London Grammar
30th September 2017
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Bridget Herlihy. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
There is a saying that patience is a virtue, and patience well and truly paid off for fans of London Grammar, with the acclaimed three-piece touching down in Auckland for their first ever New Zealand show at Spark Arena. Touring in support of their second album ‘Truth Is A Beautiful Thing’, released in June, this was the band’s final performance in the Southern hemisphere before jetting back to Europe for a leg of sold-out gigs. Needless to say anticipation was at an all-time high with the eminent appearance of the indie-pop darlings, the arena nearly at capacity with an eclectic audience of London Grammar devotees.
Also on his first trip to NZ, Irish singer songwriter James Vincent McMorrow opened the night’s proceedings with a fine set showcasing material spanning much of his career. As any fan of his can attest, McMorrow’s back catalogue has masterfully jumped between genres; from a predominantly folk-inspired sound to more r&b/electronic tendencies, which were revealed on 2016’s ‘We Move’. He was impressively accompanied by his backing band, consisting of multi-instrumentalist keyboardists who moved between keys, bass and guitar and drums, and provided a multi-layered, rich sound that filled the venue with ease. With McMorrow himself alternating between synths and guitar, the singer songwriter delivered an impressive set that had much of the steadily growing crowd spellbound. Opening with Red Dust, McMorrow played a set that spanned his first three albums, but interestingly nothing from 2017’s ‘True Care’. Synth-heavy ‘Get Low’ rocked the arena, which was quickly followed by a single spotlight falling on McMorrow for a soulful, solo rendition of ‘Lost Angles’, with his distinctive falsetto shining as he belted out the song’s definitive lines of “Don’t let fear control you”, undeniably the most poignant moment of the performance. Ending the set on an extremely high note, with the divine ‘Cavalier’, McMorrow undoubtedly delivered a performance that thrilled his existing fans, and no doubt won him some new ones as well.
There was a quick set change, as the stage bathed in blue light awaited the arrival of the headliner of the evening. Yet it was to prove a lengthy wait, with the lack of music playing through the PA indicating that perhaps technical difficulties were afoot. The arena was filled with the sound of thousands of eager voices, whom duly waited an hour before finally being rewarded for their patience when the headliners of the evening finally appeared onstage.
Vocalist Hannah Reid’s distinctive voice echoed through the arena with an a capella version of the opening verse and chorus of ‘Rooting For You’, before she was musically accompanied by fellow band mates Dan Rothman (guitar) and Dominic ‘Dot’ Major (synths/drums). Her vocals are hauntingly exquisite, with a dreamy quality that is difficult not to become seduced by. As the lights faded to black, Reid spoke a simple “hey, what’s up”, which was met with a bevy of cheers, apologising for the aforementioned technical difficulties before launching into ‘Flickers’ from the band’s debut album ‘If You Wait’. Major then greeted the crowd with “Kia ora”, and noted that the crowd was much louder than the audiences in Australia, which did not fail to hype the crowd even further.
An impressive backdrop added visual interest to the otherwise minimalist stage, playing a series of stunning images that changed from song to song. It was a sight to behold watching this three piece almost effortlessly hold the attention of thousands of people with their melancholy and often sombre brand of indie-pop. It was equally fascinating to watch Major tapping out beats and smoothly shift between drums and synths. A highlights of the set included a superb rendition of ‘Hell to the Liars’, which saw Reid take to her keyboard, overlaid with a seductive guitar riff from Rothman. The more upbeat ‘Nonbeliever’ was also a highlight. During one of the set’s few pauses Reid reiterated that it was as a special evening for the group due to it being their first show in New Zealand, as she claimed to being “as good as half New Zealander” due to having a number of family members here. She also revealed that New Zealand is now also a very special place for Rothman after getting engaged here a few nights ago. Quite fittingly, Reid dedicated the show to Rothman’s new fiancé Lara, who is credited with introducing the three band members therefore playing an integral part in the formation of London Grammar. Unsurprisingly, the set concluded with a rousing performance of ‘Strong’, with Reid encouraging the crowd to sing their hearts out – which they dutifully did with passion.
After a brief pause the band emerged for the obligatory encore, much to the delight of their adoring fans; a silhouette of a large silver fern emblazoned across the backdrop before launching into ‘Bones of Ribbon’ and the stunning ‘Oh Woman Oh Man’. Ending the evening with the beautiful ‘Metal and Rust’, it is safe to say that London Grammar delivered a stunning performance of their signature soundscapes, one that left the crowd eager for more.
Here’s hoping it won’t be long before they grace our shores again.
Were you there at Spark Arena for this magnificent indie-pop show? Or have you seen London Grammar perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
London Grammar Setlist:
- Rooting For You
- Flickers
- Who Am I
- Wasting My Young Years
- Stay Awake
- Hell To The Liars
- Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
- Hey Now
- Nonbeliever
- Sights
- Big Picture
- Strong
- Bones of Ribbon (encore)
- Oh Woman Oh Man (encore)
- Metal and Dust (encore)
James Vincent McMorrow Setlist:
- Red Dust
- I Lye Awake
- Get Low
- Look Out
- All Points
- Killer Whales
- We Don’t Eat
- Cavalier
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