Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields
10th June 2023
Argyll Community Hall, Argyll, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, photography by Andrew Caldwell.
Two-time Sitting Room Sessions performer Kerryn Fields has finally been inducted into the league of the Small Hall Sessions, bringing with her her current musical collaborator, Matt Joe Gow. The journey to this point has not been a smooth one, with the previous attempt being derailed by Te-Matau-a-Maui’s most unwelcome visitor, the one who we’ll just refer to as CG (most definitely not a GC!). But, sharing the same indomitable spirit that is seeing the province restoring itself, so too are the Small Hall Sessions fighting on, and thusly was the program able to be rescheduled.
As mentioned, Kerryn is not unfamiliar in these parts, at least not to the discerning Sitting Room/Small Halls audience, but Matt Joe Gow, not so much! As compatriots sharing a similar status as artists in (voluntary) exile on the other side of the Tasman, and having a mutual admiration of each other’s craft, once their paths crossed they realised that they could make beautiful music together (and that’s all!). Consequently they’re currently working on a joint album, bringing the concept of a supergroup to the arena of Kiwi country music (made in Australia).
This short run of sessions comes at the end of an extensive touring schedule up and down the motu. It’s very clear to see the musical and emotional bond this duo has established in a relatively short space of time. Someone stumbling across a show not knowing who they are could be forgiven for mistaking them to be siblings, such is the nature of their interweaving playing and harmonies, and particularly the banter! But enough background, you want to read about the actual gig, so read on…
I arrived late for the start of the show (such is the busy life of the peripatetic columnist) and missed the first few songs, unfortunately, but what I did catch was both hugely enjoyable and enough to make me wish I’d not been late! As would be expected, these shows are comprised of each artists’ individual material, and the songs they’ve written together. This was epitomised across the first four songs, being Matt’s “Flowers in Your Hair”, the joint effort “No Trace”, Kerryn’s “Mamma” and another joint effort, which I didn’t catch the name of, but which had a bluesy swing to it, courtesy of riffmeister Matt. Kerryn described the process of this song’s creation as having made them jump for joy upon realising what a special thing they’d made, and it certainly whets the appetite for the album to eventually surface! The sole cover song of the night was a tribute to the enduring legend of Sir Dave, in the form of “It Dawned on Me”, giving the duo a chance to display their beautiful harmonies on a song from outside of their own creative processes, making it a worthy tribute indeed.
The activity of playing with a fellow musician with whom a synchrony of feel has been established allows for material originally created solo to benefit from augmentation with additional textures, and this was exemplified by the extended rendition of Kerryn’s “Atlantis”, given space to extend its horizons and expand in a way that was beautiful to see. Together, these self-described “mechanics of the heart” managed to live out their side-person dreams, while indulging a joint devotion to the under-rated art of the tambourine, and admitting to still feeling the same thrill as they did as teenagers in strapping on a guitar (and playing rock’n’roll!). All while singing songs about divorce, dying and other upbeat topics – this being country music and all. No dogs dying, but the inevitable pickup truck made its way in there.
The first product of their collaboration, the first of many to come, according to Kerryn, was the single “Your Heart of Gold”, given an airing towards the end of the set, and demonstrating the full promise of the material to come, and this was followed by the first song they ever performed live, Matt’s “Georgia Rose”, sending a select audience of fans both old and new off on their way home with many a song in their hearts, and a spring in their step, having spent a very enjoyable couple of hours in the company of lovely people – and is there much more to life than that?
Were you there at the Argyll Community Hall for this intimate gig? Or have you seen Kerryn Fields or Matt Joe Gow perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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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