Milky Chance, Auckland NZ, 2017

Milky Chance

26th April 2017
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review and Photography by Sarah Kidd.

You could be forgiven for thinking that you had somehow been secretly transported to Frankfurt last night as pockets of German tourists stood around the venue awaiting the arrival of the hit sensation Milky Chance. Tonight’s show has sold out and the atmosphere inside is certainly one of celebration as the predominantly 20 something female audience chattered while killing time.

Support act for the night comes in the form of five piece local act Polyester who has the fantastic tag line of “We are glamorous bodies who make pop songs.” The band is completely (and respectfully) DIY; they do everything from production to filming of their music videos themselves. Formally known as Kip McGrath, they are led by lead vocalist Sylvia who cuts a striking figure in a matching pant suit with crisp white shirt. The remaining members look like a fantastic spin off of some of the quirky brit bands of the late 80’s with bass guitarist Michael rocking a tube style scarf and Tim (the multi-instrumentalist) strutting his stuff in a grunge/rock sleeveless t-shirt and a maroon mid-thigh skirt.

If anything Tim is a bit of a show stealer with his talents on both the guitar and the keyboard; combined with his on stage mannerisms he is highly entertaining to watch. Sylvia’s vocals are tremendous, especially when combined with the very adept backing vocals of Tane on guitar. Their songs are pop without the sickly overtones, threads of reggae subtly running through underneath. They have recently released their single ‘Ordinary Day’ and have played several shows around town including a performance in Aotea Square earlier this year as part of the ‘Auckland Live: Summer in the Square’ series. These guys are definitely on the fast track to success.

By now the place is bustling with excited fans, many dancing away to the house music in preparation for the main act of the night. As the house lights dim and the band members take the stage, the crowd loses it altogether. Several girls in the front row are in danger of going into complete meltdown as they realise that lead singer Clemens Rehbein is taking up position directly in front of them “I love you SO much – honestly I want to marry you!!” screams one of the girls, Rehbeins smiling with his head bowed as he adjusts his guitar. The stage is set with four stations, a drum kit on the right, and an impressive set of conga drums to the left. Rehbein and his partner in crime Antonio Greger take the frontline. Large bronze discs set inside frames sit around the stage, providing a breathtaking effect as the stage lights project through and off them.

Originating from Kassel in Germany, Milky Chance formed back in 2013 after a friendship formed between Rehbein and Philipp Dausch (DJ/Producer) while they were both finishing their secondary education. After Rehbein penned several songs, the duo played only two live shows before recording their debut album in a home-made studio. Before releasing said album they uploaded several songs onto popular music platforms Soundcloud and YouTube. One of those songs was ‘Stolen Dance’; and within a short amount of time it had gone viral and the rest as they say is history. Milky Chance now sells out shows wherever they go; they have performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live as well as sets at both the House of Blues and Coachella. And with their new album Blossom being released in March of this year, they show no signs of slowing down just yet.

Their set tonight leans heavily on tracks off their latest album with ‘Clouds’ opening the proceedings – everyone immediately joining in with singing the words. Their music is highly infectious and has strong themes of reggae and calypso styling’s running through it; not surprising when the band have stated that they are influenced by the likes of Marley, Ray Charles and Frusciante (of Red Hot Chili Peppers).

Third song in and the venue is bouncing, with the chorus of ‘Blossom’ being sung ecstatically by the audience members, threatening to drown out the band themselves. Rehbein appears to be genuinely enjoying himself on stage, a huge smile on his face as he watches everyone. “Thank You” he says as the song ends, nodding to fellow musician Greger on guitar as they both laugh. Greger joined the band in 2015 and his addition has added a whole new layer to their music. One of the most accomplished harmonica players to grace the stage of the Powerstation in a while – his playing elicits the full attention of the masses as the notes twist and turn in the air, moving from pure joy to bluesy goodness on tracks such as ‘Cold Blue Rain’. Greger is however a man of many talents and his guitar and backing vocals are certainly not be ignored either.

“We want to show you guys some reggae music” Rehbein quips as the band moves into the heavier part of the show, the bass reverberating through the mass of bodies pushed up against the barrier. However while everyone likes to feel the music, the bass was slightly too loud for a venue of this size and drowned out both the vocals and guitar of Rehbein. Towards the end of the show Rehbein once again addresses the fans; “We have played lots of new songs tonight and it’s so nice to see so many people singing along – makes us feel good, so thank you” his genuine gratitude obvious in his smile.

Finishing on ‘Cocoon’ (or the AR song as some like to call it) Greger takes his harmonica playing to the next level once again while Rehbein kills it vocally by holding the last note for the longest time, the crowd howling their approval. As is the game with most concerts the band bid everyone goodnight and disappears backstage while the chants for an encore echo through the air, Milky Chance thankfully making the audience wait less than 30 seconds before once again appearing and playing their biggest hit of the evening ‘Stolen Dance’ Greger and Rehbein facing each other mid-stage for a friendly guitar duel. A young blonde girl manages to circumvent security and scrambles up onto the stage before being unceremoniously dragged off by a roadie, Rehbein looking surprised but laughing off the intrusion.

“This is our last song, peace and love, take care, goodbye” he calls out to the audience before playing the catchy little track ‘Sweet Sun’. The house lights went up but for once their brightness was dulled by that of the smiles planted firmly on the faces of the exiting crowd.

Milky Chance perform live in Auckland, New Zealand 2017. Image by Sarah Kidd.

Were you there at Powerstation for this stunning sold out gig? Or have you seen Milky Chance live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!