23 Jul 2017 // A review by Corinne Rutherford
It was a mid winters evening in Tauranga and the scene was set down at Incubator for what promised to be a wonderful evening of music. The rain had cleared and the place had a European cafe vibe about it, with a courtyard outside which had atmosphere for miles and highlighted this intimate venues creative heart.
This was to be the first port of call on the Tony Daunt And The Dauntless album release tour of
The Gypsy, supported by
Kendall Elise and Edward Gains.
What unfolded over the night was magic, people kept arriving, we ran out of seating, but no one seemed to care, there were couches and beanbags and blankets everywhere and lots of happy body's there to listen to music which filled their souls.
The first act up was our local lad from Tauranga, Edward Gains I had only seen him perform once before and that had been of the Punk Rock nature, so I was surprised when he started performing covers of the very mellow and tranquil variety, it was lovely and set the mood for the evening very well. He did however throw in some chords which were not so toned down, and kept the crowd on its toes.
Second support act for the evening was the lovely Kendall Elise from Auckland. "Cutesy with a hint of darkness. Slow burning or foot stomping, and everything in between" is an accurate description, this lady seemed to mesmerise the crowd with her music, it has been described as a blend of rhythm and blues, folk and country. It is indeed personal and dark humored, very beautiful and touching. ?Her debut single
Heart Full Of Dirt was a finalist for the award for the APRA Best Country Music Song 2017, and after hearing her perform, you can certainly see why. This lady has stage presence, a great image and is a very talented musician, the total package. Captivating describes Kendall's performance nicely.
The main act of course was Tony Daunt and the Dauntless, are you ready to hold onto your hats because this band as they say is next level awesome! I was approached by Tony to review his band and I am honoured to be doing so, I could compare him to Nick Cave, but I wont he is Tony Daunt, a very talented musician who's sound can be described as dark and moody. I shall also call it raw, honest, emotional and powerful.
The Dauntless, which complement Tony (guitar and vocals) is made up of, Balas Sebesteny (Double Bass), Kevin Place (Pedal Steel), Chris Kemp (Drums), Sarah Jay (Vocals) and Louis Jarlov (Guitar). This is an eclectic mix of talented musicians who have joined forces to create an Americana/Rock/Country sound, which impressed the crowd immensely, actually more than that, it blew the crowd away. It also blew me away. "This is country music, but with a dark and stark edge that delivers a poignancy that is quite unique".
The call for an encore was loud and the band was prepared. They saved the best for last. I am sorry I missed the name of the actual song as I was so impressed by the vocals of Sarah and the cohesive brilliance of the band.
I have had the pleasure of reviewing many fine New Zealand artists but I do want to say that Tony Daunt And The Dauntless are some of the finest musicians I have had the privilege of writing about and also incredibly lucky to photograph as well.
From
Wildfire to
Misery and through stunning track after track to
The Long Kiss Goodnight,
The Gypsy is a must have album if you are a fan Americana Rock, or even if you are not this may possibly convert you.