Fly My Pretties Concert Review
New Zealand Supergroup Closes 2009 Tour With Wellington Show
Jun 15, 2009
After visiting Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland, Fly My Pretties returned home to Wellington, where they performed three intimate, sold-out concerts at the St. James Theatre on June 12-13.
This latest tour marked the first time that the band had played in public since 2006. Fortunately for their fans, Fly My Pretties, which only records live albums, resurfaced this year with an expanded line-up; original playlist; and innovative and imaginative mixed media show. Saturday night’s performance, the last of the season, was recorded for release in August as a CD and DVD.
Fly My Pretties Reincarnated
Founded in Wellington in 2004, Fly My Pretties is a side project of Black Seeds front man Barnaby Weir. To achieve its unique brand of music - a fusion of folk, rock, reggae, and funk - the band borrows and blends the individual talents and styles of diverse local musicians.
Once comprised exclusively of Wellingtonians, the latest version of the band included sixteen artists from all over the country, including: Anna Coddington, Barnaby Weir, Eva Prowse, Jarney Murphy, L.A. Mitchell (whose powerful, sultry voice made her the obvious crowd favorite), Lisa Tomlins, Mara T.K, Mike Fabulous, Nathan ‘Nato’ Hickey, Nigel Patterson, Paul McLaney, Riki Gooch, Rio Hunuki-Hemopo, Ryan Prebble, Tessa Rain and Tom Watson.
Perhaps the only thing more amazing than the artists themselves was the fact that there was no apparent attempt to outshine or upstage one another. With so many great musicians sharing the same small theater, some degree of competition could have reasonably been expected. On the contrary, rather than fight for the spotlight, band members new and old seemed to harmonize in harmony, effortlessly delivering the Fly My Pretties signature sound.
Fly My Pretties Show Concept
As to be expected from a Fly My Pretties concert, the evening combined music, theater and film. However, this year saw the introduction of a new element: storytelling. During the first half of the concert, group members performed new tracks, which were woven around the presentation of a children’s book written by Barnaby Weir and his father, Dick; illustrated by Kieran Rynhart; and narrated onstage by Mr. Weir.
While Fly My Pretties can be applauded for taking a creative approach to the standard concert format, sadly, Barnaby Weir’s creative writing skills do not compare to his musical capabilities. The fable – a tale of twins who discover that a chemical company is dumping toxic waste into the river – was uninspired and uninspiring. No doubt the crowd would have preferred less story and more music from the fabulously gifted live performers. Fortunately, Dick Weir is an electrifying and experienced storyteller who could breath life into a computer installation manual.
The second part of the show, ‘The Encore’, was dedicated to classic Fly My Pretties songs, such as “Lucky” and “Bag of Money”. On Saturday night, fans received the band with open arms, ears, and minds. The audience was responsive; the St. James Theatre was a wonderful venue and gracious host; and the band, with its clever lyrics, smooth vocals, and high energy, was as entertaining and engaging as ever.
After seeing this collective of multi-faceted local artists perform onstage for over two hours, there can be no denying that New Zealand, and Wellington in particular, is home to an incredible wealth of musical and artistic talent. With any luck, Fly My Pretties will be back again next year.
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