Julia Deans & The Dauphin of Mississippi
10th January 2021
Mangakuri Chapel, Hastings, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, photography by Olivia Robertson.
For this, the first iteration of the Sitting Room Sessions for this year that carries hopes of being a better one than the last shit-show (but hasn’t started well, with its intimations of Trumped-up sedition), the venue was the sylvan setting of the Mangakuri Station Chapel, not much more than a stone’s throw from the ocean.
First act of the night, in his penultimate performance in this country before returning to Covid Central, was the inimitable Lost Dauphin of Mississippi, aka Jason Burge. I’ve written of this fine man before, and will always have time for his literate odes that cover territory from Mississippi to Makara, Wyoming to Wellington, Hattiesburg to Hokitika, Laramie to Lower Hutt. This evening was a fitting farewell, with songs chosen from the 80-odd written while resident on these shores, all continuing in his established vein of skilfully plucked guitar accompanying soulful delivery of intelligent and considered lyrics, accompanied by his new bride, Claire (The Dauphiness?). He’s promised to return to these parts when time, circumstances and pandemics permit, and I’ll be among the first in the queue to see him again when he does.
The rest of the night belonged to the peroxide powerhouse that is Julia Deans, fresh off the back of marking 20 years since Fur Patrol’s “Lydia” knocked Destiny’s Child from the top of the New Zealand charts. In an age that overvalues hyperbole, terms such as “iconic” can be thrown around all too readily, but surely she’d be among those best qualified to claim the title after such a sustained career.
I previously reviewed Julia in a Sitting Room Session not that long ago, and the review reflected the great impression that she left then. It seemed on this night, though, that there was an extra magic at play – a degree of purity in sound and performance that brought an extra dimension to the experience. Or maybe it was the venue, as she suggested when we talked after the gig – whatever the reason, this was next-level stuff indeed!
Opening with the venue-appropriate “Holy” from Fur Patrol days, the set covered the breadth of her career, while not skirting the admonishment she reported having received recently in Marlborough for the profanity of her between-song banter (like she gave a fuck!).
Something that stood out is the extent to which the lyrical content is threaded through with the common experiences and issues that seem to be an unavoidable part of the human condition – while offering hope and support through the dark times. This ultimately uplifting spirit was exemplified by the four songs that comprised the middle of the performance. The first of these was the tune commissioned by Project Prima Volta (a local venture whose aim is to encourage teenagers in pursuing musical careers, and the reason for Julia’s visit to the Bay) and given its first airing on the night “Tower Of Little Things”, followed by “Goliath”. Continuing the theme was the song written with Delaney Davidson,“Shadow of the Mountain”, and rounding out the quartet was “Six-String Heart”. All four particularly imbued with a common spirit of humanity, and providing solace through the universal struggle – reflective of the genuinely warm personality behind the music.
“Clandestine” was performed beautifully, as was “New Dialogue” which demonstrated the aforementioned clarity and purity of tone, holding the audience enraptured through the entire session.
A cover version of Voice of the Beehive’s “Don’t Call Me Baby” harked back to early days busking, when it proved to be highly conducive to street performance. While back in the past, the Fur Patrol ouevre was tapped in the form of “Hauling You Around” and “Lydia”, before 2010’s “Modern Fables” brought a magic evening to a close, one with a bittersweet note from the thought of imminent departure of one of the performers, but uplifting nonetheless.
If music does indeed have the power to calm a savage beast, the Sessions promise to bring much peace as they roll on into 2021 – if given export encouragement they could even be enough to cause horned marauders to desist from their Capitol outrages!
Were you there at the Mangakuri Chapel for this beautiful gig? Or have you seen Julia Deans or The Lost Dauphin Of Mississippi perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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