Marlon Williams & The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
16th February 2019
Villa Maria Estate, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Fiona Connor. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
Watching day turn to night to a soundtrack of Marlon Williams saw a crowd stand to their feet in applause at Villa Maria Winery on Saturday night. Donned in a dark blue which could be mistaken for black until the ominous lighting hit the stage, Williams was prepared to give his all to the Auckland crowd and reveal why he’s come off the back of his most acclaimed year yet.
The fourth show into his 12-date Tūrangawaewae Tour, Williams appeared focused on the quality of his sound, skipping any theatrics, while perfectly complimented by the faultless Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra who together warmed guests with Come To Me, and I Know a Jeweller.
Using his charm to nervously fill gaps between songs, it was a knack reflective of his true self – a young heart with an old soul. The power of Williams’ vocals would quickly draw the attention back to his natural talent displayed on a dimly lit stage – a man with a voice and ready to use it. The depth of his lyrics felt right performed in the darkness, both words and colour able to pull on feelings of vulnerability, feat and confusion.
The accompanying orchestra rose to its own occasion as Williams flaunted his dynamic range across What’s Chasing You, Party Boy and Vampire Again – pull out moments, showing an upbeat, careless side of the 27-year-old.
As the sky became ever darker, Williams powered through the catalogue of his cherished classics Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore, I Didn’t Make A Plan and Beautiful Dress, moving through each delicately controlling the tempo of the night, flipping between bright and emotional. It was as if Williams had been a teenager in an earlier decade, embracing each song with an edge of preciseness and rich tone.
Don McGlashan returned to the stage (after earlier completing a triumphant set of his own), surprising audiences with a French horn for part one of Williams’ encore, Love Is A Terrible Thing. The moon complimented the show’s end as the sky fell black, Williams belted out Portrait of a Man – a fitting end as the white light of the moon took a more prominent shape behind this extraordinary singer songwriter.
Were you there at Villa Maria Estate for this beautiful summer gig? Or have you seen Marlon Williams perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Come To Me
- I Know A Jeweller
- The Fire Of Love
- Beautiful Dress
- I Didn’t Make A Plan
- Strange Things
- I’m Lost Without You
- Dark Child
- Devil’s Daughter
- Modern Love
- Somebody’s Baby
- Vampire Again
- Can I Call You
- What’s Chasing You
- Party Boy
- Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore
- Make Way For Love
- Love Is A Terrible Terrible
- When I Was A Young Girl [encore]
- Portrait Of A Man [encore]
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