After a nasty bout of laryngitis lead to the cancelling of his initially scheduled show, Andrew Keoghan put on an amazing performance in Q Theatre Loft on the 24th, the pool of talent that graced the stage over the course of night was formidable and possibly only rivalled by the mass of kiwi songwriters and artists that made up the audience. Andrew Keoghan has got to be the textbook definition of a musician’s musician.
Opening act Mimsy Cable played a cracking solo set before Keoghan and company took the stand for the night, progressing quickly through known favourites and slyly showcasing some new material from the upcoming release.
It must be mentioned, there is an odd theatricality to Keoghan’s performance that is strangely endearing – watching him onstage, it was almost like seeing someone perform dramatic renditions of Shakespearean plays.
His vocal performance was amazing and roughly a third of the way into the night, two-thirds of The Sami Sisters - Priya and Anji, were brought up on stage for a run of backing vocals, some solid banter and fan-girling between songs. Princess Chelsea was also a brilliant vocal addition later in the night.
Arctic Tales Divide went down a treat – a brilliant crowd pleaser and Stuck in Melodies was phenomenal to finally see live.
Throughout the night the admiration from the crowd toward what was transcending on stage was palpable, and watching someone so obviously in their element was enrapturing far beyond the time span of the performance.
Andrew Keoghan fuses carefully arranged electronic, RnB and orchestral elements, with songs sometimes delicate and sparse, other times layered and orchestral.
His debut LP Arctic Tales Divide was released in 2011 in New Zealand, receiving a nomination for the Taite Prize (inspired by the British Mercury Prize) and named The New Zealand Herald’s Top Local Album of 2011.
His songs reflect a fascination with unconventional love and unexpected encounters.