Carnivorous Plant Society
13th August 2023
Clive Community Hall, Clive, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, photography by Andrew Caldwell.
From the sublime to the surreal, in the space of five days – such is the breadth and power of the Small Hall Sessions! On the tail end of 4 nights with Reb Fountain and band, loyal Sessions patrons have been treated to a one-off single night’s show by the Carnivorous Plant Society, in the seaside enclave of Clive.
This was the band’s second appearance in the Sessions format, having previously performed to approving audiences in May 2022. It’s a testament to the strength that the Sessions have, when it comes to attracting the finest talent that there’s now beginning to be repeat performances by various acts, Reb being another who’s achieved this feat. Clearly they must be doing something right!
Leading off with a new song, “American Party Time”, featuring sporadic infusions of mariachi-esque brass, the band set out their stall from minute one. This was going to be a night that marched to the beat of its own drum, delivering the bastard offspring of a miscegenous encounter between the spirit of mariachi, the soul of jazz and some of Aotearoa’s finest musicians. With a dose of trippy visuals for good measure!
By the time of the third song, “Phantom Finger”, the audience was being drafted in to provide additional vocals, bandleader Finn Scholes admitting to, in an earlier gig, not having fully cued in this embellishment, leading to some interesting interplay. Bassist Cass Basil then laid down a funky groove on her Seafoam instrument for “I See Myself Surrounded By A Ball Of Light”, an exposition of Finn’s mother’s metaphysical musings. The Colombian rhythms of “El Perro” saw guitarist Sean Martin-Buss break out in to playing the cowbell, for what was claimed to be the first time! Seemed to manage ok though (perhaps channeling the spirit of Christopher Walken?).
Finn introduced the first of what were stated to be the two sad songs of the night, “Slave Song,” with a wish for the emotional stability of all present to be maintained through the narrative depicted in the accompanying visuals. A considerate request, one might say, given the potential ramifications of becoming too deeply attached to a fictional being. Maybe a preparation for the upcoming election season, as voters are forced to reconcile themselves to the fictional status of certain qualities amongst many politicians, e.g. boldness of vision, integrity, honesty, maturity, and such shibboleths! But I digress…
The emotional rollercoaster was kept on course with the ensuing ‘nice song’ “You’re Too Much”, an ode to romance, featuring lashings of Sean’s glorious guitar. Following on from this would always have been difficult, so instead it was time for the intermission.
Kicking in to the second half with “Busy Garden” saw all the players contributing the very air that they breathed, with the playing of wind instruments, but it wasn’t a time at which this was all we needed, so thankfully there was much more to the piece! The next song introduced an element hitherto unseen on the night, in the form of vocals (well, clearly enunciated ones, at least, with a narrative through line) for its tale of the life of “Agatha”, an interesting character, it seems!
Introduced as a ‘special song’, “Life and Death” featured a warning for all present, given audio expression in the form of its dissonant middle passage, detailing the risks inherent in chemical substances, before it became time for Finn’s mum to again make her way in to the subject matter, with “My Mum is Proud Of Me”. (Oh bless…) This featured an extended contribution from drummer Alistair Deverick, giving him his moment in the spotlight, which he grasped with both hands (as drummers are wont to do!). The final song of the main set was the cautionary tale “Carp In A Pond”, the second of the night’s ‘dark songs’. The encore saw the mood brought back up again with the inspiring tale of “The Bogan And The Kid”, the first of two songs of this unicorn moment, the ‘double encore’! But after such highs, there was really only one place to go, and that was to our respective homes, there to bask in the afterglow of an inspiring and unexpectedly emotional performance. And for Jamie to reflect on how long he’s been incorrectly pronouncing “Scholes” (it’s like ‘school’, if you’re wondering).
Back in a week or two for the next round with the Sessions – may they live long and prosper!
Were you there at the Clive Community Hall for this intimate gig? Or have you seen Carnivorous Plant Society perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
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.
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