Monday, Feb. 05, 2007, 12:17 a.m., NZ's First Vineyard Tour with Bic at Ascension Vineyard: My Review 4th February

New Zealand's first musician vineyard tour started at the Ascension Vineyard, in Matakana, Auckland tonight. The ambience was very good, and I much enjoyed myself there with my companion.

One of the owners of the vineyard was first on stage, to thank everyone concerned and to say that they had learned from this first experience and that 'things will improve for tomorrow night'.

What needs improving...hmm.

We drove out of the city at 3.40pm, and reached our carparking destination in sufficient time at 4.50pm. Having arrived at Cnr Woodcocks Rd and State Highway 1, we saw a sign pointing down the road to "Bic carparking" (or sommat). Against our instincts we drove down the road, and the next sign pointed right so we turned our heads right and the next sign was spraypainted in pink "carparking $5" in someone's driveway. As we arrived earlier than most, we decided to park in an available non-pay car bay.

The shuttle buses to the vineyard were very easy to find. No problem there. A nice cheerful start to a carefree evening. The bus started, and made its' way to Ascension Vineyard. I have very nice memories of the lunch I ate there yesterday, and pleasant expectations.

The lunch service was prompt, the entree of mixed platter (canapes of beef, salmon, fresh oyster, chutney & feta) was three quarters terrific, I prefer their Flamenco Rose than a Lindaeur Fraise, beef mains scrumptious, hapuka mains delicious, the Ascension Greek Salad chopped and interestingly lacking white onion. Very nice memories of the food.

As the bus continued closer to the vineyard, I begin to notice the signs on their neighbour's properties "Carparking $5". Very savvy.

One thing I know that would have improved my merchandising experience as a purchaser was a working eftpos machine on my first visit. Tonight there was only one machine to share between the ticketing outside and the merchandising inside. So I kept checking in every now and then "Do you have it now?" "How about now?" "Now?" And I experienced the freedom of the vineyard before the concert crush became oppressing.

The vineyard is a very good place for a nice show. As venues go, it is different, interesting, fun. As organisation went, it needs more improvement to pack in at least 1500 people and conveniences (food, portaloos, free water) comfortably. The food trucks (2x fast food takeaways, 1x coffee van) were suitably placed at the back of the place so that the cooking smell didn't get near the concert. The portaloos were conveniently placed between the vines and there were plenty of loos for both males and females.

To make the fooding more comfortable, there needs to be more food readily available. The queueues (two, side by side; or perhaps a wide single line) stretched from the trucks to the chair people (concert goers sitting in their chairs). This was at 6.40pm. There was no discernable improvement at 6.50pm, or 7.00pm when Boh was supposed to be on stage for her set. Even at 8pm people were only just returning with their food. My suggestion: one - Ascension can provide prepacked hampers (drinks, cheese) for $40-50 to serve two people; two - Ascension can provide $10-15 cheese platter to serve two people; three - the promoters can provide more food trucks; four - someone please provide a vegetarian option! Hot chips is very nice but it is not a healthy dinner.
I'm glad I experienced the true Ascension meal yesterday.

To make the food, portaloos, free water more accessible the crowd needs to be organised to leave some walking area. Each time I wanted to get at anything, it was a fresh maze. Continually apologising to people, people who only wanted to watch the show uninterrupted with their friends. My suggestion: fence or string a passage so that the crowd is 1m away from the vines, or something similar so that the next person in my situation isn't stepping on other peoples' hands, feet, food and interrupting the show too often. Having the crowd 1m from the vines will allow better access to the water placed near the vines.

Boh Runga played the opening act with Anthony Gold. They had great interaction with the crowd, and we loved Boh. She started off with "George Michael", played "Taken", and some others "Whiplash" etc. I believe she would have done even better with another musician with her. Her songs she played did sound 'acoustic', if it means it was a variation on the cd sales version. I wish she had played longer, and more songs. Heck, I wish she was on stage longer just so we had the interaction.

There was a pause in the music, which was treated like an intermission. A long intermission. More people went to get food.

Bic Runga came onstage to cheers, whistles and applause from her crowd. Excellent songs, beautiful arrangment as per her originals. Gorgeous voice. As a whole, 'on a scale of 1 to electric', she seemed to be amped up to 11. 'Acoustic' I didn't feel.

I was sitting up front, lucky enough to be on the grass bank with a great view of the stage. I really felt the music as they pumped from the amplifiers. I admired the percussion of the drumming, the strumming of the harp, the overlay of the whole musically. But there wasn't the intimacy that I experienced at her Parnell concert on her Church tour. No special moment to remember my night. "Blue Blue Heart" (Birds, 2005) is a song that has grown upon me since I first heard it at her Birds concert at the Civic Theatre, Auckland. I remember she introduced the song in her soft breath, her band supported her, the song made me feel sad and also happy for her. She had a great sound system then. Tonight, if you were far away, say at the back of the show to get some food when the queue was short, she sounded like her cd version. And that is rather a shame because the song was "Listening for the Weather" (Beautiful Collision, 2002) - when I first heard it live way way back, I thought it was absolutely charming with a joyful harmonica melody. Perhaps I missed this opportunity simply as I was getting my food.
I admire her songs. Her cd versions are perfect. In a live show, I do not expect perfection. I'd be happier with some inspiration. To have the drummer heat up the beat to infuse emotion is an unworthy trick. It worked though. The crowd was very happy with "Get Some Sleep" (Beautiful Collision, 2002). "Sway" (Drive, 1997) is a real winner with her fans.

She closed the show; the crowd demanded quite politely for an encore and she obliged. Very very nice of her. Again, the songs were very pleasant to listen to but I didn't feel any buzz. At the third song of the encore (a third song I did not demand; someone else on stage convinced her to do it) I had had enough and preferred to be ahead of the crowd back into Auckland Central. In the traditions of Rock and Roll, we walked through the fenced off carpark.

We were in the first shuttle taking people to their cars. A co-passenger commented that this show was 'not as good' as some previous shows. I agree.

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(c) Sockii