Atomic!
Auckland Town Hall, Auckland
Saturday, August 15th
Auckland Town Hall was rocked by a who’s who of Aotearoa’s femme musical icons Saturday night with Atomic! bringing their celebration of women in pop and rock to a close at the acclaimed venue.
Having just finished back to back shows in Christchurch and Wellington, there were no signs of slowing down. The Julia Deans and Boh Runga led super group (now in its third year), brought an array of covers from femme musicians across the decades, including icons like Kate Bush to Kylie Minogue.
Warming up the packed house was recently formed string quartet Through the Looking Glass. Self described as having a “classical edge – but a rock ’n roll heart” Through the Looking Glass lived up to their reputation. A cover of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” was followed by a medley of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time”/”Toxic”, which had the already enthused crowd bubbling with excitement for the upcoming headliners.
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A minor but entertaining gaffe from band leaders Julia Deans and Boh Runga kicked off the Atomic! set – Deans brought out her “men-in-black gun” to zap the memory from the audience, which worked wonders, as not long after their first song was underway, allocated seating became an optional guideline with the audience dancing their way up the aisles to the front.
Taking a moment to honour their absent comrade Dianne Swann – who was unable to join the tour due to a knee injury – Runga invited a special guest to the stage to help fill the void. Her sister Pearl Runga took a cover of “Girls Just Want to Have fun” in her stride.
AMA and Taite Music Prize winner Vera Allen took the lead next with an impactful rendition of the Kate Bush classic, “Running Up That Hill”. Anyone still in their seats was not for much longer, as Deans took back the mic to deliver a belting cover of Blondie’s “Call Me”, accompanied by the driving guitar of Rebel Reid and groovy drumming of Karen Hu.
As I found myself having to take a moment to remember I’m supposed to be writing this down, I thought, ‘Surely a little two step wouldn’t hurt’. With so many powerhouse vocalists on display, it was hard to single out highlights. However, noir-folk icon Jasmine Mary’s dominating vocals on “White Rabbit” and “Zombie” had to take the cake.
After a brief interval and wardrobe change, we were back into it. Another Kate Bush classic, “Wuthering Heights”, kicked off the set, with Deans doing her best Bush falsetto. Followed up by a masterclass in crowd work, as Runga turned the near capacity crowd into her personal choir for a cover of Eurythmics’ “Here Comes the Rain Again”.
With so many icons of Kiwi music sharing the stage, it’s hard to describe the atmosphere they created. Imagine a karaoke night with your friends after a few too many margaritas, with the whole bar belting out the hits in unison, then laughing so hard your stomach hurts and you’d be getting close to the feeling (although with significantly more talent, professionalism, and grace than this writer could muster behind the microphone).
All in all, Atomic! shone a spotlight on some of the greatest music of the last few decades and showed us all why they are the pillars of Kiwi music. Not that it was ever in doubt. It was a true celebration of women in music and the magic they’ve given us.
