The Winery Tour 2017 (Feat. Benny Tipene, Bic Runga, Brooke Fraser)
19th February 2017
Villa Maria Winery, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Brad Holland.
Despite Auckland’s uncanny ability for four seasons in one day, the weather had delivered a flawless summer afternoon for the crowds arriving at the Villa Maria Winery for the last show of the winery tour.
The Winery Tour has become a stalwart of the NZ Summer Festival circuit and this year it is celebrating its ten year Anniversary. A huge nod to the success of these tours is in the event organization itself; well-structured free parking on site – almost unheard of now in Auckland – children under 12 are free and picnics are both welcomed and encouraged. The venue itself is appropriately laid out with signposts, plenty of toilets and a wonderful selection of food vendors (including vegetarian options) to please even the fussiest of palates. These things may seem small, but if not well planned they can bring down the overall experience in quite a big way. Speaking of the venue, what more could you ask for when it comes to Villa Maria Winery? Upon entering you are greeted with the sight of sprawling vineyards; the luscious greens enveloping you and sweeping all cares from your shoulders.
Opening the night is relative newcomer Benny Tipene. Tipene started off his career in the music scene after coming third in the NZ version of X Factor, after which he was signed to Sony Music [NZ]. With an affable smile and personality to match, Tipene begins with ‘Step on Up’, its catchy chorus encouraging most of the attendees to tap their toes. Tipene often spoke between his songs with a charming awkwardness, reminding patrons that sunscreen would be wise as it will still pretty hot out there and discussing how he wrote a song (Lanterns) for one girl as at the time it was about her, but now it was more relevant to another woman in his life. The crowds were presented with several new songs from Tipene including ‘Out of Breath’ and the thoroughly enjoyable ‘Something Real’. His cover of the Fleetwood Mac song ‘Need Your Love So Bad’ was also impressive. But it was his closing song, the 2013 hit ‘Walking on Water’ that had everyone singing in unison, the first of many enthusiastic sing-a-longs by the audience tonight.
Bic Runga is a heavyweight in the NZ music scene, her songs gaining critical acclaim in NZ as well as overseas. Over the years Runga has appeared at several of the winery tour shows and is always a big draw card. Striding onto the stage in an elegant pale green pant suit and heavy black jacket, Runga was accompanied by her partner and former Mint Chick member Kody Neilson on drums along with fellow Mint Chick member Michael Logie on guitar. “This looks like a Hieronymus Bosch painting…albeit a mellow one” Runga quipped as she surveyed the sprawling crowd before her.
The sound for the evening was perfect, the placement of speakers around the winery, ensuring that no matter where you were sitting you were surrounded by crystal clear music. This fact unfortunately did not work in Runga’s favour tonight as her vocals sounded a little shaky and not to her usual standard. Possibly due to the culmination of tiredness following the previous 9 shows. Nevertheless Runga wasted no time in getting the crowd warmed up with classics such as ‘Winning Arrow’, ‘Get Some Sleep’ and ‘Something Good’, audience members soon leaving their seats and gathering at the front of the low stage, which Runga encouraged wholeheartedly later in the set. Just like Tipene before her, Runga treated the crowd to some new material with tracks ‘Close Your Eyes’ and the very reggae-feel ‘What’cha Say’, her fans obviously enjoying the new work in her repertoire. But it was the closing songs of the set that really had the crowd eating out of Runga’s hand, with the kiwi classic ‘Sway’ and the beautiful track ‘Drive’ both from her 1997 debut solo album.
By now the sun was setting and the wine was flowing. Children played in between the vines and bubbles were floating through the outskirts of the crowd courtesy of some patrons and their bubble wands. The atmosphere was one of absolute tranquility as cicadas slowly gave way to the first crickets of the night and the stars faintly glittered in the sky. The sound system was playing an absolutely fantastic set of classic tracks (well done to the person who put that compilation together!) with songs such as ‘Whole Lotta Love’ ‘Young Americans’ and the Janis Joplin classic ‘Piece of my Heart,’ enticing many people to dance in the fading light.
Just after 8:30pm the stage erupted in a plethora of coloured spotlights and Brooke Fraser’s band took their places followed quickly by the headliner herself. Dressed in a resplendent white flowing jacket embellished with large gold discs, Fraser was greeted by deafening applause. Of all the acts tonight, Fraser was certainly the most confident with her on stage demeanor, endearing the crowd from the get go by asking how everyone was and commenting on the sea of smiley faces before her. Intermittent shrieks of “I love you” from overzealous fans were acknowledged and commented on kindly, Fraser making each and every one of the large crowd standing in front of her feel truly appreciated. Opening with ‘Better’ Fraser kept the first half of the set mellow with songs such as ‘Deciphering Me’ and ‘Betty’.
Fraser joked with the audience early on that due to it being the 10th Anniversary of the winery tour that she was here to sing a bunch of songs – well it was either that or give birth on stage – as she eluded to the recent announcement that she is now pregnant with her second child. While she certainly interacted with the audience there were often quite long silent pauses between songs where the band seemed to be organizing their equipment. While extremely minor in what was an outstanding set it did just take the shine off ever so slightly. Treating the crowd to a mini acoustic set; Fraser took a chair, and accompanied by Thomas Healey, she performed three songs which was capped with a refined cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic ‘Sound of Silence’.
By now the crowd at the front of the stage was of an impressive size and quite obviously in the mood to party, Fraser picking up on the vibe immediately. After singing Happy Birthday to several members (and for anyone, anywhere that has ever had a birthday) there was a definitive change in the air as the opening beats of ‘Kings and Queens’ reverberated across the vineyards. This is exactly what the fans had been waiting for; the lights on stage echoing the energy they were radiating with striking purples and yellows as well as muted searchlights seeking the outer edges of the venue. Finishing her set with the foot-stomping ‘Something in the Water’ Fraser had barely said goodnight before the throng very vocally expressed their desire for an encore, which of course was answered by Fraser with a beautiful version of ‘CS Lewis Song’, the orange patterned spotlights highlighting the stage in an almost otherworldly manner. Fraser was then joined on stage by both Runga and Tipene for a rousing cover of the Crowded House classic ‘Better Be Home Soon’, a song that tugs at the heart strings of any kiwi. After graciously thanking both the audience and her fellow artists along with several instrumental people in her life, Fraser finished with the song that she wrote when she was just 19years old – ‘Arithmetic’. Perfect.
Here’s to another 10 years of The Winery Tour!
Were you there at Villa Maria Winery to witness this beautiful show? Or have you been to any of the other spectacular Winery Tour events somewhere else? Tell me about it in the comments below!
Bic Runga Setlist:
- Winning Arrow
- Get Some Sleep
- Something Good
- Close Your Eyes
- Precious Things
- Listening For The Weather
- What’cha Say
- Sway
- Drive
Brooke Fraser Setlist:
- Better
- Deciphering Me
- Betty
- Magical Machine
- Je Suis Pret
- Albertine
- Sailboats
- Sound Of Silence [Simon & Garfunkel Cover]
- Kings & Queens
- Thunder
- Therapy
- Shadowfeet
- Something In The Water
- CS Lewis Song (Encore)
- Better Be Home Soon [Fraser, Runga and Tipene – Crowded House Cover] (Encore)
- Arithmetic (Encore)
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