Gig Review: Brand New Secondhand
Kicking off NZ Music Month with us on the 5th May 2022 we had Wellington 6-piece roots band Brand New Secondhand. The theme of Music Month this year is ‘Level Up’ and this group of good mates and family ties certainly did just that!
What a lovely, warm, and sincere group of guys, and I enjoyed their set so much! This is becoming one of my favourite streams to put on, and just enjoy vibing. The smooth reggae grooves, all the percussion, keys, harmonies, and Te Reo Maori, all combine to create the most deliciously authentic kiwi flavour. I find the messages of identity and mana so inspiring too. Native Voice gives me chills every time I listen to it! (The slow-down ending on this track is perfection, too.)
Opening with the easy-breezy instrumental Reggae Splash, it was great to hear the band through our system in full clarity, with one of the stand-out features for me being the keys. Kahu’s energy on stage is infectious, and those clavvy stabs and nibbles create such an instrumental hook in many of the tracks, particularly in Check It Out and Tiki Tata. My ears just love it!
And there’s no shortage of vocal hooks either, like “wah wah wah!” in Americana, and “Wa oh oh, a Tiki Tata!” in Tiki Tata. I challenge anyone to listen to these songs and not end up singing them around the house! They all have great voices; with Sidi, Simon and Nadge each taking their turn on lead, while the rest of the band jump on backing vocals. Once a few of those vocal harmonies are completely dialed in, they will really have that cake iced to perfection.
Nadge and Simon swap instruments after Americana while Stan does a round of introductions, a very smooth and nicely done transition. The whole performance was really seamless and the band look confident and happy on stage. The vibe in the room is warm and supportive, and everyone in the Stream Team has a big smile on their face, because everything looks and sounds so good.
And then they go and bust out Scally Wags, which has big funk-disco energy, taking us all by surprise. Opening with Simon and Gus playing a harmonised rapid-fire staccato motif together; it’s a great dance track, and at this point it’s a shame we are in a small room with no dance floor!
Beyond the Horizon begins with the soundscape of a brooding mystical synthesizer, and the call of a koauau, a traditional Maori flute, made and played by Sidi, gently echoing over the top, until the band drops in with a stonking intro that takes us into the groove.
Whaia Te Pae Tata followed by Tried To Take Our Mana close out the set on a high note, as the final song switches up to a high-energy Santana-feel musical outro, complete with feature percussion solo by Sidi. I’m enjoying the Latin American and Creole flavours that the percussion invokes. This is original roots music with a very successful fusion of cultural influences, which is a real celebration of our humanity in general, and everything that makes us who we are, and do what we do.
And we do music here at HiViZ JamZ!
Big Loves and thanks to Brand New Secondhand for coming and doing a music with us!
Whaia Te Pae Tata!
Watch the livestream HERE.
Follow Brand New Secondhand on Facebook HERE for upcoming shows.
Review by Cathy Elizabeth