Oh hello, Summer! Where have we been keeping you..?

I, like many, have wondered when our Summer is coming - the sun is yet to properly rear its head. However, Lady Luck consented to smile on Turanga Creek last Saturday for the More FM Summer Vineyard Tour; with sunshine a-plenty it was hard to fathom anything more picturesque. It wouldn’t have been out of place in a Coca-Cola ad: a sun-drenched scene of contented attendees, wine in hand, against the lush vineyard backdrop. Beeeautiful!

Disarmingly talented Kiwi sweetheart Annabel Fay was the first called upon to set the scene and her infectious energy quickly had the audience jumping and a-jiving along with her (and not just the tweens!). With charisma abounding, Fay was able to charm her listeners into shamelessly “moshing” at the stage - quite a feat for 5.30pm! While she showed tinges of tiredness towards the end of her eclectic set, her smile never wavered and thus neither did her audience.

After a brief intermission by the ‘Sweet Mix Kids’, NZ’s eccentric DJ duo, Tiki Taane was warmly welcomed onstage. A New Zealand music scene veteran of sorts, Tiki Taane was right at home and was able to comfortably coax the crowd into roaring choruses of his best known tunes. His number 1 single ‘Always On My Mind’ inspired active audience participation - most people knowing at least enough of the chorus to yell it to the winds. The end of Taane’s set saw us exposed to some more experimental musings - fusions of indigenous horn loops with rich bass, making for a brilliantly atmospheric sunset.

The ‘Sweet Mix Kids’ were welcomed back on as the audience stewed with baited breath, anticipating the concert’s first headlining act. The DJ deftly manipulated the gaggle into a fever with bass-y blends of Stevie Wonder and the like, so that when Aloe Blacc graced the stage, everyone’s feet were already tapping.

Aloe “so-hot-right-now” Blacc is best summed up as simply uncannily funky. His ability to flash a grin and casually bop to a tune whilst oozing ‘coolness’ is second to none, and the audience was lapping it up. His band was an odd assortment - the Guitarist was unashamedly enthusiastic in stark contrast to the gravely deadpan Saxophonist. Illuminated by an exultant sunset, Blacc’s bedazzling performance was one of visual and musical brilliance; his effortless stage presence holding the audience captivated well into the evening.

And what review would be complete without a mention of the John Butler Trio? This one apparently! Alas, your reviewer was swallowed by the night’s next engagement before their set. Doubtlessly they were the cherry on top of one of the finest night-outs this NZ Summer has seen.

Thanks, Sun - you did us proud. Now please, please stay out!

By Oliver Rosser

Check out http://www.summervineyardtour.co.nz/ for more info!