I’ve been following Bianca Bailey’s (AKA Wiri Donna) career for some time now and her music has gone from strength to strength. Bold, melodic, indie pop with a distinctive flavour and a unique, recognisable sound, she’s managed to carve out her own niche on student and independent radio with a brilliant EP (Being Alone 2022) and a raft of great singles.

Whilst a solo project, on paper at least, the overall live musicality owes much to her tight and true bandmates - Harrison Scholes (bass), James MacEwan (drums), and especially her partner in life and music, Elliott Dawson, who often opens for her (Incidentally, Dawson has just released his own new darkly ironic single, Calling Time – check it out!). All together, they are an impressive, cohesive unit. Live, everyone compliments each other, hand in glove to create a well-honed production.

Recently, the band laid down tracks for Wiri Donna’s new 6 track EP In My Chambers. And that was the main reason we were all gathered tonight. To hear these new tracks, alongside some older favourites. Actually, many of these have popped up in various forms over the last year in the band’s set. So, for fans, there wasn’t a huge round of surprises. More a delightful welcoming back.

Recorded at Surgery in Newtown with regular production collaborator James Goldsmith, In my Chambers builds of the strength of her previous efforts with some heavy hitting lyricism, explosive guitars from Dawson and Bailey and a touch of angst and angular.

Prior to the gig Bailey told me that the national tour went well, winning over some welcome new fans and audiences. If tonight was anything to go by, I can understand why. But before Wiri Donna take the stage, we are treated to two very special acts.

First up, three-piece, First Reserve, who opened for Wiri Donna in Napier. This is the vehicle for the song writing of Ryan Connaghan (he/they), formerly of Haven. With Connaghan on bass, Harry Thomas leading some driving rhythm and lead guitar moments and Jake Stokes keeping time on the skins, the threesome gives us some brilliant, bright independent, uber-catchy pop mainly from recent EP No One Thinks We’re Cool. That particular track is incredibly catchy, impressive undercurrents hold together the irony in the lyrics whilst the bass and drum engine room give of an unnaturally ‘cool’ vibe, in contrast.

The band also do a few other future play-listers including one called Lazy on the set list. Which is a nifty little banger and a beautifully edgy ballad called Automatic Door, which has a wave of crescendo and drop filtering through it. Connaghan’s vocals suit the songs, fitting like a glove to the emotion and drama of each moment. Stokes holds the beat well and Thomas’s guitar chops shine through especially on the aforementioned and their closer, and most well-known, Alice. Before they go we get more drama in the undulation of Road Trip which is pure psychedelic heaven to the ears. And my favourite from their brief appearance. First Reserve have done a few sets around their native Poneke, including at San Fran. So, I know I’ll see them again and it will be a fabulous reunion. I’ve already downloaded everything I can find online!

Welcome back Dateline. The Capital’s best kept secret, for sure. Originally the project of Hawkes Bay’s Katie Everington, supported by a revolving door of famous friends, the core team at present include Phoebe Johnson (bass), Reuben McDonald (guitar) and the incredibly versatile drummer Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (who seems to be in everybody’s band in the Welly area!).

“How great were First Reserve”, claims Everington, “That’s a hard act to follow. But I’m not mad (making ‘comedy evil eyes’ at Bianca Bailey). No, I’ve got my half-drunk Christmas Party here. So, I’m ready to be supported!” A cheer from the small but loyal and enthusiastic audience goes up to the rafters and hangs there until the first notes of Please Know (I think it’s called that) and Be Good. Clear, concise, hook laden tunes driven furiously, passionately by Everington and MacDonald win us over and it’s not long before we are all bopping along. Hands is almost a classic by itself, as is Choose Me, which came later in the set. I’d wanted Dumb For My Age from the album of the same name. That’s a sure-fire sing along. But, equally blissful, was Hey! You Look Good. Big bombastic and full of irony, the front row to the back were all under the spell. I think this might be my new favourite band.

“Welcome to the Wiri Donna Rock Show”, shouts Bianca Bailey. I’ve seen her do this many a time. The audience will call back in support. And they do. It’s a quiet start with the broody Being Alone kicking things off, followed by the vibrancy of Big Pop. Then we dive deep into an Indian influenced Psychedelic riff from Elliott Dawson on the stunning new track The Gold. By the way, the venue loves this track so much they created a Passionfruit Vodka influenced cocktail in its honour – true story. The throbbing bass and almost middle eastern guitar notes give it a real 60’s vibe. I first heard The Gold last year at Great Sounds Great but it’s still fabulous, especially the exhilarating guitar riffs, infectious grooves build to a climactic end, drums crashing, smashing against a wall of sound. Plenty of smiles in the crowd as the song is recognized from airplay, happy campers bop along blissfully.

There’s more from the new EP, like the brilliant Hell or Highwater, Bailey dropping her guitar to come out to the front, almost ranting like a preacher or a soapbox speaker.

Dropping down a notch into a more melodic moment, Stop Charades is a beautiful half tempo ballad with a secret grunge crush that comes in the chorus. It whips up the frenzies before dropping back again and regrouping for another assault.

And In My Chambers lifts the crowd’s mood as we all mosh along. “Give me something to rely on, My hill to die on!” we sing back as we allow the grooves to envelope us. The room moves as one big mosh around the floor boards as if there are no walls to contain the energy.

Conceited and Dream Of Me are blasts from the past, along with No Follow Through.

Sink is another slice of perfect indie pop, led by Mr. Scholes’ angular 70’s bass stomp. This is the big time, we all are sucked into the vortex and spat out in the climatic finish. Still my favourite number on the record, for sure. Live - always the perfect delivery!

Back to the full noise with the punky Bad Behaviour and we are really in full flight, but we finish on a real oldie, Manuka Honey which is given the full band treatment, a far cry from the original folky toes of the original. I like it better this way and it rounds off the set perfectly.

My only grumble, no encore. No finish, walk off, cheer and return. The faux-rock- adulations were missing. Would it have been necessary? Probably not. This homecoming was mainly among friends. I spotted members of Sure Boy, the Flying Nun crew and other local indie music heroes. This was a celebration of Welly musical talent and what can be achieved, I think. Wiri Donna along with many other small but fierce local acts have found their feet here.

While the Capital feels like it’s under siege with the Public Service cuts, the City to Sea Bridge on the chopping block, the Begonia House scheduled for demolition, San Fran remains and all the bands that have flourished because owe a huge debt to this place. Long live music in the Capital. Long live San Fran. Thank you, Bianca Bailey!

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