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Gig Guide
Friday September 10th
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· Refuel: El Schlong and Guests
· Bath St: Future Sound of Dunedin 4th Birthday
· Captain Cook Tavern: The Bats NZ September Spring Tour
· Di Lusso: Jimmy Fresh aka Mr J Reggae
· Empire Hotel: Open Tune Session
· Circadian Rhythm Cafe: Philtre Jazz Trio
· Cellars Bar -Provincial Hotel: Mistress
· Urban Factory: One Track Minds
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Hannah Howes and Ariana Tikao @ Chicks Hotel 22/5/10 - Review
08 June, 2010Page 1
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But anyway, Ariana was a very down to earth and friendly performer; not adhering to artist-audience relationships but making it feel more like a catch-up between old friends with some making music thrown in for good measure, which was a very good atmosphere to sink into on a cold Saturday night in Port Charmers. To be honest, I didn't feel the need to dissect each song. The music was laid back enough that you could let it wash past you and gently but firmly pull you in all sorts of interesting directions due to the many influences the music was based on. One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the songs in Maori. I had no idea what the words meant but they sounded cool and that's what’s important right? Ariana also explained the basic gist of each song that was in Maori which was interesting and I enjoyed it. But the music itself was still the highlight for me. Definitely not a set for rockers, but undeniably a good sound. I was impressed.
Hannah Howes also had the singer/songwriter sound but with less of the ethnic influences. Her sound was very soft and relaxed and the songs were dreamy and very personal sounding. The music was so reflective that, like with Ariana, I didn't feel the need to pay attention to every subtlety of the music and could let the general feeling of it create the atmosphere. With the songs being relaxed musically, you could quite easily find yourself retreating to your own thoughts and without knowing it, the music would guide you through your own mind. And you only realize when the song ends and the magic is broken. From a technical point of view, when the drummer for Hannah Howes (who also drummed for Ariana) started playing drums and synth at the same time, it was very impressive indeed. And at any rate it was something I hadn't seen done before and though it was quite fascinating.
Hannah Howes also made it seem like a gathering of old friends. This was probably helped by the fact that Ariana took to the stage with Hannah to perform a song that they had co-written together and that Hannah also invited another friend of hers from the audience to play Viola for the last few songs. Hannah also talked to the audience about the songs and what they meant which further broke down the gap between artist and audience.
At the end of it all, the whole night seemed to have been a gathering of old friends that hadn't been together for a long time. And while that might have been true for a few of the audience members, I have a suspicion that this is mainly due to the performance skills of Ariana and Hannah. The ability to connect with an audience and to open themselves up (which is arguably what music is all about). This singer/songwriter style isn't usually what I'd listen to but I was impressed by what I heard. It was definitely great music.
Posted by scott
