WCC 3: It's a Small World After All

Written by Molly McCarthy

In recent times I’ve come to realise just how small Wellington really is. Perhaps it is because, thanks to living in a student hostel, I can’t seem to walk down the street without seeing one of the 313 people I now live with. But it’s a little more than that too - it seems that people I know, or know of, always turn up in the most unlikely places. Indeed, at a recent Brunettes gig, my semester one politics tutor, Adam Ladley, showed up on stage as front man for the support act Family Cactus. Because just as mobile network 2degrees tout in their ubiquitous advertising campaign, it would seem that in Wellington, “everyone knows someone who knows someone”.

Aside from providing incredible ease when it comes to networking, New Zealand’s inherent social proximity seems to give our gigs a certain homely feel, if you will. For although The Brunettes have toured across America and have performed in a number of neighbourhoods in between, their show at Cuba Street’s San Francisco Bathhouse on November 7th was very distinctly ‘one of ours’.

The “San Fran” is one of Wellington’s more well-known and well-respected venues,  and has been home to many a great gig. Not surprisingly, The Brunettes were no exception. Touring in support of their latest album, Paper Dolls, The Brunettes started the night with support from local lovelies Family Cactus.

Having first seen Family Cactus at this year’s Camp A Low Hum, the San Fran seemed somewhat unable to contain their seven-piece ensemble and at times soaring and howling sounds. At Camp A Low Hum, the catchy riff of the band’s single Kingmaker could be heard carrying on the summer breeze across both bush and lagoon to our humble campsite by the port-a-loos. Although a relatively large venue, the San Fran presents the band’s energy and emotion in a noticeably more concentrated form, making for a very different, although still highly enjoyable, performance - and one that was well-fitting to what proved to be a very lively and energetic night.

Sandwiched between two bands that feature both high energy and higher numbers of band members, Australian-import Sarah Blasko’s (pictured above left) almost solo set and relatively subdued sound provided a welcome antithesis to the otherwise high-powered show. To a background of Blasko’s unique vocals and pleasant - yet catchy - music, we were able to take a break, order chips and test out our friend’s new wide-angle lens. In other words, generally prepare ourselves for The Brunettes, who played the most interactive set I’ve seen since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, well-known for their on-stage antics.

It could have all gone wrong. Opening with a number of technical difficulties, an unstable keyboard and front woman Heather Mansfield voiceless, The Brunettes managed to cover this myriad of problems with a smile and ever-polite demeanour.

While Heather ordered a Hot Toddy from the bar   over the microphone, the band played the songs that mainly featured vocals from front man Jonothan Bree, with minimal input from Heather and a lot of help from vocalist Chelsea Nikkel. In the end however, a little  whiskey and lemon saved the day - once Heather’s voice returned, the band went on to perform a lively show, dressed in cutesy 60s outfits and playing their own, well-known brand of catchy pop. Ending the night with a dancing competition, The Brunettes managed to make the crowd pull out their best boogie even in the last minutes of what had been a very long, but very enjoyable, night.

We may not be a big sound, commercial, top of the pops-producing nation, but we are a place where university tutors swagger on stage, Hot Toddies are ordered over the mic, and certainly a place where everyone knows someone who knows someone. Even if things might not always sound quite right, I think that’s pretty cool.
Let’s Keep It That Way.


Hot Toddy
(for sore throats and cold nights)

Ingredients (serves 2)
* 80ml (1/3 cup) Tennessee whiskey
* 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
* 1 1/2 tbs honey
* 2 x 7cm cinnamon sticks, bruised
* 12 whole cloves
* 250ml (1 cup) boiling water
* 2 x 5cm-strips lemon peel, to serve

Method
1. Place the whiskey, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon and cloves in a heatproof jug. Add the boiling water and stir until honey dissolves.
2. Pour among serving glasses. Add the lemon rind and serve immediately.

(Recipe from taste.com.au)

photos by Rachel Brandon