Small Hall Sessions & NZ Music Month presents:
Hawkes Bay Music Month: Week Three
19th – 21st May 2023
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, photography by Andrew Caldwell & Chris Kiely.
If there’s one thing that the HB Music Month initiative has made clear, it’s the sheer depth of talent that lurks in, or originates from, the area sometimes referred to as “The Fruit Bowl of New Zealand”. Granted, the bowl may have taken a few hits of late, and may look a little chipped, but it’s not down for the count just yet, and events such as this are a vital part of the recovery process, offering opportunity to connect, and take a brief pause from the shitty stuff.
Music has a healing power, and when administered by such practitioners as these, has the potential to perform significant good in souls that have suffered much. And none of it presented in any kind of flashy, “look at me” fashion-simplicity and humility being the common thread.
Commencing this third week of this series, in the Meeanee hall, was Bysshe Blackburn, with his intricate guitar playing. An unassuming presence, he captivated the audience from the off. I’m pretty sure that a lot of the audience hadn’t heard of him before – all the better for him to perform his magic! With minimal ado, he took his place on the stage and got straight down to business, that being the production of delicately plucked acoustic guitar pieces, all of them original. A quiet master, sharing his talent with select audiences – a new experience for many, making a good few new fans, if the applause be anything to go by.
The middle session of the night was the turn of local legend Richie Jackman, with his HB supergroup, normally known as Power, but on this occasion, due to limited stage size forcing a reduction in personnel, traveling under the moniker of Half Power. Whatever the degree of power, what was produced was pretty damn amazing-at its core, principally a Beatles/Kinks vibe channelled via Britpop. As I remarked to a good friend partway through: “It’s kinda pretty fuckin’ beautiful, in an understated way, innit?”. And I can’t really think of any better way than that to describe it – I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for their next appearance!
From the 60’s back to a few hundred years earlier, and then to the present day with original material, Project Prima Volta were next on the bill. I’ve written before of the mission of PPV, and in this setting it was plain to see the success of the program. An array of the next generation of musicians presented a set that reached back many years for some source material, from the likes of Handel and Mozart, while showcasing alongside this some original material composed by cast members. It’s perhaps the fact of there being original songs coming out of this that best demonstrates the success of the venture, in that the degree of confidence and skill required to do so is nurtured in this environment. While the origins may lie in the operatic sphere, clearly that base serves as a foundation for striking out and expressing themselves in their own voice. A truly worthy cause, indeed.
The second of the nights I caught, this time in the Haumoana Hall, within the sound of the sea and thus carrying a tiny degree of nervousness due the tsunami warning in place at the time (which came to nothing), continued the overall theme of humility and honesty, firstly with Collin Littlewood, sharing songs inspired by his broad life experience, songs of place. This is an artist who expresses openly and honestly what is in his heart, in a quiet way, and is a treat for the senses. Perhaps somewhat of a stretch on these sessions’ general intent being to give the opening slots to up-and-coming performers, but that’s the joy of these events – the power to bend things a little, as required!
Stepping in as a last minute stand-in for another musician struck down by the lurgy, Lady Larisa brought the sophisticated and jazzy vibe of a New York nightclub to this seaside settlement. Performing a set of original songs – which had the timeless quality of the standards of the genre, her powerful delivery exuded a subtle seductivity, making it clear why she has a reach far beyond the shores of Aotearoa – another world class talent tucked away in Te Matau a Maui!
Rounding out the night was perhaps one of the finest examples of a band maintaining an international profile while still remaining essentially local (how local? The lead singer lives literally around the corner from me!), in the form of Devil’s Elbow. Taking their very name from a prominent geological feature of the bay, this combo has, for 16 years and counting, been pumping out the finest in country punk’n’roll-think Jason and the Scorchers, The Blasters, The Eastern (who they’ve performed alongside many a time), all with an individual vision reflective of origin. Songs imbued with passion and soul, expressing a spirit of care, compassion and fellow-feeling. And up there with some of the loudest sounds heard in the confines of a Small Hall Session! Not a bad thing, indeed – sometimes a bit of volume can be just what the doctor ordered, as far as blasting away the blues!
So as this bold venture enters the home straight, with only four of the sixteen gigs left to play, it would have to be regarded as successful thus far – the mission of showcasing the best the Bay has to offer, and simultaneously bringing solace to tired souls, achieved in spades. And there’s still more to come! Sherenden, Twyford, Waipukurau and Puketapu-your time is nigh! Get online and get your tickets, as this series winds up to finish strong – you won’t regret it!
Bysshe Blackburn:
Half Power:
Project Prima Volta:
Collin Littlewood:
Lady Larisa:
Devil’s Elbow:
Were you there in the Hawkes Bay for any of these intimate gigs? Or have you seen any of these acts perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph these concerts. 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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