Concert Review: Tash Sultana – Spark Arena, November 22, 2019

Tash Sultana performed at Auckland’s Spark Arena last night, displaying immeasurable power, precision and pure joy across a two-hour set that brought wave after wave of psychedelic musical mastery and provided an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind concert experience.

Tash Sultana is simply unlike any musician I have ever witnessed live, and the list of staggeringly impressive moments on display last night make it a challenge to encapsulate in a single review. Should I start with their ability to perform a solo set that rivals the sound of a 10-piece band, or that Sultana is capable of commanding an almost endless collection of instruments and effortlessly weaving them into a fluid and overlapping psychedelic soundscape?

Before Tash Sultana took to the stage, the crowd at Auckland’s Spark Arena were treated to an opening performance by Wellington group, Tunes of I. I’d seen these phenomenal musicians perform before at Powerstation, where they instantly captivated the crowd with their blend of Kora and Fat Freddy’s Drop roots-reggae style, and it was an absolute joy to see them again last night – this time on a grand stage with an arena-level sound system.

Opening with the infectious bass and guitar of Wicked Ways – a tune which always reminds of FFD’s Silver and Gold – the group instantly filled the crowd with an incredible grooving energy before diving into a cover of Can’t Get Enough. I could fill an entire page on how remarkable this collective of musicians are; from the stunning vocal power and rhythm of lead singer and guitarist, Conway Jeune, to the breakneck power-drumming of Luther Hunt.

Overlapping trombone, saxophone, drums, bass, guitar and vocals is a complex mix to balance and find a perfect groove within, but each of these musicians is performing at peak level, blending Pink Floyd guitar solos and psychedelic echo effects into a sound that is overwhelmingly rich – their collective sound shows incredible depth without washing out or burying any competing instruments.

Their performance was musical harmony between a group of musicians beautifully executed, hypnotising the crowd into grooving and clapping along with the free-spirited joy of an endless summer afternoon – with a cover of Childish Gambino’s Redbone instilling a sense of excitement in the crowd that you’d only expect from a headlining act.

As brilliantly memorable as Tunes of I were, I’ll admit I was in no way prepared for the staggering performance shown by Tash Sultana. Emerging on stage to a neon backdrop and a setup complete with a neon rainbow and cactus, Sultana opened with the Seed (Intro) and immediately floored me with their voice.

I’ve seen Sultana once before, at an outdoor, open-air festival almost two years ago, and was captivated by their vocal power even with limited acoustics and quick-change soundchecks. But I’ve never heard anything with the same raw, divine power as I did last night. For the first time ever, my give-me-chills reference point of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah seemed desperately inadequate, as Sultana moved about the stage barefoot with a sense of freedom that immediately took hold of the hearts throughout the entire arena.

Moving through thumping full bass and thrashing guitar solos reminiscent of Cliffs of Dover-meets-Little Wing, Sultana showed an immense talent in threading the sweet, melodic guitar of Free Mind into the slap-electric of Cigarettes, before addressing the crowd to deliver a heart-breaking announcement that they would be pausing their solo career temporarily to pursue different – and no doubt just as exciting – musical projects.

An acoustic performance of Can’t Buy Happiness once again put Sultana’s transcendent voice on display, before the dreamy guitar riff of Notion floored the audience with a drop into pounding bass which saw the artist drop to their knees during a stunning guitar solo finish. The reverse-audio electric mandolin of Synergy was the precursor for my highlight of the evening, a display of pan flute beat-boxing which left the entire crowd speechless.

“I just want to say thank you, very, very much – I almost popped a lung …I needed that, to do that, I’m feeling heaps better,” Sultana mentioned to the audience shortly afterward, before bringing the capacity-arena to their feet for an epic finale of their fan-favourite number, Jungle.

Through the repeated screams and foot-stomping demands for an encore, Sultana returned to the stage for a 12-string acoustic encore of Blackbird, their lightning-fast fingers dancing across the strings of the guitar with such precise control and mastery that it would almost seem unfair to other guitarists if it weren’t so purely, unavoidably beautiful to witness.

However, the real joy of watching Tash Sultana perform last night was exactly that: Joy. There’s a remarkable level of intimacy in their sound – developed from their bedroom – that made the set feel achingly personal, as though Spark Arena wasn’t a chasmic venue but simple one, large bedroom in itself.

There’s an abyss of pain presented within Sultana when they perform, but beyond that, there is an undeniable feeling of persistence, of resilience, and the beauty that can be carved from that on the strings of a guitar and poured through a microphone. Sultana’s music is nothing less than the sound you would wish to fill your dreams, while their performance is one that leaves you wondering if what you just witnessed wasn’t a momentary tear in the fabric of reality.

It’s a vision that permits you to glimpse another world, if only for a few hours, where a celestial musician – with the power to distill the very essence of life itself into their uniquely perfect sound – welcomes you with open arms.

~Oxford Lamoureaux

Click any photo to browse a gallery from Veronica McLaughlin Photography

Tash Sultana Setlist
Seed (Intro)
Big Smoke
Mystik
Free Mind
Cigarettes
Can’t Buy Happiness (Acoustic)
Notion
Synergy
Jungle
Blackbird