Reb Fountain
9th August 2023
Sherenden Community Hall, Sherenden, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, photography by Andrew Caldwell.
After a period of mid-winter hibernation, the Small Hall Sessions are back, baby! And with the sublime Reb Fountain, with full band in tow, kicking off the re-awakening, one would have to say that the future is looking very bright indeed.
The first glimmer of this period of revival occurred in the slightly remote Sherenden Hall, with an appreciative audience enjoying one of the brightest lights in Aotearoa’s musical pantheon, up close and personal. A very rare treat indeed, given the size of venue and audience that she’d normally attract – such is the draw of the Small Halls!
In an even more exclusive treat (whose rarity could be compared to that of incisors on poultry), the opening/support slot was filled by Dave Khan. Far more accustomed to the position of unassuming sideman in a wide variety of acts, playing an almost equally wide variety of instruments, the occasion of seeing him play solo is definitely one for the books, and further proof of the Small Halls’ power. He played a wide-ranging set, bringing a hitherto-unseen level of depth to “How Bizarre” one minute, the next giving us a full rundown of amphibian nuptials. All delivered in a laconic, straight-ahead manner, with a degree of intensity to rival that of The Man in Black himself, and showing that this is a light that deserves to come out from behind its bushel a wee bit more often than it does!
After the standard intermission, to allow for construction of the elaborate stage setting (not really!) it was time for the star of the show. Leading off with just voice and acoustic guitar, before being joined by the rest of the band, it was obvious that this was going to be a slightly different proposition to the expansive experience more commonly associated with Reb. For one thing, the stage was infinitesimally smaller than her usual domain, which would have an obvious impact on her ability to practise her accustomed leonine prowl! But at the same time, vastly closer to the audience – a very good thing indeed.
Following on was the most recent release, “Faithless Lover”, which introduced the rest of the band to proceedings, for the type of smouldering slow build to a point of intensity that is a trademark of her style. “Faster”, with its dominant riff that always puts me in mind of someone like Glen Campbell, returned to slightly more familiar territory, given its well-deserved status as a live staple, before “Swim to the Stars” ramped up the intensity, maintained through an equally moving rendition of “Hey Mom”, the tribute to the bonds of family in times of difficulty and isolation. She was then challenged by an audience member to top this, which was more than adequately met in the form of “Heart”. Slotting in perfectly with the rest of the set was the sole cover version, a tribute to the sorely missed Sinead O’Connor with a rendition of “Last Day of our Acquaintance”, one of my personal faves as well, given the respect it deserves. Vale Sinead!
The dynamic tension was maintained with the duo of “Hawks and Doves” and “Psyche”, in the middle of which was a potentially unwise roam to the edge of the stage, thankfully curtailed before any consequences ensued!
The inevitable, demanded encore slot was filled by “Don’t You Know Who I Am”, a highlight of any Reb performance, capping off a great show, and setting up nicely for the remaining 3 shows in the series. A truly remarkable performance indeed, and a worthy return for the Small Halls. Bring it on!
Were you there at the Sherenden Community Hall for this intimate gig? Or have you seen Reb Fountain perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
Note: Ambient Light was given 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. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission.
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This is a fantastic write-up and the photos are incredible. I would have loved to have been there. I’ve seen Reb and her band a lot while they were supporting Marlon Williams in the UK last year but only seen them do two full-length sets so far. Hopefully they’ll be back before too long. And I’m very envious of you getting to see a Dave Khan solo set!