Ziggy Alberts
6th December 2018
The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review & Photography by Sarah Kidd.
With a smile that instantly captured the hearts of everyone in the room, Ziggy Alberts took to the stage last night for the first of two shows at Auckland’s Tuning Fork.
Seated at his keyboard, soft lighting brushing the back of his black cotton shirt, Alberts began his sublime set with ‘3 Degrees South’ and ‘Best Friend’ his subtle finger work across the keys complimenting the undulating tones of his voice. It has been six years since the release of Alberts first record Feel Like Home, but the singer/songwriter from the East Coast of Australia has already produced a further four; his latest Laps Around The Sun for which he is touring in support of released just last month.
Moving from the keyboard to the centre of the stage to face his adoring fans he chuckled a little to himself. Letting the crowd in on the secret he tells them all how good it feels to be back in Auckland, a sentiment that he would reiterate throughout the evening.
Some artists give the impression that they were born with a guitar in their hands, none more so than Alberts. Seated on a low bar stool he so easily moves from the classic guitar pose to the more unusual style of laying it across his lap; his hands working their way around it’s wooden body to both slide and pluck at it’s strings or to tap the edge which resonates in conjunction with the sound of a tambourine, thrilling the audience; ‘Better Off (The Captain Planet Song)’ always a fan favourite. They are little touches, inflections within the music itself, but in the hands of Alberts they create a melodic masterpiece that is uncomplicated yet enchanting. The fans smile at Alberts and he smiles back; the moment in time captured within the bonds of togetherness.
That sense of connection, relationships with an intimate other and more importantly the relationship with one’s self (both metaphorically and literally according to Alberts), have always been hot topics for the free surfing singer; his albums more personal storybooks on his life than just disconnected tunes. Here is an artist that truly started at grassroots level – a point he both reminds and emphatically thanks the audience for – self funding his own recordings before moving on to co-fund his own label, Commonfolk Records.
Moving through ‘Heaven’ and ‘Yu (A Song For Koda)’ Alberts is soon on his (bare) feet, the tempo taking an upturn swing as the throng joins him in song. A fan calls out, enquiring as to how Ziggy Alberts got his name; the question triggering a delightful account of how he was named after his sister’s favourite soft toy; the tale only endearing him even more to his devotees. In fact, it truly is difficult not to be enamoured with Alberts, whether a long-time follower or a first-time listener, there is an authenticity to him that speaks to people. From his speech about working together for the sake of the environment – genuine small steps rather than grandiose declarations on Instagram for the sake of followers a message that should be reiterated constantly– to his range of ethical merchandise; Alberts is a man that really does care about the earth that we all share.
Bidding everyone farewell, cries of “more!” echoed across the room; Alberts explaining that in order to fulfil his personal desire of coming out each and every night and giving it everything he has means that in true “rock star” fashion he has to finish the show, stretch and head straight to bed; that arresting smile once again moving across his face as pokes fun at himself “Yeah, I’m a rock star”. But the fans hung in there, a collective chant of “one ore song” filling the room and convincing Alberts to pull one more out of the hat; ‘Gone (The Pocahontas Song) resulting in an all-out, foot-stomping, sing-a-long.
This may be Ziggy Alberts first world tour, but it certainly won’t be his last.
Were you there at The Tuning Fork to witness this magnificent singer-songwriter perform? Or have you seen Ziggy Alberts perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- 3 Degrees South
- Best Friend
- Worn Out
- Better Off (The Captain Planet Song)
- Heaven
- Runaway
- Yu (A Song For Koda)
- Bright Lights
- Laps Around The Sun
- Stronger
- On Hold
- Love Me Now
- Gone (The Pocahontas Song) [encore]
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