The Exponents
22nd April 2022
Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North, New Zealand
Review by Rob Harbers, with photography by Jacqueline Braid.
In an inspired format which gave many a chance to relive their youthful years, the (Dance) Exponents gave a performance in the hallowed arena of the Black Barn amphitheater that has provided a further instalment of the emotional uplift and healing so needed in the region of Te-Matau-a-Maui. All delivered with a level of passion and energy that belied the advance of time, instead sounding just as fresh as ever – no small achievement for material, and performers, that’ve been out there for 40-odd years!
1982 saw the Dance Exponents make their presence known to the populace of Aotearoa, and for the following half a decade and change they established a firm foothold in the culture, courtesy of a consistently strong run of material that was backed up by extensive touring the length of the motu. Following a period spent in the UK, chasing bigger fame and fortune in that fickle market, they regrouped and returned to these shores, having dropped the terpsichorean appellation, now being known simply as The Exponents. For a further decade or so they continued where they’d left off, producing numerous songs which burrowed their way into the collective psyche, and touring relentlessly up and down the land, before slowly petering out having blazed a trail through the cultural landscape that would only be matched or eclipsed by a select few. Having got the band back together again, this tour is a celebration of that legacy, coming in the year in which the debut album celebrates its 40th birthday, and honouring those who have passed along the way.
After some early worries over the climatic conditions, with thunder and lightning threatening to very very frighten the line of punters awaiting entry, we spread out our blanket in the grassy tiered seating of the amphitheater and took our seats, with the occasional sprinkling of light precipitation keeping things fresh.
An aural montage of various Dance Exponents tracks provided the cue for their stage entry, with Jordan introducing them as a “young band”, then kicking off with a deep cut from debut album “Prayers be Answered”, in the form of “Poland”. This willingness to explore the less-well known material was a recurring theme, providing reward for the fans from way back, the ones who explored beyond the confines of the singles, and was greatly appreciated by the fan who’s writing this! Yes, I was a follower way back then, devouring the songs as they were produced, purchasing the coloured vinyl version of the second album, all of that stuff. Consequently these songs were a part of my personal musical landscape at the time – emblazoned into a developing brain. But enough of such depth – back to the show! A speedy rendition of early favourite “Airway Spies” made the years fall away, the agelessness maintained by “Know Your Own Heart”, before launching in to “Christchurch (In Cashel St I Wait)” – the depredations suffered by the city 25-odd years after the song was written providing a link to the recent traumatic events in this part of the world, acknowledged by Jordan in between songs.
But this show was about a celebration of the power of the human spirit to shine through adverse circumstances (without ignoring the tragedies) – for the region, a chance to have a brief respite from the shit-laden silt. The youthful “All I Can Do” reflected that same resilience, taking us back the 40 years since it was released.
Too soon, though, it was time for The Dance Exponents to leave the stage to their more mature compadres, but not without playing the great pairing of “Sex And Agriculture” and “Only I Could Die (and Love You Still)” – the song so good they recorded it twice! Finishing on further relatively deep cut “Ashened Ashened Autumn Leaves” they danced their way “off to Rotorua to see The Screaming Meemees, before some older fellers came on”, in Jordan’s words.
After the hiatus to allow for the stage and visuals to be reset, and bladders to be emptied, another montage, this time with visual elements added, heralded the entry in to the arena of “The Exponents from Aotearoa”, wasting no time in establishing the mood with “Please Please and Thank Yourself”.
Another set of bangers followed, spanning a range of time, while still making time for further exposure of some of the lesser-known and/or quieter stuff that doesn’t always manage to make it on to a shorter format setlist, e.g. “Change Your Mind” and “The Nameless Girl”. There’s a side of this band that came through in the album format that showed some strong poetic and emotional content, that hasn’t often been exposed in the live setting, but tonight it was briefly able to shine through – a fact that I, for one, enjoyed just as much as the big stuff.
But as for the big stuff, yes it was all there. This is a band that’ve created so many good songs that it’s possible to forget, until hearing them again, that they’d done them – a case in point being “La La Lulu”, dedicated to it’s writer, the now departed David Barraclough. A spirited run-through of “Who Loves Who The Most” ended with being turned in to “Hawkes Bay – we love you the most” (but I bet he says that to all the audiences!).
Final number in the main set saw a song being borrowed from the opening act, “I’ll Say Goodbye (Even Though I’m Blue)”- the one inspired by romantic infidelity (with not one, but two, of the panelbeaters of Timaru!).
The encore consisted of one song from each iteration of the combo, namely “Victoria” and “Why Does Love Do This To Me”, probably the two biggest numbers, sending the audience out for the journey home, the songs of 80/90’s Aotearoa ringing through their ears. You know my common send-off, but I’ll give it you again:If you can, go and see these boys, for a nostalgic night, but one untainted by degradation, the material sounding as fresh as the first time you heard it – and enjoy the added bonus of the ones that you don’t hear so often. Just do it!
Were you there at Black Barn Vineyards for this brilliant outdoor gig? Or have you seen The Exponents perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Dance Exponents Setlist:
- Poland
- Your Best Friend Loves Me Too
- Airway Spies
- Know Your Own Heart
- Christchurch (In Cashel St I Wait)
- All I Can Do
- Gone Forever in Another Car
- Sex and Agriculture
- Only I Could Die (and Love You Still)
- Ashened Ashened Autumn Leaves
The Exponents Setlist:
- Please Please and Thank Yourself
- Whatever Happened to Tracey
- Erotic
- Like She Said
- Change Your Mind
- The Nameless Girl
- La La Lulu
- Sink Like a Stone
- Who Loves Who The Most
- I’ll Say Goodbye (Even Though I’m Blue)
- Victoria [encore]
- Why Does Love Do This To Me [encore]
Note: Ambient Light was provided 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 at no cost to you.
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