MON 3RD NOV @ SPIEGELTENT, MELBOURNE
Anika Moa "In Swings the Tide" Album Release
Standing barefoot next to a bottle of beer (wearing her “bist driss” for the occasion), Moa slings her guitar around her shoulder and claims, “I’m not viry good, but i’m pritty” before launching into Wise Men Say. Seconds later the entire venue noted that not only is Moa pretty, she also has an incredible voice. The purity of her melodies are nothing short of captivating, winding her fingers around some beautiful hooks with a rare kind of ease.
CarlyRae Anika Moa @ The Toff In Town, Melbourne
[picture snaffled without permission from Duke Mule Photography's Flickr stream]
Anika Moa is from New Zealand. Her set last night at the Spiegeltent was, in turns, magical and hilarious. It was so wonderful, for me, to hear that self-deprecating, frank kiwi humour - it was like being at home with the familiar sounds of good New Zealand music.
Accompanied by Nick Gaffney on drums and Chip Mathews on bass guitar, Anika seemed to have a good time too - despite (or maybe even because of) a noisey table of (possibly kiwis - at least one of them was "from the 'naki") behind me who talked and laughed through the entire set, which was especially obvious in the soulful ballads - frickin rude and distracting, I say, no matter where they were from!
Anika sung a few songs from her new album - afterall, it was the launch - and they had quite a country twang to them (but not in a bad way). She also played some of her previous work, such as Mother (teary), and Youthful (she did a fun version in a reggae style with freestylin' Anika going to town in full dreds mode in the middle of it - check this similar one from Queenstown). She peppered banter, personal stories, giggles and burps between songs - charming us all in the process.
Any gig that plays oma rapiti* has to be a fun one. Yes, the smattering of kiwis joined in.
The thing about Anika, besides being an infectiously charming woman, is that she can play the guitar; is that she can write beautiful songs; that she can sing. Her voice.. her voice. Her voice. Clear and crystal, gorgeous and full of feeling.
Monday night was a beautiful evening. I'm so glad I went, so glad I queued early, so glad when the rain came it wasn't too hard, so glad I got a seat near the front. An intimate performance in the Spiegeltent, Melbourne. I had intened to film a song to share with you, but in the end, didn't seem right to film her. I wanted to get an image for you, but in the end, I borrowed one from Flickr and one from her website.
I enjoyed the evening, and I have it stored in my memory. It's a cosy place to keep it, in my memories of home.
[picture snaffled without permission from Anika Moa's website]
*Oma Rapiti Oma Rapiti
Oma oma oma
Oma Rapiti Oma Rapiti
Oma oma oma
pika pika pika pika toro piko
toro toro toro toro toro toro pika toro