FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT
John Butler Trio - Flesh and Blood
Auckland Chamber Orchestra April concert
Everybody I know has the same “how I heard John Butler for the first time” story. There is a video on YouTube of him performing his song Ocean.
The wonderful Auckland Chamber Orchestra are returning with their first 2014 concert on Sunday 13 April at Raye Freedman Arts Centre.
This video has over 19 million views at my last check and in my opinion is one of the greatest guitar songs ever written. He plays a 12 string guitar and displays some of the most exquisite techniques to bring out an array of amazing sounds from the instrument. If you have not heard this song I strongly recommend looking it up. It is only surpassed by seeing him perform it live, a feat I have been lucky enough to witness twice already.
This concert features the multi-talented Don McGlashan collaborating with the orchestra on a selection of his songs. The orchestra is also performing JS Bach’s third Brandenburg Concerto and the 20th century great Phillip Glass’s Concerto Grosso.
John Butler Trio rose to prominence in 2004 with the release of their album Sunrise Over Sea. Butler had a slightly unorthodox view on his band. He was of the opinion that there was no need to keep the same players together for five or ten years because it was about having the right chemistry for the songs being performed at the time. Current drummer Nicky Bomba joined the band for that album and it subsequently achieved gold status. This was aided by the overwhelming success of the single and E.P. Zebra.
Don McGlashan is widely considered one of our best and most enduring songwriters and the collaboration with the ACO has worked beautifully in the past. The Auckland Chamber Orchestra are entering their 15th year with their musical director Peter Scholes and are set to follow a spectacular 2013 concert schedule with yet another year of programming brilliance. Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Sunday 13 April, 5pm. Tickets available through iticket.co.nz F PN
John Butler released his latest album, Flesh and Blood, last month with drummer Bomba (although he was only involved in a large portion of the album and won’t be touring with him), and bassist, Byron Luiters, making up the trio. It is his first album since 2010’s April Uprising and is already receiving rave reviews as the best guitar album he has created. I will admit that it has taken me a couple of listens to appreciate it. The album opens with traditional John Butler fingerstyle guitar on the track Spring to Come. His impressive skills on a variety of different stringed instruments are demonstrated with lap-steel, 12-string and acoustic guitars appearing in tones and textures throughout the album. One of the better pieces of guitar work is supplemented by some tremendously tight and groovy drumming in Blame it on Me. There’s a well-rounded feel to the album, with a mixture of upbeat funky tunes and mellow haunting paces - including the beautiful Wings Are Wide which forms part of the softer end to the album. You’re Free is a moody final track, although I disliked the electronic style sound that it presented which wasn’t otherwise evident on the album. The first single from the album Only One offers a fresh take on the John Butler Trio’s signature sound. Except for the steel drums that are an uncommon addition to their sound, I don’t feel it is the best sound bite of Flesh and Blood and many listeners may refrain from diving into the depth of the album due to this single - which would be a mistake. Butler describes the album as a process in which he “magpied” a lot of the songs for the album. He discusses how magpies take shiny things from anywhere to make a nest and how he emulates this in his songwriting. He uses his own experience and the stories he hears and creates new characters to explore new possibilities, ideas and “emotional landscapes”. The song Wings Are Wide is dedicated to his grandmother, who gave him his first Dobro guitar, a sound that has become integral to the John Butler Trio. The John Butler Trio is performing in Auckland as part of their Flesh and Blood Tour promoting the album’s February release. They perform at the Powerstation in Mt Eden on Tuesday 15 April. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and even if you have not taken the chance to hear the new album, a John Butler gig is always a mind-blowing PN experience and not one to be missed. (FINN McLENNAN-ELLIOTT) F
'TINY ART' ON DISPLAY AT THE ANZ THREE LAMPS We had the pleasure of meeting Willard Wigan, English sculptor from Ashmore Park Estate, Wednesfield, England, who makes microscopic art. His amazing “Tiny Art” was on display at the ANZ Three Lamps, Ponsonby. His sculptures are typically placed in the eye of a needle or on the head of a pin... incredible! (GWYNNE DAVENPORT) F PN
Finn McLennan-Elliott is studing for a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree, specialising in human geography at Auckland University. In his spare time, Finn plays the clarinet and guitar. He has a great appreciation of all types of music. E: finn.huia@gmail.com
120 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2014
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)