Live Appearances

"Counting The Days" Concert
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
3 October, 2003

(Photo copyright to Don Scott / The Press)

Venue:      Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch, NZ

Address:   95 Kilmore Street, Christchurch

Dates:      Friday, 3 October, 2003

Time:        8:00pm

Cost:         

Setlist:       

-Something Good

-Precious Things

-She left On A Monday

-Beautiful Collision

-Untitled (new song by Bic)

-Bursting Through

-Ne Me Quitte Pas

-Anyone Who Had A Heart

-Autumn Leaves

-Wild Is The Wind

-One More Cup Of Coffee

-Wishing On A Star

-And No More Shall We Part

Photo's:    To come

Review:

By DoctaSoma, posted on the www.bicrunga.com messageboard:

Wow this show was amazing. Let me make that really clear because if I make criticisms later its just that I'm looking hard for constructive comments, not that I wasn't blown away.
Firstly Brooke Fraser was a nice little opener. I had never heard her before, to see an opener alien to you and to enjoy it is always a bonus. She was nervous and her jokes were bad but her voice is great and her songs were good. Her style is not unlike Bic's so a good matchup.

However Bic of course blew her out of the water. Opening with a Bob Dylan song (one more cup of coffee) set to an orchestra is awesome and it was great. I did feel though that it had lost a little something that was present when she plays it with her band. The backup singing that adds strength here and there during this song and other songs was missing. Not to say it wasn't wonderful but anyway.

Then onto Precious thing. Sung beautifully but not hugely enhanced by the orchestra in my opinion. What I mean was that in this song it was quite possible to forget the orchestra was there. Not really a bad thing because this song is gorgeous live anyway.

Beautiful Collision was absolutely fantastic. If any of her songs were made for an orchestra this one was and it was gorgeous. I really liked the way the different orchestral parts stood out seperately yet fit together so well.

Hmm, I don't want to talk about each song but I've already started the trend.

The set was pretty heavy with covers and new songs. Bursting through was the only representative of Drive. Beautiful Collision spawned Precious Thing, Beautiful Collision, Left on a Monday and Something Good - the only single played. Personally I thought it was cool and brave to play only one single.

I didn't pick up a program so I'm not sure of the name of the songs I didn't know. I don't know which were new and which were covers. But most of the new songs were great. She sung a song entirely in French. She sung it very well, but not understanding the lyrics detracted from it for me. Bic's lyrics are part of what I enjoy about her music.

Bursting through was fantastic.

Another highlight was a song ?a cover with a line like 'anyone who had a heart would love me true'. In fact this was without a doubt the climax of the concert. The orchestra was at its loudest and most warm and glorious.

One thing though the show was much too short - no more than 1 hour. I think the crowd deserved an encore. Perhaps not Bic + the CSO. I can understand the work involved in arranging heaps of songs for an orchestra and practicing them. But Bic could have come out perhaps with an acoustic guitar or a little band and played a few songs. I was actually very surprised this didn't happen especially with the paucity of singles during the show. And the audience clearly expected an encore waiting around for clapping for a long time - going nuts each time Bic returned to the stage - though each time she only waved.

That being said Something Good was a good closer.

And what of her stage presence. She was dressed in a beautiful long shapely grey/silver dress.

Usually she is pretty quite and reserved on stage, sitting down mostly and making small cute comments between songs. Essentially she did this standing up, not a huge presence but hey - that's her.

Oh yeah Sony recorded the concert. Hard to know what for. I didn't notice cameras. I think that a DVD would be a little unlikely. The paucity of singles and the short length of the show would seem to go against a DVD in my mind. And perhaps to a lesser extent the few singles and multiple covers might go against a live album. My suspicion is that Sony will use a few of these songs as bsides on Bics new singles as they're released. But - I would be more than happy to be proven wrong

Anyway it was a fantastic concert and easily worth my plane tickets across the country to see her.

-Ben

(Review used with permission)