The Black Seeds
2nd July 2022
Woolbrokers Pavilion, Hastings, New Zealand
Review by Rob Harbers, with photography by Chris Kiely.
On a night which promised the full experience of an East Coast frost, self-described “musical heaters” The Black Seeds brought their sunny sound to an appreciative Hawkes Bay audience. This was the second date of the much-delayed “Love and Fire” tour, and the band are clearly fizzing at the proverbial bung to get on the road again. It was obvious that a lot of time has been spent in rehearsal, as this is a very tight unit right out of the blocks, showing a synchrony that can take some outfits a few more outings to achieve, and boding well for the rest of the tour.
Opening number “Game Over” set things off on an easy groove, with its brass-driven vibe, leading in to another new song, “Love and Fire” which was given an extended workout, providing the players with the opportunity to show their considerable chops. “Sometimes Enough” highlighted the keyboard playing of Nigel Patterson, and also a guitar riff that brought to mind Midnight Oil’s “Warakurna”.
While the band are primarily known as exponents of the reggae sound, with the inevitable local influence (Aoteareggae?) there is also a deeply funky element woven in to the tapestry, highlighted particularly by the one-two punch of new song “It’s So Real”, featuring an earthy, swamp-groove bass riff, and old favourite “Fire” with its callback to the song of the same name by the Ohio Players via Sly and Robbie.
Crowd sing-along favourite “So True” calmed the pace a little, while reminding that this is also a combo capable of producing the odd radio-friendly unit shifter, while staying true to their roots. In similar vein, “Cool Me Down” despite what might have seemed like an ironic title given the climatic conditions, kept the crowd happy and warm!
Before we knew it though, it was time for the band to leave the stage, returning for an encore of the guitar-heavy “The Prince”, and the one to make us all look forward to summertime,“One By One” (“Cause when the war is over, and the fighting’s done, I’ll be lying in the sun”). A well-satisfied audience headed out into the frosty evening, bearing an infusion of warmth and good vibes sufficient to carry them through for a good while.
There are 6 more dates still to play on this tour, across the motu from Wanaka to Auckland, and if you have the opportunity, this reviewer recommends you take it. Catch a world-class combo who are just busting to show you what they can do, and get some warmth into your winter season!
Were you there at the Woolbrokers Pavilion for this warming reggae gig? Or have you seen The Black Seeds perform live somewhere else before? 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. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page.