Nest Fest 2022
15th January 2022
Hawkes Bay Showgrounds, Hastings, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers. Photography by Chris Kiely, Emma Rodger & Brandon Weekes.
Having seen off 2021 with a boot up the arse, the Hawkes Bay scene has taken full advantage of “Orange” status to welcome in a new year in rousing fashion, with gigs left right and centre, including the fourth iteration of NestFest, upscaling from the bijou setting of Black Barn to the more expansive setting of the Hawkes Bay Showgrounds as it goes from strength to strength.
With over 50 acts, spread across 5 stages, in the space of 11 hours, such events are inevitably a pick’n’mix with an element of lucky dip thrown in – after planning for the appearances you’re particularly there for, it’s then a matter of wandering and seeing what grabs. All of which is a polite way of saying that if I haven’t mentioned your particular favourite, sorry not sorry, there’s only one of me!
With all that said, the first act I checked out, who seemed to have quite a buzz around their appearance, was Rhys Rich, from Pōneke. His hip-hop stylings garnered an enthusiastic response from the audience, but didn’t really strike the early afternoon tone I was after, so I instead headed over and caught Lips on the main stage. Their 90s-tinged summery pop, with a hard edge better suited my vibe, so I stayed and caught all of the set. To be honest, they’d not crossed my radar previously, but after seeing them this is a state I intend to remedy forthwith! Brightly delivered retro-New Wave, with a strong injection of electronica. Their set culminated in a rousing performance of recent single “Your Deodorant Doesn’t Work”, a tale of a relationship that isn’t – definitely not a case of smelling like Teen Spirit!
I then caught Glass Vaults’ set, which, while quite distinct, also wasn’t a million miles away in feel, with a similar infusion of electronic elements, albeit more in the form of swathes of synth, accompanying a consciously melanin-deficient funky vibe, self-referentially addressed in the song “Flat White Boy”. Their number “I Don’t Belong Here” couldn’t have been more inaccurately titled, in the moment, as their sound perfectly captured the mood of the time and space in which they found themselves.
Unfortunately this meant that I only caught the tail end of Michael Llewellyn’s set, but what I did catch was intriguing enough to make me want to check him out further. From here was a somewhat indecisive period, in which both Matthew Young and Dual failed to get on my wave – not necessarily a reflection on them (“It’s not them, it’s me” perhaps?).
Liam Finn next grabbed my attention, with a set mostly composed of solo loops, with the addition of ensemble members Frederick (the 4-track tape recorder), who failed to pull his weight, pleading technical difficulties, and Geraldine (The Theremin) who provided a strong contribution to the numbers in which she appeared. Further augmentation on the human front appeared for the finale, with the provision of a Ferrell-pleasing amount of cowbell helping to cap off a smouldering performance which built in intensity as the set continued, and set the stage nicely for the appearance of The Veils.
From one Finn to another, Mr Andrews and crew entered at full speed with “Not Yet” and barely hit the brakes once through a set that was largely comprised of material from “Nux Vomica”, off the back of last year’s tour where the album was played in full. “Swimming With The Crocodiles” and “Birds” covered arguably similar territory to each other, in their subject matter of beasts with a similar lineage back to the dinosaurs, before “Nux Vomica” and “Calliope” raised the intensity level.
“Advice For Young Mothers To Be” brought things back to a calmer state, before the intensity revived through a brooding rendition of “One By The Venom” with its dramatic close, and came to a peak on the finale of “Jesus For The Jugular”, leaving the audience agape.
It was then the turn of Kiran J Callinan to strut his stuff. Again, one who’s not crossed my radar, which allowed him to be free from expectation. I have to say that I was impressed. A somewhat genre-bending performance, ranging from guitar heroics through full-on dancefest vibes, delivered with a touch of larrikin spirit, with lyrical content hinting at deep themes, including the pervasiveness of toxic masculinity and its societal impact. Another one I’ll be checking out further!
Ladyhawke was next on the bill, with her sequencer and guitar-driven tunes keeping the floor moving, technical difficulties and all, and featuring the appearance of a gyrating Liam Finn! The set started in a confident, straight-ahead manner and continued in that vein without faltering, giving the crowd exactly what they were there for, culminating in a driving performance of “My Delirium” that left the crowd wanting more.
The final act of my night was Marlon Williams, one who I’ve not managed to see before despite being familiar with his work. He started strongly with a solo acapella “E Mawehe Ana Au”, utilising the full strength of his haunting vocal ability, which continued through a soaring “Come To Me” (x2!). “Vampire Again” upped the volume and instrumental weight, before introducing some new songs in the form of “My Boy” and “Don’t Go Back”. These numbers, and the remainder of the set, were the ones that brought the vocals to the fore, and were therefore more successful to my mind, given that it’s in this area that Marlon’s true USP is. As a sop to those who’ll be deprived of seeing Rockin’ Rod later this year, the finale took the form of “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”, the song that Mr Stewart took and made his own. This, while continuing to highlight the vocal strength, also saw the return of Mr Callinan to the stage, to perform guitar duties on the solo, in a duel with Dave Kahn (in his second appearance of the show, after being part of the Veils lineup alongside Cassie Phillips who joined him here and also played with Ladyhawke – a remarkable threepeat!) seeing out the festival on a high note, sending satisfied patrons out into the Hawkes Bay night with a soothing glow, and anticipation of what next year may bring.
So NestFest marks it’s place on the Hawkes Bay calendar as one to be at, and all things being equal, I’ll be back!
Were you there at the Hawkes Bay Showgrounds for this special day out in the sun? Be sure to check out and like our Facebook page for all of our crowd photos from the day! Or have you been to Nest Fest in a different year? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this festival. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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