Review: The Blacks Flames, with support from Jack Moser, Paraoa Brewing Co, Whangaparaoa; January 24.
After they’d played For Today, the songwriter of the original Netherworld Dancing Toys’ 1980s hit, Nick Sampson, said: “I certainly thought I’d never play that again.”
Well you did, mate, and The Black Flames did it justice. Proud moment, very cool.
The dance floor was packed out and the crowd all sung along – young and not so. A celebration of a Kiwi music anthem.
After the gig, soul drummer forever Tim Robinson, who told me before the show “I’ve been playing In the Midnight Hour since I was 14”, said he’d “never thought he’d be playing in a NDTs tribute band”.
Well, mate, you just did, too, and it was great, a pleasure to hear those songs again live.
Robinson is the drummer of the first band I ever saw in a pub – The Neighbours, starring the late-great Rick Bryant, and Sam Ford and Trudi Green – upstairs at The Gluepot, aged 17, when the drinking age was 20. Rebel, rebel (and the face was a mess).
All soul bands have departments, in The Black Flames’ case, a rock solid rhythm section led by Robinson setting a decisive, band-leading groove that bassist Steve Shaw tightly locks in on, and he played some lovely licks as soul music can allow.
It’s the same for keyboardist Michael Larson, and Sampson on guitar, always playing the chord progressions right on time, but adding colourful brightening licks and variations to add spice.
And the solos are short and punchy, on all instruments.
At the other end of the stage, there’s the horn section – and what a unit – five brass cats, and they’re fantastic – sharp and authentic – and when the whole band comes in on the opening song, Midnight Hour – your ears prick up and think, “that sounds good and right”, as they accentuate the classic Wilson Pickett / Steve Cropper composition’s notation.
Introducing the dynamic brass section of The Black Flames: Annette Hart, Ed Geddes, Simon Berry, Cam McLean, and Garry Neill.
And then there’s the vocal department, and what a lead frontman they have in Aaron Gascoigne, who’s got the powerful soul man’s voice and presence, and he’s ably backed up by Sampson and newcomer Moana Richardson, who as Nick says reduces the band members’ average age by a couple of decades.
For a first gig for Moana, she did brilliantly, and yes, as Aaron and Nick have discovered, she’s got a sweet-toned vocal that suits soul tracks, and she’ll only keep learning stage craft and this material that’s new to her.
Her version of Son of a Preacher Man was warming and tender, and accomplished singing the Annie Crummer delight in For Today.
Compliments to the young sound desk guys, who said they’d produced sound for big bands before but never one with a five-piece horn section, and to the Paraoa Brewing Co. venue – it’s a great sounding room.
It was a super first hit-out for The Blacks Flames, judging by the crowd’s reaction, and they might just be starting another soul music revival in Auckland and across the country like when Sampson and Robinson were doing it 40-odd years ago.
Very pleased for them, and all the band. Do it. Enjoy. There’s an audience for it.
The other NDT songs they played were (For the) Sheer Thrill (of it all), and Trusted Ones, and two new tracks, Still Crazy, and Just For You – interesting slower, groove retrospectives.
The Black Flames – maximum rockin’ soul – firing up them rhythm n’ blues.
Independent Auckland singer-songwriter Jack Moser opened the show, with a mix of originals and covers, and he’s a talent on the rise, with a very productive songwriting ethic.
He’s released recordings of his originals and they’re worthy of a listen or three, especially EP Where You Are, with the title track a pleasure to hear live.
