Live Appearance Review
Prince of Wales, Melbourne
22 June, 2003
Warmth speaks louder than theatrics
Original content copyright 2003 to The Age, Melbourne
Original article is at: The Age, Melbourne
Date: 24 June 2003
By: Kenneth Nguyen
Warmth speaks louder than theatrics
The Datsuns and the D4 may be media darlings - "New Zealand is the new Sweden" proclaimed the reliably hysterical NME in a recent D4 review - but the headlines garnered by such tight-trousered uber-rockers obscures the fact that NZ's most popular musician at the moment owes rather more to Neil Finn than Vince Neil.
Despite lacking faux-punk accoutrements or ditties about skater boys, Bic Runga's two albums of jangly folk-pop have become NZ's highest-selling albums ever. But they have had remarkably little media attention.
In any case, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter more than compensated for her lack of New Rock theatrics with warmth and melodic nous.
Running through minor hit Get Some Sleep on Sunday night, Runga sang, "Something in the phrasing was quietly amazing", concisely summarising the key to her own appeal as a live performer.
Like her mentor and occasional collaborator Finn, Runga has a repertoire of melancholy pop songs. She delicately handles time-worn themes of love and loneliness with a wide-eyed innocence.
But even her more indistinct compositions are transformed into captivating pop moments by her songbird vocals.
Runga has seemingly mastered the Elvis Costello trick of exploiting the strains and breaks in her vocal range to evoke anguish or vulnerability. Hence songs which might strike some listeners as unbearably twee ("Could it be that you and I have the greatest love to ever be?" she asked during a solo rendition of When I See You Smile) became showcases for the artful artlessness that characterises Runga's best work.
The air of sincerity was reinforced by Runga's endearingly eccentric stage manner. Dressed in a patchwork coat and demure black dress, Runga flitted from guitars to keyboards, flapping her arms and laughing nervously between songs. Apologising after lively but somewhat rusty renditions of songs including the Jayhawks' alt-country classic Blue, Runga explained: "I'm a bit of a shambles, tonight - I think my head has overdosed on vitamins."
No matter: the audience responded rapturously to songs including the subtle anthem Sway and moody narrative She Left on a Monday.
Runga may never rock the world like the Datsun boys, but she moved her audience on Sunday night. An achievement not to be overlooked.
Bic Runga plays the Prince of Wales tonight and tomorrow night.
Original content copyright 2003 to The Age, Melbourne