Gin Wigmore
/By Leah Victoria
Artist: Gin Wigmore
Date / Venue: Friday December 4th, 2015 - Town Hall, Auckland
It doesn't seem like 4 years since Gin released her album Gravel & Wine, but that 4 years was obviously enough for her to have built up enough emotion to spill out in the form of some pretty powerful lyrics. Kiwi singer/songwriter Gin Wigmore released her latest album Blood To Bone in June this year before setting off on tour around New Zealand. Last night she brought it to a dramatic close in her home city of Auckland.
Auckland's Town Hall provided a perfect intimate setting for fans to enjoy Gin's massive stage presence.
Taking a step away from her previous bluesy sound, her latest tracks are hard, raw, and full of pent up angst. They feel almost reminiscent of the events that have carved out her path during the last few years. The drums and the bass of Blood To Bone have a hint of dark aggression, as if she's releasing a heavy load off her shoulders.
New Rush speaks of dangerous measures taken to fulfil a nagging void, while Black Parade tells a tale of loss and times left far behind her.
The massive smile that didn't leave her face all night clearly showed that she has overcome whatever it was that required the therapy of writing her latest material, and she mixed it up with a good selection of older more upbeat favourites from previous years.
She joked about how Devil In Me is about how wasted you get when you've been dumped by a lover, and assures any 12 year olds that may be in the audience, that this experience is yet to come! She picked up her beautiful white guitar, and I though to myself, if Gin Wigmore were a guitar, that's exactly what she'd look like!
One Last Look takes me back to 2009 and the Holy Smoke album. I was excited to hear this, as it was the first album I bought upon my arrival to New Zealand and was my introduction to Kiwi music.
Dirty Love had the whole crowd up on their feet and clapping in time, and Sweet Hell bought a cheerful country style feeling to the end of the night as Gin bounced her way across the stage.
Written In The Water signified the beginning of the end of the night leaving the audience chanting and stomping their feet at the empty stage while the drums remained illimunated, hinting of the encore that the crowd were demanding.
Of course Gin obliged and as she joined her drummer with her own beat on a single drum and gave us Man Like That.
The one thing that really strikes me about Gin, is her complete humbleness. She thanks the crowd for each applause she receives and gives a gracious bow at the end of each song.
To say thankyou to her fans for still believing in her music she concluded with I Will Love You, which was very apt, as it was very obvious the love was mutual.