Lany
17th July 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chontalle Musson.
Two years to the month Los Angeles trio Lany returned to Auckland’s Powerstation last night sporting both a new look, new music and an additional member.
Opening act Robinson set the pace for the sold-out audience, some of who had been camped outside the venue since four am, her bouncy set featuring a mixture of both originals and covers. Born in Nelson the now Auckland based singer – accompanied by two live musicians – produced an almost flawless set, her enthusiastic delivery and interaction with the fans appreciated by all.
While her cover of a favourite childhood song ‘I’m on Fire’ by Bruce Springsteen didn’t quite hit the mark due to the piano arrangement, it certainly showcased her outstanding vocals; tracks such as ‘Karma’, ‘Medicine’ and the undeniably massive hit ‘Nothing to Regret’ with which she finished her popular set, leaving a lasting impression. If Robinson keeps churning out hits such as these she will be a guaranteed household name worldwide in no time at all.
Walking out to a sea of roses – a common sight at any Lany show – lead vocalist Paul Klein looked completely different to the one that traversed the same stage two years ago. Gone were the shoulder length wavy locks and quirky striped pants; Klein preferring close cropped short hair and a baggy t-shirt. The killer smile and propensity to get up close and personal with his fans as often as possible still very much a part of his persona.
Sure enough, barely a few lines into opening track ‘Thick and Thin’ from their sophomore album ‘Malibu Nights’ released last October and Klein was leaning out over the edge of the stage, collecting roses from adoring young fans hands who proffered them like tokens of their everlasting fandom.
Against a backdrop that consistently changed throughout the evening, the band often silhouetted against a wall of sky blue, shimmering ivory or playing under an extreme closeup of a woman’s eyes; Klein, drummer Jake Goss and keyboardist Les Priest along with latest addition to the touring line-up, Giuliano Pizzulo on synths and guitar gave it their all, their exuberant performance – despite last night’s show being their eightieth of a one hundred stop tour – ensuring that energy levels never dipped throughout the night.
Delivering a set that was a fairly even mix of both Malibu Nights and their self-titled debut album, the audience impressed the indie/dream pop quartet with both their enthusiasm and their obvious knowledge of the lyrics as they sang along to just about every song; a quieter reverence settling over the crowd as Klein took to the piano to perform a more sombre version of ‘I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore’.
‘Made in Hollywood’ saw Klein climb onto the barrier, one fan offering their hand to steady him as he leaned out over the first few rows, an absolute sea of phone screens trained on his every move, a sadly familiar sight at most concerts these days. Following both ‘Run’ and a sweet version of ‘13’, Klein took the time out to humorously introduce the band before apologising to all those in attendance for the state of his voice. Explaining that earlier in the day he had seen a New Zealand doctor who advised he would have a fifty/fifty chance of even being able to perform, the crowd ecstatically applauded as Klein went on to state that there was just no way he was ever going to cancel; not when New Zealand was one of their favourite crowds ever.
Coming in for the home stretch Lany once again injected some high spirits into the room as strobe lights and glittering rays of golden yellow illuminated the stage for ‘Hericane’ and ‘Super Far’; Klein taking to the piano one last time for set closer ‘Malibu Nights’.
Attendees vigorously chanted and stomped for an encore, their efforts rewarded with ‘Thru These Tears’ and of course traditional set closer and arguably one of their biggest tracks to date, ‘ILYSB’. Lany joining together at the front of the stage to take a bow before strolling backstage, leaving their crew to hand out an abundance of set lists and guitar picks.
What better way to end a Wednesday and begin the run down to the weekend.
Were you there at the Powerstation to dance along to this magnificent award winning Indie-Pop sensation? Or have you seen Lany perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Thick And Thin
- Good Girls
- 4Ever!
- I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore
- Taking Me Back
- Made In Hollywood
- Hurts
- Run
- 13
- If You See Her
- Pink Skies
- Hericane
- Super Far
- Malibu Nights
- Thru These Tears [encore]
- Parents [tape track – encore]
- ILYSB [encore]
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