Melbourne Ska Orchestra. The Gov. 26 Mar 2017
I have been a fan of Nicky Bomba for many years now, and I’m always impressed with what this finest of musical geniuses turns his hand to. Generally, he likes to dwell in the realms of reggae, and over many years, he’s become quite adept at bringing all sorts of reggae-esque sounds to the fore.
From his days in Bomba, playing a mix of roots reggae, rock steady and more (as an aside, it’s interesting to note that a Bomba gig was the first musical show I took my now wife to way back when we first met!) to the calypso sounds of Bustamento (who are playing in Adelaide on Good Friday at the Blenheim Festival in Clare) to the current massive international ska sounds of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, I’ve been a dedicated fan of Nicky and his music. A lot of the time, I’ve waved the flag in a relatively lonely room, but I am very pleased to note that with the MSO, Nicky seems to have found something that not only showcases his many talents, but has found favour with plenty of others. And if tonight’s show at the Gov is anything to go by, he has many fans indeed; the place is packed!
It is an extraordinarily humid evening in Adelaide, after a sweltering day, and despite the oppressive dense wet air it’s a perfect setting for music inspired by the Caribbean. The Melbourne Ska Orchestra introduced the concept of the Ska-BQ, showcasing a few local acts (Lucky Seven, Fistful of Trojans and Babylon Burning) during the afternoon before taking to the stage as evening broke, and while I was unable to make it to the earlier acts I arrive just as Nicky and his 20-strong band are taking the stage.
It is hot, I am tired, and the place is packed, but as soon as those horns fire up, one cannot help but dance and the energy flows all night! With a sizable horns and percussion section making up the left and right arms of the band, together with more usual suspects on guitar, bass, drums and keys, Nicky finds himself out the front on vocals and most importantly, tying everything together. He’s a true leader, and has fantastic musical prowess, interjecting and interplaying with different parts of the orchestra throughout, adding in ad-libbed breaks, interludes, calling on improv solos, and more. He’s a real master, and feeds on the audience vibe to ensure things are always running at 110 percent.
Musically speaking, the MSO (obviously) plays ska, but they also show that there’s a whole lot to the genre; much more than a retro punk-esque UK thing or an old-school Jamaican thing. Those aspects are there, and they take a dominant position of course, but there’s a whole lot more too. There are funk aspects, forays into different reggae styles like roots, dub or rocksteady, even bordering on doo wop, Latin jazz, elements of blues and rock, and the wistful sounds of calypso is embodied in the sound of the steel drums.
There’s a good mix of familiar and original tunes too, with covers like the Get Smart theme or the odd Madness tune sitting alongside some of Nicky’s originals. Tunes like Lygon St Meltdown, Sly Boots, and Escher go down just as well as any of the covers, and having the orchestra on stage gives so much flexibility for taking things to all kinds of places. Everyone gets their moment to shine too, which makes for lots of solos and lots of fun! There is a prize giveaway for best dancer and best dressed, with a 77-year-old dude named Lionel taking out one of the gongs, and getting up on stage, while Nicky free-styles a ska tune to him before he takes the mic and starts a ska version of Heartbreak Hotel; unplanned, but very awesome!
All good things must come to an end, and as usual, Nicky laments the difficulty of getting the whole band off the stage and back on again for an encore. But the crowd are not content to let the MSO slip away so easily, so Nicky entices the crew to make their way out, and forms a conga line through the audience, culminating behind the main bar, where Nicky proceeds to show off his drumming prowess by playing whisky bottles, ice buckets, beer taps, wine glasses, and even the ceiling!
The whole band weave their way back to the stage for a final blast of ska goodness, and then it’s stumps. As expected, the Melbourne Ska Orchestra play their hearts out, and the crowd laps it up. What a fantastic experience!
Luke Balzan
When: 26 Mar
Where: The Governor Hindmarsh (The Gov)
Bookings: Closed
Third Stone. The Gov. 24 Mar 2017
In general, I don’t do reviews of cover bands, since it’s too easy to be swayed by the excitement of the music that you love (that’s being covered) rather than observing the music for itself, and in my mind at least, it detracts a little from those making original music. However, in the case of Third Stone, I’ll make an exception, partly because this is not an ordinary cover band, and partly because there is some extraordinary talent to behold.
Admittedly, I’ve been a fan of these guys for quite some time, having first come across the guitarist Jimmy (as opposed to Jimi) almost 20 years ago. I was completely blown away by the virtuosic talent I saw. It was in original band The Loving Tongue (which still exists today, though live shows are a rarity!) that I first fell in love with this dude’s sound, and I’ve followed him through a variety of projects he’s had in Adelaide and beyond ever since. I guess you could say I’m something of a groupie, but I don’t mind that when the music is so good.
Needless to say, Jimmy is a fan of his famous ’60s namesake, and Third Stone pays tribute to the music of Jimi Hendrix by pulling together a bunch of his tunes into a spectacular show. Now, a lot of cover bands try to emulate the band they’re covering to varying degrees, with costumes, personas, and all manner of gimmick, and that’s cool if that’s what you’re into, but Third Stone have always stood apart from that, as there’s no dress-ups, no pretending to be Jimi, Mitch and Noel, and not even a note-for-note reproduction of their music. Theirs is a tribute in the humblest of fashion, played by an artist who is actually up to the task. I’ve seen them many times before, and know what I’m in for; tonight at the Gov is no exception to their usual excellence.
Third Stone, comprising guitarist, Jimmy, his brother, Tom on bass and drummer, Adrian play a bunch of big Hendrix tunes including Hey Joe, Wind Cries Mary, Voodoo Chile, and the like, but they also indulge in a few lesser known tunes, like Machine Gun (one of my favourites), Fire, or Third Stone From The Sun, making a Third Stone show something for both the casual fan as well as the hard-core Hendrix aficionado. The soloing throughout is amazing, with a rousing version of Red House really taking things up a notch or three and showcasing the talent of the guitarist.
Interestingly, towards the end of the show, and in Hendrix style, there is a rendition of a national anthem, but unlike Hendrix, who would always give a psychedelic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, Third Stone pay homage to their Australian home with a bit of Advance Australia Fair (so much cooler than the canned versions they sing at the footy!), and break into some Purple Haze to round things out perfectly.
Third Stone managed to impress me as they always do, reminding me why I’m such a fan. Awesome show!
Luke Balzan
When: 24 Mar
Where: The Governor Hindmarsh (The Gov)
Bookings: Closed
Adelaide Wind Orchestra. Concordia College. 19 Mar 2017
Unable to be seen in the wings, somebody not from Price Waterhouse Coopers handed a bunch of envelopes to MC Mark Oates, and AWO at the Oscars was off and running!
With perfect diction and a clear, mellifluous voice, Oates announced over the course of the evening that the nominations were, Pinocchio, An American in Paris, Out of Africa, Wizard of Oz, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ben Hur, Dr No, Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, Skyfall, The Spy Who Loved Me, Jaws and ET.
Piece by piece, maestro Timothy Frahn kept a firm rein and put the Adelaide Wind Orchestra through its paces. Phrasing and articulation was tight, aural balance was pleasing, and almost without exception the large ensemble pitched well; the exception being the use of the xylophone in Skyfall. The arrangements were pleasing and evoked the character and atmosphere of their respective films. George Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Miklós Rózs’s Parade of the Charioteers from Ben Hur were particularly fine orchestrations and allowed the talented AWO to truly show its colors.
A highlight of the concert was Oates singing the theme song from the 2012 James bond film Skyfall. Oates is a classically trained singer who is as comfortable with grand opera as he is with jazz. Originally made famous by British singer Adele, who was recently performing in Adelaide, Skyfall is dark and moody and with a gentle vibrato and resonant intonation, Oates soared its heights and plumbed its depths. Earlier in the concert he sang Somewhere over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz and beautifully handled the song’s tender moments.
Of course it wouldn’t be the Oscars without a glitch, and at the end of the first half of the concert, Oates did try to move straight into the second half without an interval, but the AWO wouldn’t have any of that!
And so, the winner was?
The Adelaide Wind Orchestra of course!
Having lost a few of their more experienced members, the AWO is a slightly different outfit this year, but they are still all class!
Kym Clayton
When: 19 Mar
Where: Concordia College
Bookings: Closed
Arts Projects Australia. Botanic Park. Fri Mar 10 – Mon Mar 13
Well, it’s the final day of WOMADelaide for 2017, and although my feet have seen plenty of dancing hours clocked up, day four still has plenty to offer.
There are a whole load of bands putting on only one show for the whole weekend, many who are playing today, but my main focus is with some acts I’ve seen earlier in the proceedings, and whose performances are once again fantastic!
First up is a bit of Korean percussive fun with TAGO. As a quick aside, the name is particularly poignant for me, as a classic car restorer in my spare time, the nickname we use for fellow Valiant fanatics is TAVO – Tight-Arse-Valiant-Owners, and when I see TAGO, that’s all I can think of… thankfully, seeing them play live is quite a different experience.
I’ve long been a fan of Japanese taiko drumming, but had not come across the Korean variety before. It’s certainly in a similar vein to the Japanese, but has subtle differences too. Importantly, the show is about more than just the music, so sitting way back and letting the drum beats waft over you is not quite enough; you really have to engross yourself in the whole audio/visual experience.
The drummers put on a theatrical show that’s every bit as dramatically impressive as their musical prowess. This style of drumming is as much about the way the drums are hit and the interplay between the characters as it is about the rhythms themselves. And it’s amazing to watch! There’s a comical aspect to it all, with an almost slapstick style to it, particularly as the guys run around the stage, dancing around their drums, and never once miss a beat. It’s an amazing spectacle to behold.
It goes beyond drums too, as the guys came out with gongs and symbols, and more importantly, fancy costumes to further enhance the visual aspects. There is a guy with a flower on his head that would open and close depending on how he nodded his head, and a bunch of guys with ribbons attached to sticks, also stuck on their heads. You know in the Olympics, where they gymnasts play around twirling ribbons (yeah, I don’t know how that’s classified as a sport either), well, this is kind of like that, but coupled with heavy-metal style head-banging, thumping rhythms, and smashing cymbals!
There is so much happening on stage and so much to watch and hear that it’s like seeing a theatre drama, a comedy, and a music performance all in one go! Brilliant stuff!
For an complete change of pace, I travel from Korea to Australia-Samoa-Jamaica for Natalii Rize, aka Natalie Pa’apa’a of Blue King Brown fame, who has brought her own unique solo show to the fore. She’s obviously overflowing with musical creativity during the downtime of her BKB band mates, and is happy to share that vibe with a willing audience. Natalii’s music is in the same vein as that we’ve come to love from Blue King Brown, but as a solo artist, she takes a slightly harder edge and a bit more dancehall influences add to the roots reggae sound.
She’s pretty politically motivated, which has always formed an important part of reggae, and while I regard myself as a political cynic these days (and thus found some things a little preachy – it seems odd to convey an anti-Babylon, anti-capitalist and anti-money message at a festival where people are paying nigh on half-a-grand to attend and pay more than what some people earn a month for a glass of beer, but like I said, I’m a pretty big cynic!), the message is there and is an important part of what Natalii does. The passion she has is clearly conveyed through the passion of her music. Despite my cynicism, the call for a change is there, and I only hope the cries in agreement from the crowd are more than hollow calls made in the moment from positions of privilege (and let’s face it, privilege is where most WOMAD people come from, which for me, coming from a working-class-immigrant-background-come-good-with-a-PhD, is very clear).
The roots grooves underpin the whole musical experience, with electronic influences giving a bit of a dub edge, and Natalii’s dancehall style vocals make the music sound familiar on many different levels. The messages, despite any irony or cynicism are strong and powerful ones, and even if it’s implemented in some small way then Natalii and her music have done their job. The blend of styles and grooving vocals make the whole thing very easy to get into! Natalii also gets back to her own musical roots, jamming it out on the djembe for a tune or two, which was great to see! Definitely very cool stuff from a very talented lady!
Just as talented is Colombian band La Mambanegra. These guys are a Latin American powerhouse, playing an infectious brand of highly danceable tunes. While the music itself isn’t traditional Colombian, it does mix in lots of Latin styles, erring heavily on cha and son, with an occasional cumbia for good measure. Most people would simply recognise it as salsa music (which is actually not music, but a dance… yet I digress!), and thus the dance element is an obvious and important component. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Colombia (a truly beautiful country, and very under-travelled despite improvements on the political and safety front – I definitely recommend checking it out if you get a chance), and this style of music, while not strictly traditional, is by far the most popular over there, and you find it everywhere in Colombian culture. Hearing this therefore takes me right back to eating coconut-curried fish and sipping Club Colombias or mojitos on the beaches of Colombia! Needless to say, La Mambanegra are on top of their game, and are a very tight band, well representing their nation. Even seeing the variation in the members (including black, white and in between – just be careful not to assume any races with a Colombian, as who they identify as may surprise you!) harkens to the amazing and varied culture of Colombia. These guys are definitely a highlight of the festival for me.
And with that, my WOMADelaide experience concludes for 2017. It’s been another great year, with lots of great memories. The crowd is interestingly mixed, though thankfully less pushy-and-shovey than the last few years. There’s still an air of privilege among patrons, and a few too many I’m-a-hippie-but-only-during-WOMAD types for my liking (kind of like fair-weather sports supporters), but nonetheless, the festival still continues as one of the best on offer, and I’m glad I’ve been a part of it.
Now, for 2018…
Luke Balzan
When: 10 to 13 Mar
Where: Botanic Park
Bookings: Closed
Arts Projects Australia. Botanic Park. Fri Mar 10 – Mon Mar 13
For WOMADelaide day three, the weather decided to put on a show of its own, but even cloudy skies and rain couldn’t put a damper on the musical goodness on offer!
My day begins with a bit of East African music from Ethiopian-origin Melbourne band Nhatty Man & Gara, which set a precedent for my day swinging between African and American music.
A light spattering of rain has given way to a bit of sunshine, and the brightness complemented the music beautifully! Nhatty Man put his band together in Melbourne, after being a successful muso in his native Ethiopia, and together with his crew, who themselves are a multicultural bunch, produces a sound that is immediately and distinctly Ethiopian; but is also so much more.
I’m a big fan of the jazzy, bluesy Ethiopian style of music made famous by the Ethiopiques series, and there was plenty of that in Nhatty Man’s set to enjoy. The dark, rolling grooves are a perfect backdrop to the sultry weather, and I find myself being carried away by the entrancing tunes. Add to that elements of reggae, dub, and more western styled jazz, and you’ve got yourselves an act to behold.
Nhatty Man gets the crowd well-activated, teaching us a few Ethiopian style dance moves, and generating some good enthusiasm. I do get the impression he isn’t feeling the vibe from the full crowd, as it seems like hard work to keep everyone together. Maybe the weather is wreaking its own havoc on the crowd’s enthusiasm, but thankfully in my part of the audience, way down at the front, the energy is electric!
From Africa to America, I journey back to New Orleans for more Hot 8 Brass Band goodness. In general, I don’t review stuff I’ve already seen at the same festival, but for the Hot 8, I’ll make an exception! They are the main draw-card for me at WOMADelaide this year, so I only think it’s fair I air their excellence once again! This set is just as hot as their Friday night viewing, but unfortunately, the weather isn’t so good this time around. The rain starts up, and is unrelenting, getting heavier as the gig wears on.
With a sea of plastic ponchos and umbrellas swelling around me (who brings a brolly to a festival anyway!?), I decide to spare my clothes from wetness and my eyes from being poked by umbrella skeletons, and make for the nearest tree. Using God’s umbrella, I still have a great view and still get the same kicks out of the show (yes, I was the only dude dancing under the tree to stage left, but what the heck!).
The band plays on, and the plastic-coated crowd continue to lap it up. The sizeable group sharing my natural cover are also digging the vibe, and the energy is obviously enough to push those clouds away, because after a few minutes, the rain stops and I am back dancing down the front!
The band’s set is fairly similar to Friday’s, playing covers of Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Waiting In Vain, and Sexual Healing again, along with their original tunes. Sadly, my favourite tune from the band’s last album Tombstone, a rollicking Milwaukee Fat, was absent, but there is plenty still to enjoy! These guys really are sensational!
At the end, it turns out that due to a time-slip in the schedule, they have a few minutes extra, so come back with an encore covering The Specials’ Ghost Town, which is a pretty damn cool way to end their WOMADelaide contribution in 2017!
Staying within America, but heading way down south, it was onto Chile next for the charismatic Ana Tijoux. She’s made her name as a hip hop songstress, with a social-political message, but accompanied by horns, guitars and drums, there is a lot more to this than straight-up top-40-esque hip hop.
The live band gives an air of rootsiness to the music, and Ana swings between elements of dancehall, reggae, Latin jazz, and funk, bringing so much more to the sound. I can feel my feet getting tired, but Ana’s music is infectious enough to keep the vibe happening despite any dance-fatigue! The music is rich and the lyrics powerful (I figure understanding the more speaky vocal style of hip hop would be easier, but the rapid fire delivery still makes it tricky… puedo a ver necesito mucho mas practica con mi español!).
While I only understand about 60%, it is still great fun. In fact, with Ana being dark and pint sized, she reminds me of my wife, who shares those characteristics, making it odd to see her speaking better Spanish than me! Despite her small physical size, Ana Tijoux is a musical giant. Her sound, and powerful vocals, ring loud and clear for all to not only hear, but also to feel. It is a very cool set!
It’s back to Africa again, and I get to practice my Spanish some more, thanks to Spanish-speaking West Saharan songstress Aziza Brahim. Located south of Morocco, Western Sahara is a conflicted nation, but there is no sense of conflict within the band, which contains members from Western Sahara, Senegal and Spain, mixing a bunch of styles together beautifully and reflecting the complex landscape of Aziza’s homeland.
The music has a dark undercurrent, obviously resonating with the nation’s struggles, and no doubt Aziza’s own, but also has a feeling of hope for the future, and Aziza does a great job conveying that message of a brighter future, dedicating tunes to the struggles and to refugees. She not only rings out in beautiful vocal tone, but also plays a hand drum and, joined by a drum kit and an African drum set (consisting of a couple of kplango drums, a djembe, and even a talking drum!) makes a very percussive sound throughout. Spanish classical guitar adds a unique softer element to the music, and the whole thing is very impressive. The music is a blend of traditional and western styles, underpinned by the desert blues of that region of Africa, we grooved along with a backdrop of afternoon fading to evening (and about a million bats inhabiting the Speakers Corner area!).
From Africa, it is back to America again to round out the day with a bit of Brazilian bossa nova. Bebel Gilberto is a giant of bossa nova, and has a pedigree to match. The daughter of bossa nova legend Joaõ Gilberto, Bebel has gone on to win Grammy awards and people’s hearts with her gentle touch on the Brazilian style. She’s a master of the craft; the jazzy tones float across the crowd perfectly accompanied by Bebel’s angelic voice.
I’ve been listening to Bebel for many years now, first coming across her and getting into bossa nova while I was still at uni, and it became my winter’s morning accompaniment to studying all those years ago. It is great to experience it in the flesh, and after a busy WOMADelaide with plenty of dancing, a nice way to relax into the evening. The show is seated, which is unusual for a stage one act, but fitting for this style of music. The only issue being because of all the rain, the ground isn’t very conducive or inviting for sitting, especially for me with no plastic to sit on! I decide to keep my pants dry and I watch from the back, letting the music carry me away… the perfect way to end the day!
Luke Balzan
When: 10 to 13 Mar
Where: Botanic Park
Bookings: womadelaide.com.au