So Below & Theia
25th July 2019
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review and Photography by Sarah Kidd.
Female energy ruled the stage last night at Whammy Bar as local diva Theia teamed up with New Zealand’s own Queen of goth-pop So Below for a dreamy double header.
Bathed in red, So Below was the first to take the stage to deliver a set that exuded hypnotic beats and haunting vocals. Now based overseas it was a welcome return for So Below aka Madeline North, her presence undoubtedly missed at local events.
Dressed in her trademark black – the layers and textures of her clothes mirroring the many facets of her music – So Below was joined on stage by two fellow musicians, Aaron Short on keys and Jesse Wood on drums, the three often performing live together with outstanding synchronicity.
Old favourites kicked the night off, both ‘Sleep’ and ‘Hard’ painting the room with music made for the misty shadows of the night, North’s unfaltering voice, calling across the room with a celestial beauty that turns heads; her ability to perfectly control her voice on the upper register a testament to her talent.
Slipping in some of her latest work, North candidly confessed to her undying love for Jake Gyllenhaal, declaring that the track ‘Us’ is somewhat inspired by the handsome actor; ‘Bone’, the first single from So Below’s upcoming album providing her fans with a tantalizing live teaser.
An extended outro on ‘Far’ which North exquisitely built up before letting the pieces tumble back down into the swirling sonics led into fan favourite ‘Drift’, a track that is not only unmistakeable but deliciously emotive, the room swaying in both time and appreciation.
When Theia took to the stage it was with a swagger, and that’s because not only was she about to drop her latest single the very next day (check out her collaboration ‘1Night’ with Sean Turk here) but she had arrived armed and ready with some brand-new music.
A confidence emanated from the songstress as she traversed the patterned carpet beneath her glistening black boots; 2018 track ‘Avant-Garde’ getting the crowd started, ‘Telling Everyone My Name’ from her Not Your Princess EP keeping them there as she constructed the atmosphere around her into one that shimmered.
Theia’s set would contain several tracks off her 2019 EP, ‘Bye Bye’ and ‘Honest’ the stepping stone of her musical evolution leading to what can only be described as jaw-dropping demos. From ‘Freak’ to ‘99% Angel’ Theia made a statement. This was pop music with bite, punchy beats thrusting themselves into the lime light, musical voguing at its best.
Theia’s presence was in tune with her music; granted she was on a smaller stage but gone were the delicate hand movements of the past, both her look and demeanour having far more of an edge to it. Theia has something to say, her new work the vehicle for those statements.
Without a doubt, track of the night had to go to her ‘Frat Boyz’ demo, the line “I am the new era, does my ego scare ya?” lingering in the air long after the song had finished. The influence of one of her idols Brooke Candy certainly evident, Theia’s fans visibly excited by what they were hearing.
Thanking the audience, Theia’s smile lit up the room as she took in the wall of grinning faces before her; ‘Roam’ the song that started it all, uniting both fan and artist as everyone sang together before bringing the evening to a close.
Having amassed millions of streams on Spotify with her work and snagging enviable support slots for artists such as Sia and Portugal. The Man, Theia’s star was already on the rise; her latest material however sure to propel her into the stratosphere.
Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this superlative dual headlining gig? Or have you seen So Below or Theia perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Theia Setlist:
- Avant-Garde
- Telling Everyone My Name
- Bye Bye
- Honest
- Freak [demo]
- Kitty Kat [demo]
- 99% Angel [demo]
- Candy
- Frat Boyz [demo]
- Not Your Princess
- Roam
So Below Setlist:
- Sleep
- Hard
- Us
- Bone
- Ruin
- Far
- Drift
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