Reb Fountain – Auckland Town Hall, 3 May 2025: Review & Photo Gallery

4th May 2025

Reb Fountain wrapped up her How Love Bends tour with a spellbinding finale at Auckland Town Hall on Friday night, leaving the crowd equal parts hushed and euphoric by the end of it all.

The mood? Intimate. The music? Untouchable. And the venue? A perfect cathedral for the atmospheric, genre-bending drama Reb and her band are known for.

Pete Moriarty

The night opened with a brief but beautifully immersive set from Pete Moriarty — who, if you were squinting (or just a fan of local music), you’d recognise as Dave Khan in disguise.

Known best as Reb’s right-hand multi-instrumentalist and a familiar face across the Aotearoa Folk/Indie scene, here he stepped out solo.

No introduction, no banter — just twenty minutes of pure sonic storytelling. Moriarty moved between slide guitar and keys, often letting a backing track handle the vocals while he built eerie, cinematic layers.

At times, it drifted into Nordic gothic territory — think Wardruna humming through a smoky dream — and it was gorgeous. The crowd fell completely silent. It was the kind of set that didn’t need applause breaks. Just breath-holding.

Then came Reb.

Reb Fountain

She walked onstage cloaked and enigmatic, her presence as poised as ever. From the moment the first note hit, it was clear we were in for something special.

Reb’s voice, smoky, strong and theatrical, carried every emotion like a vessel.

Before Hey Mom, she paused to acknowledge the crowd with heartfelt gratitude. She spoke about how much it meant to be supported by the Aotearoa music community, calling us a family. It was a small moment that made the next song, already one of her most intimate, feel like a shared secret.

As the set unfolded, the band didn’t let up. They ripped through highlights from Reb’s back catalogue with fire and precision.

Songs like Samson, Beastie, and Lacuna hit harder live — driven by the powerhouse rhythm section of Karin Canzek on bass and Earl Robertson on drums.

Together, they made easy work of flipping between heavy, dynamic Alt-Rock swells and sudden, aching hushes. It was a masterclass in loud/quiet tension that kept the audience hanging on every beat.

One of the night’s most striking moments came with Fisherman. Reb prowled the stage’s edges, pouring theatrical intensity into every line, while Dave Khan let loose with wild, screeching violin and grimacing facials. The result was thrilling and chaotic, like Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds conjuring a storm. It felt unhinged in the best possible way.

By the time Beastie returned, the crowd had loosened. Some slipped away from their seats to the side walls, dancing, swaying, soaking it in.

Reb’s falsetto, rapid-fire delivery during verses brought flashes of Lana Del Rey, but it stayed uniquely hers. The band was on fire — intricate, dynamic, and airtight.

For Come Down, Reb dropped her cloak to reveal a black lace dress, enhancing her slow, spider-like movements in a kind of ghostly Jazz dance. It was theatrical and hypnotic.

Then came Working Class Hero, which had her and the crowd jumping. Hands raised, full release.

And while she announced a final song, the crowd wasn’t ready to let go. The cheers didn’t stop until the clapping unified, rhythmic and impossible to ignore.

The band returned. Reb thanked everyone involved in making the tour possible and gave a special shoutout to Bob Frisbee on sound. And rightly so. The mix all night was crystal clear, punchy, and immersive. Frisbee deserved a medal.

The night closed on Don’t You Know Who I Am, and with it, the crowd flooded the front of the hall. A soft, celebratory mosh broke out. People dancing, arms in the air, no aggression, just joy. A perfect end to a deeply felt, lovingly executed show.

As far as final shows go, this one will linger. Reb Fountain doesn’t just perform songs — she constructs a world. And last night, we all got to live in it.

Azrie Azizi