It was the first time I’d been to the Sound Lounge and I was impressed. The length and low ceiling gave it a cavern feel and the open balcony and tables added to the venues relaxed atmosphere. The Sound Lounge was full of people who were already dancing and moving to the sounds of New Zealander, Mihirangi, when I arrived.
Mihirangi performed solo, relying on prerecorded tracks to fill the driving rhythm that backed her strong vocals. She gave a solid warm-up performance and got people excited as she demonstrated her cloth twirling technique in front of the stage.
The break before Blue King Brown gave the crowd plenty of time to relax on the cushions and stools in front of the stage. There was a reggae CD being played and by the time Blue King Brown arrived on the stage the crowd was ready for the real thing.
The four piece band arrived first- bass, keys-synth, drums and percussion (bongos, congos, cowbells and shakers!) followed by the two back-up singers and finally the guitarist and front woman of Blue King Brown who mesmerisd the audience with her long dreadlocks and beautiful vocals.
The band began with the singers chanting, “Revolution” and going into One Day. Each track they performed through the night featured amazing percussion solos, vocal breaks, synth leads and an overall tight rhythmic sound.
Don’t Let Go was next and the energy levels increased with the speed of the music. The music fans at the front were dancing and swaying to the smooth beats. Blue King Brown wanted to convert the energy to action and the lead singer talked about how important it is to recognize the Stolen Generation of Aboriginal people and say sorry. She also introduced her backup singers as Papua New Guinean and Sri Lankan and they each reveled in their vocal solos.
Their most popular song, Water, got everyone singing along and it was easy to appreciate the quality of the musicianship of Blue King Brown. Tune went into tune as the night went on the regular percussion solos and reggae rhythm driving through the enthused audience. Blue King Brown are certainly something to dance about.
