Erny Belle
4th August 2023
Point Chevalier RSA, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Alexis Brook. Photography by Doug Peters.
Erny Belle, what a mesmerising soul! Last night at the Pt Chev RSA was an evening of charismatic soulful singing, celebrating the last legs of her Hōtoke tour.
Opening the evening was cc(tv), (Carla Camilleri) who wove together whispers of melody with contrasting electronica and the sounds of rain and birdsong, painting a nature landscape, as the crowd shuffled in. At times ethereal, the dissonance with reverb was intringuing and captivating. Carla commented that ‘she used to perform in a Jazz combo here’, so it was a familiar space from years past. The set covered songs of all seasons as CC switched between keyboard and guitar with ease. With a set of songs about winter, and summer vacations, I was whisked away to thoughts of holidays.
As Erny Belle and her band filled the stage, the crowd edged out of their seats to fill the floor. ‘E Wawata’ started a stunningly crafted set of toe tapping and hip swinging songs that the diverse crowd was lapping up. I’ve only recently been introduced to Erny, and was impressed by the clever lyrics, and the amalgamation of genres into something quite special, captivating and catchy. Sometimes a twang of 60s folk, blended with electronica and elements of alt artists in the early-mid 90s. Contemporary yet timeless.
It was like an evening at home with friends – everyone was having a great time, there was spilled wine, and someone asked if the Warriors were winning? (Yes they were, and yes they did). All that was missing was the chips and dip, really. I particularly enjoyed “Sorry Not Sorry’ and “Hell Hole”. The encore of The Carpenters “Superstar” was superb.
Erny has a fantastic voice, and I love the way the band masterfully crafted their sound and harmonies around her, It was a very satisfying evening of songs from Hōtoke, as well as a few new ones “Pitt Stop” and “Stay Golden” which was just brilliant – I look forward to seeing what else she releases.
Tonight is the final show of this tour, and it long sold out. I highly recommend that when Erny tours again, that you grab a couple of friends and head along.
Erny Belle:
CC(TV):
Were you there at Point Chevalier RSA for this beautiful dark-folk gig? Or have you seen Erny Belle perform live some other time? 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.
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