Alex Cameron
2nd December 2022
The Hollywood Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Fleming. Photography by Doug Peters.
Having recently released Oxy Music earlier this year, his fourth record in his so far illustrious career, the appearance of Alex Cameron in Tāmaki Makaurau was eagerly anticipated by his kiwi fan base.
Nestled in the heart of Avondale, The Hollywood Theatre was the perfect choice for an artist who himself embodies an old-world charm with a hefty side order of swagger. Accompanied by a five-piece band which included – of course – the celebutante that is Roy Molloy, Cameron’s childhood neighbour, friend and business partner, the crowd were soon drawn in close by subtle shades of red and blue and tendrils of sultry jazz in anticipation of their arrival.
And it’s always an entrance of the highest calibre when he does; the familiar high waisted pants and leopard print ensemble almost synonymous with the personas that have been masterfully curated by the Australian crooner. Wasting no time at all, Cameron strikes a pose and hits the audience with ‘Studmuffin96’ from the gorgeous Forced Witness, everyone immediately swaying in time to the buoyant undertones.
Cameron certainly has a hefty amount of material to pull from, and despite a new album under his belt, it seemed that he had decided to treat his fan base to an absolute smorgasbord of back catalogue delights first. Delving back into the year 2016, ‘Happy Ending’ with its poppy synth opening notes elicited grins from those in the front row, Cameron basking in their adoration as he threw distinctive shapes with his body, those smiles only becoming wider as ‘Country Figs’ followed quickly on its heels.
And there in lies the charm of an Alex Cameron set; besides always being accompanied by a stellar band – which on this tour sees long term drummer Henri Lindström once again behind the skins along with Jess Parsons on keys, Kramer Kelling on bass and Justin Nljssen on guitar – Cameron truly does feed off the energy of the room. His lengthy frame interpreting and then communicating back to the audience the vibes that they give. You want an artist with stage presence, then look no further than Cameron and co.
‘Divorce’ the first of three tracks from the quintessential Miami Memory sees Parsons sweet vocalisations compliment Cameron’s, those who are present fully invested now as all eyes are on the stage; ‘Candy May’ seeing many sing a long in time, the line “she has seen me naked; she knows I’m packing heat” always amusing to be heard sung by a group of collective strangers.
But of course, what would an Alex Cameron show be without a few amusing anecdotes, Molloy soon regaling all with a tale of stuffing fruit into a storm drain which hilariously elicited the most bonding comment of “classic Roy” from an enraptured admirer.
Moving into his latest work, the show took a slightly more serious overtone, the record Oxy Music seeing Cameron collaborate with both Lloyd Vines and Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson to create a more contemplative album focussing on the opioid crisis in America, a topic that Cameron has a far deeper perspective on since residing in the states. It is a move away from his usual satirical style, and one that may have surprised many of his day one fans. But it is a move that works extremely well and shows yet another side to this already multi-faceted artist; an evolution if you will.
Hitting the audience with ‘Sara Jo’ and ‘Prescription Refill’ it is immediately evident that these new tracks work well live, the once again upbeat notes of ‘Prescription Refill’ pulling people in before hitting them with the wordplay that all have come to know him for.
But Cameron also knows how to please his followers and the night soon moved back into a triple hit of Forced Witness tracks, ‘Stranger’s Kiss’ seeing all swoon for Parsons, while ‘True Lies’ and ‘Marlon Brando’ had all singing in unison, the audience now well comfortable with lending their vocals to the set as Cameron moved about the small but inviting stage with an almost feminine elegance.
A stool review from Molloy soon followed, the crowd hanging on every word as Molloy spoke of the “absolute doozy” of a stool being from the post war era. The detailing of plate steel, and lightweight material with slightly questionable stool structure in “baby shit brown” seeing Molloy award it a solid four out of five. These reviews from Molloy have now come to be highly anticipated by the fans – his exemplary saxophone playing not his only talent (but my god his sax is so good that it never fails to leave a few jaws on the floor!)
A cover of ‘Islands in the Stream’ the Bee Gees track made famous by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers added an almost karaoke flavour to the evening before the charismatic ‘K Hole’ saw the gig out in style.
With music such as this under his belt, it will be interesting to see where Cameron moves next. One thing is for sure though, wherever it is it will undoubtedly be a bona fide checkmate.
Alex Cameron:
Sean Nicholas Savage:
Were you there at The Hollywood Theatre for this indie pop gig? Or have you seen Alex Cameron perform somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Studmuffin96
- Happy Ending
- Country Figs
- Divorce
- Candy May
- Miami Memory
- Sara Jo
- Prescription Refill
- Stranger’s Kiss
- True Lies
- Marlon Brando
- Islands in the Stream [Bee Gees cover]
- Far From Born Again
- K Hole
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 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.
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.