Live Photos + Review: Nai Palm - The Tuning Fork, Auckland

Nai Palm, lead singer of Grammy-nominated Australian future soul act Hiatus Kaiyote bought her unique compositions to Auckland's Tuning Fork on Friday night supported by DJ Becky, before travelling to Wellington for a headline show at San Fran on Saturday. Sentimental live review maverick Fluffy headed along to the occasion, as well as photographer maestro Connor Crawford who captured the visual vibes. Read Fluffy's review below and keep scrolling to scope out Crawford's photos of the show.

A sharp jolt of euphoric elation shot through me upon hearing the announcement that Nai Palm would be returning to our shores. Recalling wallowing in her dizzying command of the human voice at Auckland venue REC a few short years before, my excitement piqued instantaneously.

From the moment she appeared onstage, her aura glowed with humility and relatability, ripping straight into a powerful set with her jaw-dropping vocals accompanied only by the harmonically dense rhythm guitar work. Her wild vocal projection made a packed Tuning Fork feel beyond intimate and her glorious white half flying V guitar and ethereal falsetto gave her a Venus-esque visage - a golden goddess, spinning spectacular sonic siren songs, just for this handful of lucky punters.

Intersong banter about jams (the jar-based, preservative spreads) and hot ball (a game involving the immolation of a tennis ball) in her multicultural Aussie twang were the relatable counterpart to her divine performing. This in itself was a macrosom of her simultaneously haunting and enchanting songwriting, of her heartfelt but calculated delivery. Undoubtedly, Nai Palm’s material sits wonderfully in-between the realms of polished and impromptu.

The set was a wonderful combination of material from outstanding solo offering Needle Paw and classic Hiatus Kaiyote material such as ‘Breathing Underwater’ and ‘Nakamarra’ and, just as my almost-overwhelmed mind contemplated the likeness of the queen holding aural court on stage to that of the late Aretha Franklin, Nai Palm treated us to a suitably soulful rendition of a tune from the late leading lady.

Throughout the show, I couldn’t shake the impression that she spent many a year performing solo sans-Grammy nominated future soul band and that her solo endeavours were the furthest from the cynical, dollar grabbing after-thought that plagues many artists’ self-accompanied output. For this alone the audience in attendance was beyond blessed to lay witness to the beautiful, resounding creative purity unfolding before our eyes and ears.