PRINS
15th April 2023
The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Bridget Herlihy with photography by Doug Peters.
It has been a busy week of gigs in Tamaki Makarau, and The Tuning Fork turned it on again on Saturday for the second night of PRINS’ ‘Goodbye To The Old Me’ world tour. Like many others, the Christchurch based singer/songwriter had to press pause on playing live shows for a couple of years, but she used that time to continue honing her craft culminating in this epic tour. Launching the tour in her adopted hometown of Christchurch earlier this week, PRINS’ tour will span several months, including dates in Australia, the Philippines, the United States, Canada and Europe.
With two opening acts it was a fine night for lovers of pop, starting off with emerging artist Rachel Leo, a burgeoning songstress who delivered a short but enjoyable set of original material that had many in the crowd dancing and singing along. Leo’s talent was immediately obvious, with her sweet yet subtly sultry vocals the perfect accompaniment to her brand of disco inspired pop. Only in her early 20’s, it is apparent that she has a bright future ahead, with her vocal performance at times reminiscent of a young Ellie Goulding. Leo’s single ‘Conversations’, written about her drummer, was very well received as those at the front of the stage sang along with her.
Next on the line-up was Taylor Roche and his band, an Auckland-based songwriter whose enthusiasm for being onstage was second to none. Roche has thus far clocked up an impressive 100 thousand followers on TikTok, no doubt in part due to his upbeat and joyous persona. He ripped through an energetic set of largely original material, which he refers to as ‘dream-pop’, blending together quintessential elements of 80s and 90s inspired pop – but with a contemporary flavour. Along with impressive performances of singles ‘Better Than Home’ and ‘Day and Night’, he also covered Vanessa Carlton’s ‘A Thousand Miles’, much to delight of many in the audience.
As she arrived on stage, flanked by her guitarist and bassist, there was no mistaking that the night belonged to PRINS (aka Alanah Prins). Having made a name for herself with performances around the country at a number of festivals, she was clearly adored by the small but steadily growing crowd in the venue. PRINS is garnering a significant following, and it is easy to see and hear why. With two EPs and a number of singles already under her belt, PRINS is an extremely polished singer songwriter, and her command of the stage is impressive, no doubt in part to her background in dancing. PRINS has struck the perfect balance between the sweetness of pop and her assertive and fun persona, making her a joy to watch. Opening with ‘Savage’, she immediately ruled the stage, with her vocal prowess and impressive moves commanding attention for the entirety of her performance. Her vocals are powerful, and shine bright on each and every one of her tracks, with highlights of the set including outstanding renditions of ‘Better Now’, ‘Goodbye To The Old Me’ and ‘Love Of My Life’.
If I was forced to comment on the negative, it was a bit of a shame that the lighting (dark washes of colour that didn’t seem to compliment each other) and minimal stage production was more akin to a dingy pub than a high quality pop production that PRINS is obviously very worthy of creating. Even a little stage fog to bring the atmosphere and make the background spots pop a little more, and perhaps the introduction of some clean non coloured spots on the performers would have gone a long way to lifting the set to the next level. However, with a musical performance of such a high standard, there is no question whatsoever that PRINS is the real deal, and international audiences are in for a real treat on her upcoming world tour. Her care, dedication and passion for her song writing and performance were on full display to great effect, and I look forward to seeing just how far this obvious talent goes – watch this space!
PRINS:
Taylor Roche:
Rachel Leo:
Were you there at The Tuning Fork for this magnificent dance pop gig? Or have you seen PRINS perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Savage
- Better Now
- Love Of My Life
- Midnight Calling
- On The Low
- 3AM
- Hazardous
- Goodbye To The Old Me
- That’s The Thing X
- Follow Me
- Something New
- Lunatic
- Copycat Killer
- Don’t Say It
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only.
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