WHERE
Baycourt Theatre
ADMISSION
Adults $35.00 (TECT $28.00)
Students with ID $15.00 (TECT $12.00)
Booking Fees Apply
Students with ID $15.00 (TECT $12.00)
Booking Fees Apply
DURATION
90 mins (plus interval)
Event Sponsor
Reviews
It might have been the last night of the Tauranga Arts Festival but the energy and enthusiasm of the audience remaine... more...
The Phoenix Foundation
Ellen Irvine
It might have been the last night of the Tauranga Arts Festival but the energy and enthusiasm of the audience remained sky-high thanks to Wellington band The Phoenix Foundation.
The band suited the formal venue of Baycourt Theatre which allowed their true musicianship to shine through.
And though the setting was not conducive to dancing, that didn't stop some from expressing themselves in the aisles of the theatre and in the balcony seats.
Luke Buda and Sam Flynn Scott shared frontman duties, but it was Buda's geeky humour which engaged the crowd. His charisma shone despite his low-key dress, and sometimes at the expense of much maligned drummer Richard Singleton.
The six-piece band are some of the most talented musicians in New Zealand and they proved that at the Tauranga show, swapping instruments with ease between songs.
The versatile band swung between electronic sound to ethereal dreamy songs to rocky toe-tapping numbers. It was the latter which really got the crowd excited, with the bands singles getting the biggest response.
Effective use of lighting bathed the boys in rainbow colours, adding to the ethereal feel of the show.
Original, professional and talented, the Phoenix Foundation was billed as the best in the country, and after that show, it's hard to disagree.
The band suited the formal venue of Baycourt Theatre which allowed their true musicianship to shine through.
And though the setting was not conducive to dancing, that didn't stop some from expressing themselves in the aisles of the theatre and in the balcony seats.
Luke Buda and Sam Flynn Scott shared frontman duties, but it was Buda's geeky humour which engaged the crowd. His charisma shone despite his low-key dress, and sometimes at the expense of much maligned drummer Richard Singleton.
The six-piece band are some of the most talented musicians in New Zealand and they proved that at the Tauranga show, swapping instruments with ease between songs.
The versatile band swung between electronic sound to ethereal dreamy songs to rocky toe-tapping numbers. It was the latter which really got the crowd excited, with the bands singles getting the biggest response.
Effective use of lighting bathed the boys in rainbow colours, adding to the ethereal feel of the show.
Original, professional and talented, the Phoenix Foundation was billed as the best in the country, and after that show, it's hard to disagree.
They’ve toured with the Finn brothers, supported Split Enz, recorded the original score to the movie Eagle Vs. Shark, released three critically acclaimed albums and this year completed a sell-out tour of the country.
Regarded as one of New Zealand’s most exciting, respected and innovative acts, this Wellington based six piece fuses a number of different genres to create a sound and style that is truly distinct and fresh - from intelligent and infectiously catchy pop/rock gems to pulsing, epic, psychedelic progrock.
"I would rate Phoenix Foundation the best in the country."
Simon Sweetman , Blog on the Tracks