Weyes Blood, Auckland NZ, 2023

Weyes Blood

29th May 2023
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

Mondays are often melancholy, an ode to weekends that have gone by what seems, far too quickly. But in turn, they also offer an opportunity, a rebirth if you will. The past week is relegated to memory, Monday, the chance to start anew and with fresh perspective.

Some would say then, it is indeed the perfect night to ensconce oneself away amongst the scared walls of Tāmaki Makaurau’s beloved Powerstation for a night of luxuriant music for the soul.

Opening the evening is the newly revamped Clementine Valentine, who many would recognise as Purple Pilgrims, the Nixon sisters recently deciding to perform under their birth names. Having been compared to the likes of Beach House and Warpaint their support slot is almost a match created in heaven itself, in regard to Weyes Blood. Even Rolling Stone recently compared them to sounding as if Mering had cloned herself and formed an “art-pop duo”.

From the moment they arrived, the duo immediately held the audience closely, the sisters’ voices in faultless harmony with one another. Having already announced on their socials that they would be performing all new music during these shows, it was quite wonderful to see how those present melted into their latest offerings.

With a keyboardist/guitarist joining them, their presence was only elevated, this added layer of sound simultaneously bringing forth a renewed sense of vigour. Dressed in matching outfits The Nixon sisters, who have always effortlessly commanded the stage, cut striking figures, their almost ritualistic style of sonic musings infiltrating even the smallest of corners. At one point the siblings stood facing each other, one hand outstretched toward the other, never quite touching, the connection that they have reverberating in the air, a moment truly spellbinding to watch.

‘Gatekeeper’ was a slow, brooding track, once again the sisters’ voices building in intensity, a layer of guitar adding to the intricate veils of sonic joy. Their duality is so utterly intoxicating that it is almost impossible to look away, like sirens of the sea, the Nixon’s capture everyone’s souls with their music.

This ‘new dawn’ of Clementine Valentine is an exciting development and one to certainly be introduced to the playlist as quickly as possible.

Despite Natalie Laura Mering having first released her debut The Outside Room back in 2011, it really was 2019’s Titanic Rising that catapulted Weyes Blood (pronounced Wise Blood) into the hearts and minds of many a fan. Having last performed here in 2020 the room was full of both old and new admirers, a recent change to make the show all ages, bringing with it a whole new element. The exuberance of youth and their passion to feel so deeply only rivalled by a few older fans in attendance.

Those that have been following Mering for most of her career, would have been more than likely hoping for a few deep cuts last night, however that wasn’t to be, instead Mering and co choosing to meld together both Titanic Rising and her latest album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow; a move that for those that follow Weyes Blood makes complete sense considering that both albums are part of a trilogy.

Titanic Rising was Mering sounding the alarm, that this current world we live in is slowly bowing under the weight of chaos, And in the Darkness, Mering is finding her feet and “snapping into gear”, the realisation that there is a community out there who not only feel the same, but who share her thoughts, her fears and most importantly her hopes…

Raised in a deeply religious family, Weyes Blood at times often sounds like music that you would find within the walls of the church; while she herself developed a cynicism in regard to religion, her music, with its lush soundscapes and orchestral undertones would be quite at homes within the walls of a cathedral.
Arriving onto a stage where the set up was breath-taking – the ethereal soft glow of the candelabras playfully dancing in the beams of soft light from the overhead lanterns – her exquisitely dressed band, and Mering herself, dressed in a pristine white dress with attached cape just invited you in for the duration of the performance.

It was easy to pick the attendees that have been following the Holy Flux tour closely, as the set list has remained almost untouched, requests for certain songs to be played quickly hushed by nearby patrons as they knew what would be performed.

Beginning with ‘It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody’, Mering proved that she certainly has the vocals to perform live, her voice both powerful and yet soothing, a small smile occasionally playing on her lips as she looked down upon the front row and twirled for them, their ecstatic response only making her smile wider.
‘God Turn Me into a Flower’ was accompanied by stunning visuals by Adam Curtis, Mering enquiring as to whether anyone had heard of them. Mering often liked to interact with the audience, earlier telling them how she liked to think of them all just chilling out in a lounge like setting, and later taking a poll as to whether or not New Zealanders believed that astrology was real. “Try being another sign for a week” she teased the fans, “see if it changes your fate!”

‘Andromeda’ was an early fan favourite, voices rising from the floor to join the band in song, while ‘Everyday’ saw Mering take a seat at the piano, deftly demonstrating that she is no stranger to the keys. The track was a welcomed tempo change to the show as it introduced a little more bounce in the step and prompted many to shuffle their feet. But it was the ending that gave all a glimpse of Mering in her early days with bands Jackie-O Motherfucker and Satanized in the underground music scene, the band completely rocking out and throwing up a cacophony of sound that really was quite glorious.

Euphoric gasps soon filled the room for ‘Twin Flame’ as Mering used her cape as an extension of herself, often hiding and then revealing herself as her chest glowed red. In complete contrast to this moment, she followed it up with ‘Movies’ where Mering was bathed in blue light, the way it rippled across the white of her dress most certainly giving the effect of her being underwater.

Finishing with ‘Something to Believe’ and a beautiful rendition of ‘Picture Me Better’ and the evening was over it seemed far too soon, patrons slowly filing out the doors, each with a broad smile and what seemed to be an air of lightness about them, such is the power of music.

Weyes Blood certainly draws comparisons to other artists, such as Karen Carpenter and Florence and the Machine, a little Kate Bush around the edges; but her material most certainly sets her apart from them all.

Holy Flux is an exquisitely curated show and one that must be seen live.

Weyes Blood:

Clementine Valentine

Were you there at Powerstation for this ethereal folk gig? Or have you seen Weyes Blood perform somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

setlist:

1. It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody
2. Children of the Empire
3. A Lot’s Gonna Change
4. God Turn Me into a Flower
5. Andromeda
6. Grapevine
7. A Given Thing
8. Everyday
9. Wild Time
10. Twin Flame
11. Movies
12. Hearts Aglow
13. Something to Believe [encore]
14. Picture Me Better [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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