The Bads
31st July 2020
Tasting Room Haumoana, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, live photography by Olivia Robertson.
This marks the first appearance of this venue on Ambient Light, so first, some background. Dig, if you will, the picture:a smallish, unassuming man, fairly unremarkable in appearance (although this may be disputed by those who’ve witnessed him in drag! All for art’s sake, of course). However, the hidden truth behind this image is that it’s that of Jamie Macphail, a man who has many of the glitterati of New Zealand music on speed dial, and vice versa. For this fine and distinguished gentleman is the itinerant impresario behind the ongoing cavalcade of entertainments known to the cognoscenti as the Sitting Room Sessions.
At a range of venues (dependent on a rolling cast of willing landlords) across the Hawkes Bay region, a succession of acts, both local and international, have been handed a stage to endear themselves to small and exclusive audiences in intimate surroundings. Audience sizes have ranged from as few as 12 for Nadia Reid in her nascent stage, through to 180 when the Sessions went showbiz and took over a local hall for an appearance by Finn Andrews, with Reb Fountain opening. The most frequent flyer in these skies (in his own right, rather than as supporting cast) has been Delaney Davidson (the award for best/most frequent supporting actor goes to Dave Khan, who will reappear later in this bulletin). The current arena for these performances is the former tasting room of Beach House wines in Haumoana, a stone’s throw from the ocean, and it is here that our evening’s entertainment took place.
With a shared musical pedigree covering some of New Zealand’s most epic moments, when the members of the Bads manage to carve time out of their individual schedules to come together as a collective, something special results. For this appearance, we were treated to a stripped-down version, made up of Brett Adams, Dianne Swann and Dave Khan, and billed as an “acoustic” set – MTV Unplugged Lite, one might say.
For 15+ years, The Bads have, in quiet and unassuming fashion, peddled their blend of influences, which add up to a strong composite that, if forced to give it a label, would perhaps end up somewhere in the same ballpark as Americana (Amerikiwiana, maybe?). The length of this joint experience shines through in the masterful instrumental interplay, which complements the honeyed-bourbon vocal harmonies perfectly.
So, down to the specifics of the event:the scene was set by intro song ‘Carry the Weight’ from their 2005 album ‘Earth From Space’, with its meaningful lyrics and gorgeous harmonies. The set progressed through a wide repertoire, covering the breadth of their output, and encompassing a few choice cover versions (Literally choice cover versions-as Brett explained, each member got to choose one cover to play!). Among the highlights were ‘Bushfire Sunset’, written in a more innocent time, when bushfires merely gave an attractive tinge to the evening sky, rather than darkening Auckland’s daytime skyscape, and before a time when to some it’s felt like the world is on fire. ‘Helensville’ was explained as a geographically transposed tale of a UK associate and his sleep-deprived peregrinations – if true to location it may have more accurately been titled ‘Tunbridge Wells’… (To one audience member’s query as to “Why not Levin?” as a choice of title, Dianne explained “Not enough syllables” rather than what I would’ve thought, i.e. not enough of a gene pool, but to each their own!). This was also the backdrop to some great guitar/mandolin duetting between Dave and Brett, although we’re told that Dave’s mum thinks he needs more practice, he did alright on the night.
‘Heartbreak Beach’ carried an atmospheric, brooding tone, at odds with the recorded version-as described by the band, they felt the producer didn’t seem to get the song and what they were going for – the live experience allows for intentions to be better realised. ‘Him & Her’ allowed Brett to unleash his inner guitar hero, to blinding effect. ‘Shelter Love’ expressed some of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (look it up, people) – to be honest, the first time I’ve ever heard it in a song!
To sum it up then, a most enjoyable experience in intimate surroundings, with three musicians at the top of their game! Given the aforementioned busy schedules of the members, there are limited opportunities to catch them doing their thing together (although the smaller line-up does allow them to travel light, and plan gigs quite spontaneously – this gig went from conversation to realisation in the space of 9 days!) so as far as this goes, if you see a chance to witness The Bads live, take it. You won’t regret it!
Were you there at this Sitting Room Session for this brilliant night of Kiwi alternative greatness? Or have you seen The Bads perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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