The Adults
15th September 2018
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
Supergroups often bring together a gathering of talented musicians to create something that is just that little bit extra special, the current live version of The Adults being no exception to the rule. It’s been seven years since the first The Adults album, Haja certainly proving worth the wait, the opportunity to see it performed live in full too good an opportunity to miss.
Opening the evening was Raiza Biza performing dual duties tonight as he would also appear with The Adults themselves. African born but raised in New Zealand since the age of thirteen, Biza delivers hip-hop that is quite exceptional. Accompanied by nothing more than his DJ, Biza delivered smooth and effortless flows over shimmering beats, taking the audience back to the beginning with his track ‘Flashbacks’ to kick the evening off in style. Reminiscent of an early Spearhead, Raiza Biza’s music is highly infectious yet lusciously laid back, one not having to even be a dedicated hip-hop fan to appreciate the quality of many of his tracks. Tying in beautifully with the overarching theme of the entire ‘Haja’ record, Biza delivered ‘Strong Woman’ a song that he had written about his mother (who was present) and which he dedicated to every “strong woman, the mothers, the aunties, the sisters” in the room. Finishing with the upbeat ‘Wassup’ from his 2016 EP Day & Night, Biza showed exactly why he is one of the hottest talents in the current New Zealand hip-hop scene today.
As The Adults took the stage, it was clear to see that Jon Toogood was ready to let loose; as the front man for beloved rock group Shihad for thirty years, it was wonderful to see him once again involve himself in something completely different and so obviously personal to him. Having discovered traditional Sudanese music entitled Aghani-Al-Banat (girl’s music) during his very own wedding in Khartoum the seed of creativity was firmly planted in the mind of Toogood, the result becoming the sophomore album for The Adults entitled ‘Haja’ the word referring respectfully to an older more experienced woman. Joining him on stage the queen of ‘electric blue witch hop’ the incomparable Estère along with Emily C. Browning who together brought a strong feminine undertone to both the music and live presence. Making up the backline the familiar face of Ben Wood from Trinity Roots along with Steve Bremner on percussion.
While The Adults did indeed mix up the album track listing ever so slightly, they still began the set with ‘Boomtown’ a wonderfully uplifting song that provides that first taste of African backing vocals. Toogood on bass comes through strongly but not so much that he overpowers the track, while Estère’s vocals are just divine, honeyed and intoxicating they carry the song, Biza once again making an appearance to overlay some rap verses. The track is vibrant and fills the room with its presence.
Moving through the evening it is clear that the quintet certainly enjoy playing together, Toogood in many ways the conductor as he often counts in or calls for pauses. Definitive highlights of the short but perfectly formed set were without a doubt the songs that were predominantly instrumental, ‘Haja’ transporting the audience to another time and place in the world as the music swirled around them, Toogood completely immersing himself as he stepped out onto the speakers and thrummed his bass with conviction. ‘Like A Moon’ again brought to life the Sudanese folk music of Aghani-Al-Banat, many in the crowd allowing it to wash through them, smiles emerging on their faces as they watched the quintet take so much joy from what they were performing. Toogood himself was animated and cheerful throughout the evening, heaping praise upon his fellow band members and often joking with the crowd.
The Auckland audience even received the added bonus of special guest Miloux arriving to perform the very track she wrote for the album ‘Because of You’. Finishing on ‘Gisma’ a love letter from Toogood to his wife, fans drank in his deep vocals as he performed a song that obviously meant so very much to him – his story of “hair product” running into his eyes not quite being sold…
To round out the evening, two earlier The Adults tracks were performed, both ‘Nothing to Lose’ and ‘Short Change’ which builds in intensity before Toogood brings it back down again to slowly fade out sounding just as good live as they ever did.
Haja delightfully delivers something unique to the current New Zealand music scene – the blending of cultures something that comes so naturally to a country such as ours, the underlying theme of love and respect for the women in our lives one that speaks to all.
Were you there at the Powerstation to check out this brilliant kiwi music supergroup? Or have you seen The Adults live some other time? Tell us about it in the comments below!
The Adults setlist:
- Boomtown
- Take It On The Chin
- Haja
- Bloodlines
- That Gold
- Like The Moon
- Because Of You
- Gisma
- Nothing To Lose
- Short Change [encore]
Raiza Biza setlist:
- Flashbacks
- Girl With No Name
- Get By
- Strong Woman
- Wassup
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