On Saturday the 18th of July, I had the pleasure of seeing Delaney Davidson perform live for the first time. As someone passionate about New Zealand’s contemporary local music scene, I felt almost ashamed that I had yet to discover the icon and master musician that is Delaney Davidson, and just how well known he is (rightfully so) within New Zealand’s music culture. Consider this a Delaney virgin’s first-hand experience.
The Gig started off with Delaney’s friend, Mainard Larkin joined by his producer Tom Lark; an amazing duo representing a groovy country ballad rock with priceless vocals. The songs drew the crowd closer to the stage, sharing the intimacy of a special occasion event. People dressed to celebrate, while drinking glasses of Meow’s finest wine. The pair was tellingly comfortable with being on stage and relaxed us into listening to Larkin’s finely tuned lyrics.
When Delaney Davidson arrived on stage, he and his band acknowledged everyone with their heads dropped and handkerchiefs waving in the air; though it sounds metaphorical… it’s really not.
The crowd was entranced as soft ethereal vocals introduced the track (“The fall”) for Delaney’s new Album (“Baby heavyweight”), which sweeps us into a powerful story- the album referencing the rooted theme of Lucifer seeking his own redemption through recontextualising his past. Later in the set, the darker ballad “Everything is here” brought a more serious and evaluative mood to the evening. The story flowed neatly, with each song played in the track order from their eleventh album, released in late June.
I was particularly impressed by the percussive elements and the way every instrumentalist was highlighted and prioritised for their specialties during this performance. Everyone took turns having a time to shine, giving the performance a community-warm atmosphere. “ As he stood, suit tie and eyeliner, the crowd listened to “Wild thing”, filled with unorthodox elements of breath. The set progressed into a more rock vibe, bringing forward the booging. One somber guitar opening to ‘Hello heartache’ was quiet and beautiful, and the crowd responded well to ‘love is real’.
A particularly moving moment came when drummer Ryan Fisherman stepped forward to take centre stage, performing “Strangers” by The Kinks. Before beginning, he thanked Delaney for being both a mentor and a major influence on his musicianship. It was a beautiful tribute that highlighted the respect and admiration shared between the two musicians.
Delaney jumps back on with a bass riff and some groovy dance moves (WOOOS from crowd). The best conversation line was ‘I’m trying to please everyone here, now on the request of people pleasing, how many people have you actually pleased?’. Is Delaney Davidson a people pleaser? Who can tell? I do know, based on his response to an audience member yelling out “you’re a treasure!” and him replying, “you are!”, he is fond of his fanbase.
A standout was a beautiful serenade by Heather Webb, featuring bongo, harmonies, and acoustic flourishes, providing another gentle highlight of the evening. The mood soon shifted again as “Broken Wheel” (my favourite) burst into country-electric energy, bringing the dance floor to life with everyone mouthing the lyrics. It felt like one last chance to dance before the evening drew to a close.
As the song ended, the band fell to the floor, tracing their arms across the ground and bowing in anticipation…and the rightful chant of “one more song” began.
The evening closed with a dual ballad encore, featuring Delaney alone performing both of his Marlon Williams collaborations, “Little Heart” and “First There Was a Demon.” The latter unfolded like a lullaby, with Delaney’s soft vocals and wind-like sounds calming the room and gently bringing us to rest, as though we were young children being sung to sleep. The band bowed as though their lives depended on it, bringing the performance to a comforting, peaceful conclusion.
– Kloey Shaw