Fat Freddy’s Drop, Auckland NZ, 2020

Fat Freddy’s Drop

18th January 2020
The Outer Fields Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Kirk Lafferty. Photography by Chontalle Musson.

Breaking in the year Fat Freddy’s Drop headlined a star-studded line up at Western Springs on Saturday, almost a year to the day of a similar line up. This year’s offering, in order of appearance: The Logg Cabin & Printor, Bailey Wiley, JessB, Avantdale Bowling Club, L.A.B., CHAII, David Rodigan and the Head Honchos themselves – Fat Freddy’s Drop.

Before venturing out in public to an event like this comes the dilemma that all of us face, though some of us give more thought about it than others – What to wear? Let’s not forget it is 2020, and just saying those numbers out loud, rolling them off the tongue, while they are still fresh; implying some sense of the style that has to be lived up to. Admittedly it’s not yet the uber-cool 2525 but still, we can’t be going out in the Pacifica purple flower shirt we bought in 2016, though in hindsight when I saw the lights of Fat Freddy’s Drop it actually would have been a perfect match. If a summer’s day concert in Tamaki Makaurau is not a fashion parade, then I don’t know what is. Checking out some of the people ahead of me in the long line from the outer suburbs, fashion was not necessarily the first thought on many of their minds when they left the house that day.

Sadly, the long line, and some confusion at the box office meant that The Logg Cabin & Printor do not get reviewed here, apologies but I made up for it by buying their T-shirt; fluorescent orange flaming log on black – the height of fashion in 2020, or so I’ve heard on the streets.

As I arrived at the stage, Bailey Wiley was already under way. I peeked out through my one good eye as the other was stinging from 50 plus suntan lotion mixing with sweat dripping down my forehead. It’s OK I said to myself, you only need one good eye and ears to review – ideally also a brain not too overly lubricated by booze, and those lines were already too long to justify standing in. The first thing I notice about Bailey Wiley is what great tattoos she has, second how soulful her voice was, deep and rich, echoing out across the slowly filling park. This was balanced by solid simple bass lines perfectly in unison with the drum pattern. The lyrics of Sugar, their last song, ‘Meet me in the middle, meet me half way’, a lovely sweet introduction to the afternoon.

Jess B was up next. There was something sort of homely about the computer sampling set up on a dining room table that brought a smile to my face. That smile grew when the two Divas turned into 6, with the addition of a four girl dancing troop. God damn! This set was good. Awesome lyrical content rapped out to the beat, with 8 arms flying, 8 legs kicking, hips gyrating, sensually charging the crowd and lifting the tempo. MC Silva did a guest appearance, dropping in some Caribbean style dub verbosity, while Teo thumped out some wicked beats on the skins. My only critique is of the line up order. They were so good I wish they had more of the crowd there to hear them.

Avantdale Bowling Club were up next, mispronounced by the introduction as Avondale, an easy mistake but not made by those in the know. Impossible to fault this mixture of excellently executed jazz with poetic rapped out lyricism. As far as I am concerned Tom Scott is a god and other than that Moustache by my books can do no wrong. He rapped out ‘Get High, Get Drunk, Get Down’, and the crowd obliges in arm swinging groove. ‘Years gone by’ and ‘Home’, my fav’s, both on record and this day, in the sun.

He left me with a thought for the day, ‘Welcome to Auckland, the rent price of New York, the opportunities of Invercargill’. He finished with a poetic rant cementing his place as one of NZ’s best wordsmiths, at least in the spoken word department.

L.A.B open up with a Jimmy Hendrix style guitar solo from another decade. For a moment, as a long haired girl walks past, I think I am in Woodstock. Behind her, her boyfriend touts himself a mighty head of dreads. Yes I am in the right place. My time warp immersion was explained when they proudly tout they are from, Whakatane, The Mount and Tauranga. No disrespect is intended, those are beautiful places under our long white cloud. The crowd loves it. My sarcastic nature is held at bay. It’s harder to review music that may not be my genre, but judging from the crowd, the sunshine, the ambience created by the flowing long green clouds of smoke around me; they rocked like Slayer. ‘Baby can you want me’ lyrics shone out, when the guy next to me sang loudly out of tune along to it. Share the love, that was my thought – loving a band with its followers who knew all the words. Bringing children on stage will always work to earn brownie points at an all ages event where people have brought their children. 10/10 for karma creating goodness guys. You put the west into Western Springs. Looking around I wondered if anyone was left out there with this concert pumping.

CHAII was up next, and here yes again I am a fan. We have a beautiful multicultural mix here in Tamaki Makaurau. When an artist shows videos of something we don’t have, ‘Camels’, I am all in. Please open the doors for all sorts of culture. If it comes in Red fashionable pant and coat suit hat ensemble, all the better. Fashion rules in the videos that take us to other worlds. The beats Thumping out of the Pad driven drum machine worked. Being tucked away at the side of the stage some might find annoying. With wicked Videos to add, who cares what side of the stage you are on. It was a nice variance from the big screens showing the band. I am always at the front, but with the screens, if I was a little further back, I never know where to look. Wicked set, wicked multiculturalism, bloody great thumping melting pot. Digebasse (enough) was the mint finishing track.

David Rodigan was up next, crazy arse hats and all. To be honest I was lost for a bit. I was unfamiliar with how to appreciate someone who kept cutting off songs I wanted to hear with rants of information, some of which I knew, some of which I didn’t. What grew from an irritation with this technique was an appreciation of his taste and place in the BBC scene in Brexitland. The crowd loved it; he played old Reggae, Reggaton and Jungle. Why would they not? I have never seen a Pom dance around with a towel in his mouth looking like a long-handle moustache of a walrus before. Thank you for that.

The main event: by now you may have guessed I am out of my element at this festival. Not out of my element in an appreciation of awesome music which is all I have heard so far. But out of my element in styles of music I listen to. 5stars, I do have for Avantedale Bowling Club which is in my record collection. Shame on you if you don’t have it. But I have to admit for the main event I was overseas for a lot of Fat Freddy’s Drop’s rise to fame. I see this as listening with virgin ears, and damn, I love music. Like a new needle on a record player, if I could get some virgin ears to listen to a band with I would pay a million. Here’s my million worth.

Opening song. ‘Blackbird’. I am listening to Joe Dukie (Dallas Tamaira) and trying to describe his voice. Initially I am having trouble finding words (a rare thing for a writer). There is a soft politeness which makes you want to lean in and listen. As you lean in and listen you’re hooked. There is Mana here. There is poetry. Softly through this powerhouse of a band, whispered politely. The people who can soft speak beauty, do so to music, capture you without shouting, tug at your heartstrings. Damn I want to invite him over my place for dinner. That’s star power, that stuff. The thing that galaxies are made from. These Virgin ears are hooked. I am glad I took the step to take this review, step out of my comfort zone. The band, everyone from the Them, multicultural diversity and proud as dudes, from the Chopstick through the hair to the Raleigh-20 on stage. From the flowing white robes (later underwear) of the trombone player to the dude in glasses who looked like he had just walked out of a spy movie. I am not going to list the songs here as I listened to them with virgin ears. I am not going to list musicians as every one of them played a part in a seriously international New Zealand act that formed a uniform bloody great symphonia. I left NZ when these guys formed in 1999. As a virgin to their music, and a late starter, an unlikely reviewer – I am now in love. Isn’t that how all virginities should be be given?

You guys rocked dudes. I am going to finish with an Australian quote that sums it up for me the day, even though I am not from Skippyland:

“It’s the vibe of it. It’s the constitution, it’s Justice…and ah no it’s the vibe. I rest my case.”

Virginity lost.

Bailey Wiley – Photo by Chontalle Musson / Ambient Light

Were you there at Western Springs Outer Field for this beautiful summer festival styled gig? Or have you seen Fat Freddy’s Drop somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Fat Freddy’s Drop Setlist:

1. Blackbird
2. Silver and Gold
3. Kamo Kamo
4. Slings and Arrows
5. Special Edition
6. Raleigh Twenty
7. Flashback
8. Untitled
9. Mother Mother
10. Cortina Motors
11. Shiverman
12. Roady [encore]

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