Fly My Pretties, the ever-morphing loose collective of local musicians has been making this bird fly for 21 years, soaring again with Elemental.
Barnaby Weir (Black Seeds), co-founder reminds us that the project was started in 2004 (how time flies). It detonated from the start. Live music with sparks coming from the collaborative effort of all who pass through.
A plethora of artists have been through, the one constant is Weir, the Higgs boson of the band. The one element(al) which continues to tie all the particles together.
This seventh album was germinated a year ago with Laughton Kora guitar and vocals, in tow.
We are enjoying the full flowering of that tonight in a great setting. The Rangitira Room of Q Theatre.
It reminds me of the staging of The Last Waltz, where Martin Scorsese and The Band made their historic concert movie at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
The theatrical stage accommodates 10 players with stunning visuals on the backdrop.
A trio of female singers, Aja, Riiki Reid and Taylah.
Iraia Whakamoe drums and Aaron Stewart bass. The powerful engine room which is dominant all evening.
Keyboards from Louis TM and Nigel Patterson. Ryan Prebble guitar rounds out the cast on stage.
The Elemental Intro is a powerful waiata to commence proceedings. Great sacred noises.
Aja is the sole voice before Reid and Taylah join her for Kawai and Everflowing. Rhythms spiced with a touch of Funk and shimmering keyboards.
AIE was written and performed by TAWAZ Tawaroa Kawana on the album and Taylah takes the lead vocal here. Combining te reo and English lyrics with a loping Reggae beat.
Take My Hand. Louis TM plays gospel piano and leads into a soulful number about the planet at risk. Fragile planet, blue and green.
Then he gives us salvation with the Soul Funk of See Me Flying. It does invoke some of the cadences of Jackie Wilson. You’re gonna see me flying/ Higher and higher.
Kora does suggest at one stage the audience inhale green at the interval to loosen up and shake their booty. This does come later.
Riiki Reid calls herself the baby of the group, telling us she was eight when she first heard the music of the Pretties. Share Your Love is bright effervescent Indie Pop with a little nod to Britney Spears.
Just as good is an outtake, Energy, which is dance club Soul.
Fire Fighting. Taylah has got a classic post- Motown Soul voice, and she comes on like Linda Womack.
The Boldest Truth. Weir takes the lead. Scratch chanks guitar riffs and a swirling Billy Preston keyboard line. Rhythm is the king driving this.
Close the first set with Red Flags. The only song with stand-up acoustic bass and what sounds like Afropop, Taylah singing the lead.
We come back for the second set, and some may have taken Kora’s direction in the interval.
The show turns into a Northern Soul dance club with Nice’n’Easy, Harry, and Let’s Roll.
We can hear the sounds of Stax and Al Jackson drum accents. Riffs from I Spy (For the FBI. The engine room locks in repeatedly with the big fat bottom.
More women are prised from their seats. It’s the old folks boogie and the grannies are moshing. I’m standing and I try and stay out of their way.
Do the (total) hip shake baby!
Prior to all that, we hear some Country Americana with Old Friend, and Blues licks from Kora’s guitar on Lucky.
An audience cheer for Bag of Money. The bass plays an irresistible rhythm reminiscent of Rufus’s Something Good.
Female vocal trio are back to take it out with lots of Soul and Gospel.
Fly My Pretties are killing it, the rhythmic drive cooking to boiling point. Kill ‘em and leave!
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography by Den
