On Thursday 3rd September, Melbourne-based genre-defying band Hiatus Kaiyote took to the stage at Meow Nui for their 15-year anniversary tour.

The set starts with a gradual layering of a funky bass line, keys and scattering drums, building to open “Rose Water” from their iconic 2021album, Mood Valiant. The packed crowd waits with anticipation for lead singer Nai Palm. She confidently floats out to centre stage and, along with her backup singers, seamlessly adds the finishing touch to the musical fusion. From there the layers never stop building. The texture goes beyond the music, as even the long beads of Nai Palm’s fringe belt click and rustle together as she moves her hips — another instrument in the mix. It’s as if it’s laundry day and Nai Palm has pulled together some deep-wardrobe pieces: a tuxedo t-shirt, printed flared pants, and the black and white fringe belt. The result is not dissimilar to Hiatus Kaiyote’s music; eclectic and strange, but oh so seamlessly cohesive and beautiful.

Early in the show, an audience member yells “sounds so good!”. It’s difficult to disagree. From there, the sound gets even better as the band erupts into a psychedelic-jazz-funk-neo-soul fusion. Nai Palm’s vocals ooze seamlessly like liquid into the contours of the band’s instrumentation. Her pitch jumps around. It almost shouldn’t work, but it always does. She is in total control of her voice, which rolls effortlessly out of her and fills the venue, each and every note melting with conviction. Throughout the night, the band creates a kaleidoscope of sight and sound. By letting the sounds wash over you, each element encompasses your senses and keeps the audience constantly energised and in the flow. Every musician is in total control of their instrument. Drummer Perrin Moss and bassist Paul Bender provide textural consistency amongst otherwise constantly choppy sounds. Simon Mavin riffs away skillfully on his keyboard, adding a melodic and whimsical quality to the mix. They work together like a seasoned jazz band, blending interesting tones; at times reminiscent of the instrumentation on Erykah Badu’s Baduizm, and at others strange dial-up tones, keeping the music constantly experimental.

There was a celebratory tone in the air for their 15-year anniversary, with a sense of shared
history between the band and the audience. Parts of the crowd sang along to every word and
several exclamations of love were exchanged between stage and audience. At one point Nai
Palm even declared the evening as one of her “favourite gigs of all time”, describing the
Wellington crowd as “sexy and nerdy”. Hiatus Kaiyote and their audience shared an
unforgettable night at Meow Nui.

Over their years of experience, the band have mastered bringing a lot to the table musically and creating a seamless concoction that you simply want to soak in.

– Lucy Moloney