On the eve of their US tour with the Pixies and Spoon, Fazerdaze, performing as a duo of Amelia Murray and Dave Rowlands, took to the stage at Double Whammy on K Road.
Despite the stormy night in Tāmaki Makaurau, the sold-out audience braved the elements to send the band off on their travels.
Amelia is one of Aotearoa’s finest songwriters and each track was performed with precision and soul, not unlike the seminal albums Morningside and the recent Soft Power, which cemented Fazerdaze as one of New Zealand’s most important musical voices, both locally and internationally. A fact recognised by multiple Aotearoa Music Awards in 2025.
The show began with In Blue and A Thousand Years, showcasing the diverse atmospheres present on Soft Power.
They transitioned into Come Apart from the Break EP, a song that would fit perfectly in a Pixies support set.
More songs from Break followed, along with the first dip into the Morningside album with Little Uneasy.
It’s great to see Amelia embracing songs from her back catalogue so readily rather than just showcasing current material. For an artist who is notorious for taking time over each release, there’s still a plethora of great songs, as shown by the inclusion of Tired of Waiting and the fan favourite Jennifer from her debut EP.
Amelia has gone on the record about the difficulties and pressures of making Soft Power.
As she smiled her way through the set, it seemed like the hard work has paid off, bringing joy to the enthusiastic crowd. The musical chemistry with Dave Rowlands is palpable and, as in all his many musical endeavours, he plays the perfect foil.
Nearing the end of the set the audience had been transported into Fazer-World in time to be hit with Lucky Girl and Cherry Pie in quick succession.
Then into Bigger to round off the evening in a glorious celebration of past and present, along with a send-off into the future.
Thanks, Fazerdaze… you gave us everything we could wish for on a Saturday night.
Greg Haver
Photography by Greg Haver
