Kiwi singer Gin Wigmore, currently based in Los Angeles, is back in Aotearoa with her Regional New Zealand Tour. Photo / Bobbi Rich @mamahotdog
Kiwi singer Gin Wigmore, currently based in Los Angeles, is back in Aotearoa with her Regional New Zealand Tour. Photo / Bobbi Rich @mamahotdog
Review by Carson Bluck
Gin Wigmore performed an electrifying show as part of her New Zealand tour last night at the appropriately named Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen in central Auckland.
Finally gracing the shores of Aotearoa from her adopted home in Los Angeles, Wigmore is home for her much-anticipated tour from Nelson to the north, postponed last year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Before Wigmore took to the stage last night, New Zealand artist Rita Mea, with her smooth voice, two guitars, and songs about “a break up … or death”, warmed up the crowd for the main event.
Then, with a massive grin on her face, Wigmore opened with her 2020 single H B I C, and gave an intimate performance, as if the 500-650 strong audience were her mates “just in the lounge hanging out”, as she put it to the crowd.
Gin Wigmore gives an intimate performance at Auckland's Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen. Photo / Carson Bluck
Bar the humidity of the Sweat Shop venue, you could see that the die-hard Wigmore fans had shown up in full force.
Young and old, the diversity of the group of people crammed into the gastropub was also noted by a couple who allowed me to intrude on their date night (and their personal space).
Wigmore and her band seemed like they were there for a party: the stage was a blur of light, music and headbanging.
Gin Wigmore thrilled a diverse crowd of young and old when she performed in Auckland last night. Photo / Carson Bluck
And when Wigmore’s familiar raspy voice wasn’t filling the venue, there was no shortage of guitar, drum and keyboard solos. At one point the guitarist seemingly teleported on top of the bar during “Oh My”.
Aside from teleporting band mates and blaring rock music, the concert felt close-knit as Wigmore reminisced about her home town and pointed out her primary school teacher amongst the sea of faces in the crowd.
The venue (even though hot - turn on the AC next time Sweat Shop) added to that intimate feeling you don’t get from gigantic stadium or concert hall shows. It felt like a good old-fashioned gig. No fuss, no muss. Just people packed into a pub listening to some good music.
A surprise came when the Kiwi singer whipped out an unreleased song: a love letter to her husband of 10 years, Jason Butler. She shared that the track was about hard times when she was questioning if they’d make it and how she tries to apologise through her music.
Gin Wigmore with her rocker musician husband, Jason Butler. The couple live in Los Angeles with their two sons. Photo / Supplied
Moving on, Wigmore brought down the house with Oh My” before leaving the stage.
But the crowd screamed for an encore and brought her back.
She did not disappoint, smashing a Tom Basses drum and ripping into the mic. One might think a song about sheep wouldn’t get a room full of people jumping, but it did. Black Sheep saw the whole venue united and was definitely the highlight of her performance.
She could have ended there and everyone would’ve been chuffed but the mum-of-two continued, smashing out two more awesome numbers and wrapping with her song Sweet Hell which combined both rock and folk music in one.
As the rock star wrapped up her show, I was left thinking New Zealand has needed a good shot of Gin.
Gin Wigmore is also performing this Friday and Saturday at Leigh Sawmill Cafe in Leigh.
