The Big Gig - Christchurch Art Gallery - 19 February 2021

 

Well, It's been a while since I did much of anything that I can report on this blog for the start of 2021. Mainly because I have started the year getting a lot of things repaired that had been on the list of things to do for quite a while, I have also been focussed on getting rid of my mortgage within the next year or so after that plan was derailed last year due to COVID and shit, and finally body issues have kept me from getting out into the hills these last few months( old age is approaching and I'm falling to bits) and I have been avoiding gigs to help save money. But this gig with this great line up tempted me out for a night.

Put on by the City Council and held at the Art Gallery I guess as part of their Summertime's Program, I was familiar with all the bands playing and indeed all four had records residing in my NZ vinyl collection, with the Bats having not long ago released their 10th album.

I arrived about 15 minutes before the first band, secured a drink and sat down in the huge Foyer of the gallery, where the bands were to preform. I spotted a merch table and sauntered over to have a look. T's and badges and shit but there were three LPs by Opposite Sex. Three LP's? "What's this?" I asked Violet, The lady running the table and a musician herself, whom I have seen play several times, Knowing that Opposite Sex had only two LPs up to this point. "This is Opposite Sex's new album that hasn't actually been released yet. It's fantastic and we have copies for sale tonight". 

"Bugger! I'm not supposed to be buying any new records at present with money saving I am supposed to be doing but you better save me a copy. Wow, $30 is a great price".

Ben Woods hits the stage with his band and rattles through his set of several songs from his last record and maybe others, I am still not as familiar with it as I could be. it's a good and enjoyable set and this time he has a Sax player playing which I don't think I have seen from him before, the set was great and I did indeed recognise a couple of tracks and enjoyed the extra dimensions the Sax presented. On their last song they were joined by a young lady named Lucy to help Ben sing the song.

Friend Craig showed up in the interval between bands as he was keen to see Womb, The next act.

Womb is from Wellington and As I said, I have a record and saw Charlotte play a solo set about three years back. She is an ethereal singer and brings a certain intensity to her performances which I had noticed last time and noticed again this time as she fronted a band for this gig. It was also a pretty good set and Craig mentioned the Cocteau Twins vibe to their set..

Between the bands this time Craig cued to get beer and I to get cash which I duly gave to Violet for my copy of the Opposite Sex record.

Then the Bats were on. The Foyer was now packed as the Bats blasted their was through a fantastic set new and older songs as well as a couple of bonified  NZ classics, It was a great set and I enjoyed it more than the last time I had seen them, now being more familiar with a lot of their more recent music and also having tracked down some of their oldest music on vinyl. They really have become a great live act.

Finally, Opposite Sex played last, unfortunately, a fair chunk of the audience left after The Bats set which was a little disappointing for the band as the deserve to be heard by more people, they should have played before the Bats really. This was my first time seeing them live and it turns out that The singer/bassist was the same Lucy that sang briefly with Ben Woods earlier in the night. Anyhow, they were perhaps the most alternative band of the night and the nosiest even though they were the smallest unit of the evening being only a three piece. They were great, the new songs were sounding really impressive(confirmed when I played the new record the next day) and they played all the familiar favourites I knew from their previous records. It was a great set.