Kip Moore – Powerstation, 21 September 2024: Review

Kip Moore is a Southern Rock’n’roller with a Country heart, and he basked in the adulation of a packed Powerstation. Straight up as bourbon and beer, western boots and check shirts.

That attempt at pigeon-holing him could equally apply in mirror image. Country guy with a Rockabilly devil inside.

Kip Christian Moore was born in Georgia, attended college in Alabama where he started playing guitar, and has been established in Nashville, Tennessee since 2004.

It took him 8 years to sign a contract for publishing his songs. 10 years to gain nominations for Country Music Associations New Artist of the Year.

It is another 10 years to be on this stage tonight, with the momentum of a successful international artist behind him.

Those NZ Country artists who have established themselves via Nashville, I can appreciate now how difficult that is.

The current big names like Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs (who is coming in February next year for two Eden Park concerts) may be having to make way for another.

I was curious, not knowing anything of Moore’s music, but sensing a certain vital buzz around him.

He performed last year at this same venue. He states there were probably 700 people there.

Tonight, it is packed. Women are decked out in identifiable country costume. Western boots and tasselled skirts.

I do recognise opening song Bittersweet Company. Americana of the Springsteen style, which would also encompass Mellencamp and Bryan Adams (and in a way Ryan too, and I know he hates being confused with the Canadian).

There are six players onstage. Three guitars with Moore included (who also takes harmonica breaks), a bass guitar, keyboards and drummer.

This is a well-oiled machine, and they produce a ringing electric string drone which has its own signature Southern Rock’n’roll tone.

A honed version of Lynyrd Skynyrd, or even closer to the style of ZZ Top. Less of a boogie band than the classic Allman line-up.

The studio versions carry the sound of modern Nashville Country. On stage the road-tempered band sound like Americana of the open highways and vast plains.

There are several songs like Hey Pretty Girl, which riff off the style of Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark. This one is quieter with its acoustic guitar intro, and the phrasing is all Boss.

They get to do some Louisiana Cajun and the two-step rhythm on Tennessee Boy. That one has echoes of Diggy Diggy Lo (Doug Kershaw).

I know all international artists take time to complement the host country, but Moore is quite switched on and there is genuine passion when he says from the stage, how can I get residency?

You can try and feign indifference, but it is hard not to get caught in the fraught tensions of the American Presidential elections. Who is lying, who is facing the assassins’ bullets?

I am certain one of the songs is Last Shot. If you were my last shot, last shot of whiskey/ Then I’d shoot you down. You can hear some echoes of Warren Zevon in his writing.

More Girls Like You and She’s Mine are some of the highlights of their approach to heartland Americana as it is driven by Rock’n’roll. Ringing guitars keep inspiration levels high.

Moore includes lyrical sentiments on She’s Mine that Jerry Lee Lewis had trouble with when recording Great Balls of Fire at Sun Studio with Sam Phillips.

And she’s taught to fear the Bible/ But she’s got some friends she runs around with/ Dancin’ with the Devil.

That is Americana.

Sons of the East open the show. The are from Sydney, Australia and these guys lean towards Folk Americana.

I have three names and no set list.

Nic Johnston, Dan Wallage, Jack Rollins. They have five on stage, two guitars, electric bass, keyboards and drums.

They are Folkies of the Union Hall kind. Big vocals, songs of camaraderie and hard-won experience.

The singer has a distinctive tenor wound to a slightly higher pitch. Full of raging energy and they get exuberant like an Aussie Mumford and Sons.

They call their second song a hootenanny, and that would describe them all.

A banjo is added for the last one, and it is wonderful to hears its distinctive ring tone.

Certain we’ll be checking this band out as headliners in the near future.

Kip Moore feels confident with this very warm crowd to lay his heart on his sleeve. He is a private person and guards his personal life. Deeply suspicious of social media, and he has expressed trepidation that his style of Country music does not follow what is trending, and he may wind up cancelled. The terrain is mined like that.

Specifically says he does not want to be churning out his songs on a circuit. Check Dylan for the attitude.

Then he finishes with brand new single Live Here to Work, dropped on 20^th September, a day before this show.

Fuck this! / I don’t live here to work/ My time is short and it ain’t yours.

Kip Moore and his band carry the torch of Americana in their own distinctive fashion.

Rev. Orange Peel