Ben Ottewell
23rd June 2017
The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Lauren Sanderson. Photography by Mike Thornton.
People may know him as the vocalist and lead guitarist from 90’s rock indie band Gomez, but Ben Ottewell has certainly made a name for himself. Having gone solo almost 15 years after the band split, releasing two hit albums Shapes and Shadows and Rattlebag, the 41-year old brit is here to share his latest creation A Man Apart.
Ottewell has been pleasing audiences for the past two decades and boy does he please. With his sweet symphonies, epic guitar skills and a voice that is out of this world, it’s fair to say he was born to entertain.
After playing the Tuning Fork three years ago, Ottewell returns with his old pal Buddy, lead singer of LA based melodic indie band of the same name.
The night kicked off with a support slot from Buddy. His short but sweet set certainly warmed up the crowd for Ottewell’s arrival. Losing the mic, he performed an acoustic mashup weaving his way through the audience. Each strum of his guitar, brought us closer together and that’s when we knew we were in for an intimate evening.
Soon enough the room that was once half empty became crammed with eager fans, the atmosphere shifted and the exhilaration for Ottewell began.
Although he made a slightly late appearance, as soon as he opened his mouth and his vocals echoed into the space, all was forgiven. Opening with ‘Steal Away’, a song from his new record, A Man Apart. With its simple guitar riffs and minimal instrumentation, the focus was purely on his unmistakable husky voice and impeccable lyrics that focus on relationships and politics.
Next up was his hit single ‘Man Apart’, which unlike ‘Steal Away’ showcased his impressive guitar skills and also highlighted the folky acoustic element to his album.
Changing guitars, Ottewell serenades us with his 2014 hit ‘Rattlebag’. The country classic was a crowd pleaser as the audience sighted each lyric word for word.
New song ‘Bones’ hypnotises the audience, transporting us to a heavenly place. Ottewell appeared to be in a world of his own, eyes closed and truly connected to his guitar during this piece. His melodies rung into the space and fixated the crowd.
‘Red Dress’ was certainly a crowd favourite. The song touches on subjects that ring true for everybody- love, conflict and the armour we wear to get by. We were not only emotionally connected to the song but the blues tones and folky feel allowed us to let out our inner country diva.
Not only does Ottewell have pure talent but he holds a great stage presence. His witty banter and tales of past times certainly caught the crowd’s attention.
It is evident that music is everything to Ottewell. Hats off to the musical genius as he plays the Tuning Fork on his birthday. To say thank you for an entertaining evening, the crowd play a little something of their own for the birthday boy.
It was sad to see the evening come to an end, but I’m certain that Ben Ottewell won’t be slipping off the music scene anytime soon.
So, until next time Ben.
Buddy:
Ben Ottewell:
Were you there at the Tuning Fork for this beautiful indie rock/folk show? Or have you seen Ben Ottewell perform somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!