Crowded House are a perfect post Pepper Power Pop band. The current family band play to their strengths and everyone here at Spark Arena adores them.
The final New Zealand leg of their Gravity Stairs tour before they head off to Australia.
Neil Finn has borrowed Rod Stewart’s hairstyle as he strides on to the stage to rapturous cheers. Or is it Stevie Nicks?
With him Liam Finn lead guitar (fresh off supporting Peal Jam a week ago), Elroy Finn drums, Mitchell Froom the producer on keyboards, original band member Nick Seymour bass, Paul Taylor percussion.
They start with high harmony Pop vocals and big jangle guitars of Mean to Me (the girl with the Te Awamutu sound and a blind date with destiny) and World Where You Live.
The sound may boom and echo a bit initially. Settles quickly and they handle the quieter numbers with a well-balanced sound.
Teenage Summer is the first song off the new Gravity Stairs album. The studio version has the sound of Garfunkel and Simon in their peak Sixties period. They manage the same on stage, with Liam adding some Crazy Horse guitar fire power to close it.
He does that repeatedly all night.
The album is surprisingly strong and robust. The album cover is a direct steal from the Beatles Revolver from 1966. Talent borrows whilst genius steals.
The period ’65 to ’67 was the peak of re-invention, when Pop became arty and serious.
A Revolution in the Head was imminent and possible until it hit the roadblock of assassinations and America burning in 1968. In many ways we are still in that period, with the current Presidential elections and the three assassination attempts on the incumbent.
This last Auckland show is on the anniversary of the Kennedy assassination of 22 November 1963. It is that date in America tonight.
A few more off that album.
Oh Hi has wonderful and complex vocal harmonies. It takes a few goes to start it properly.
The Howl is just as good. Perfect Beach Boys harmonies as Liam leads this one out.
Night Song is a tour-de-force, as Neil explains the inspiration came from a street poet raving outside his apartment window at three in the morning. Quiet piano opening with celestial sounds like a vibraphone. It becomes a psychedelic trip.
Zoe Moon features on the studio version.
Back to the audience favourites.
Four Seasons in One Day has always sounded Beatles in style. A complex baroque keyboard coda from Froom and the finale.
Something So Strong is upbeat and inspirational Power Pop. Neil tells us that a fight broke out near front of stage at Hamilton the previous night. He tells us that we outshone the Tron, but admittedly the bar is not that high from there.
I was hoping for some classy ragers from Split Enz, and we got them.
I Got You, and especially I See Red, where Liam shreds some guitar.
When You Come Home also gets injected with some lead guitar venom, and I wonder if there is a bit of Oasis here, and not just as a namesake.
What is present is Springsteen style Americana from Distant Sun.
Let’s give the drummer some. Neil mentions in passing that younger son is no slouch in the engine room.
Fingers of Love is fey Folk Pop which Elroy and percussionist Taylor gallop off with at the vamp.
Mel Parsons and her bandmembers are brought to help with Weather with You. The audience has been singing along to many, but here they are awful. No matter.
They drop out eventually, and the band patch in a little You Sexy Thing (from Hot Chocolate) as they stretch out.
Notice how many of Crowded House’s iconic songs revolve around the weather? Distinctly a Kiwi obsession.
Mel Parsons is the go-to artist for support acts in recent times. When she appeared before Chris Isaak, she was solo.
Tonight, she has her band, Jed Parsons drums, Josh Logan guitar and Aaron Stewart bass.
Gives a bigger punch to her Folk Americana style, with some nice touches of roots Country.
I Got the Lonely is a perfect example of her louche phrasing. Heavy wasted there in the morning.
Gives it a kick by ending her set on Far Away.
Crowded House have just given an incendiary performance with I See Red, and they close appropriately with Better Be Home Soon.
Calm things down again. Somewhere deep inside/ Somethings got a hold on you.
Before going out in a blaze.
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography by Leonie Moreland
Crowded House
Mel Parsons
