pop gig? Or have you seen Nessa Barrett perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- intro / scare myself / american jesus / tired of california
- heartbreak in the hamptons
- madhouse
- club heaven
- lie
- lovebomb
- motel whore
- sincerely / lucky star
- Crazy [Gnarls Barkley cover]
- die first
- plane to paris
- dying on the inside
- gaslight
- the one that should’ve got away
- girl in new york
- i hope ur miserable until ur dead
- BANG BANG!
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