Image Credit: Doug Peters (Ambient Light Blog NZ)

By: Daryl Habraken

Artist: Marlon Williams

Date: Thursday 25th March 2021

Venue: Hollywood Theatre, Auckland, NZL

Some of us are born, nay, gifted with voices that within our own minds break the mould, shatters the barriers of communication and entertainment to elevate us to a stratosphere of verbose confidence.
Then Marlon Williams steps in and says “Hey Bro, hold my beer”

He then endeavors to successfully deconstruct everything you thought you knew about the verbal arts to leave all in attendance, quite frankly, speechless...

I wasn’t all together familiar with this kiwi act, so like so like an over excited teenager, I was going in dry. What I had heard from those affiliated, was that he has a uniquely country sound, this peaked my curiosity as my conservative brain had recently found a new appreciation for everything country, however once the show started what I got wasn’t exactly Garth Brooks.

Instead what we were treated to was quite possibly one of the finest displays of vocal aptitude and showmanship we had seen in quite sometime. An effortless blend of soul, blues and retro pop with a ludicrous amount of fun gluing the entire performance together.

Oh yes, not only was this man from Lyttelton imperfectly pitch perfect, he was funny too.
All that whilst sipping a scotch out of one hand and playing the guitar or a piano with the other.
Well played worthy adversary, well played. All of these attributes combined to bring a show together that in many ways made me feel nostalgic.

It wasn’t just the effortless genre hopping of simple and accessible styles of music or the kiwi retro decor of the stage housed within one of Auckland’s most treasured historic venues, the Hollywood Theatre, it was the chance to sit down in the auditorium and watch a true entertainer. Someone who can genuinely hold your attention one song and a time using just his voice, one instrument and a self deprecating humour that charmed the pants of everyone in attendance.

With a rich tapestry of story telling and a perfectly structured show, Marlon pulls at the heartstrings in equal measure. The first half, a brooding journey which feels culturally personal, embracing his Maori roots and taking us on a spiritual dive into his minds eye.

After a brief intermission he lets his hair down, interacting with the audience, sharing anecdotal musings and using the quicker tempo to bring smiles to the faces of anyone in his presence.

This truly was an unexpected delight of an evening that I highly recommend.