On Friday 20th November I had the honour of seeing Anika Moa & Julia Deans play at Bethells Beach Cottages, West Auckland. Anika Moa is on a New Zealand tour playing gigs in the South Island, Stewart Island & North Island. Julia Deans (lead singer of Fur Patrol) is supporting on the Aroha tour.

Anika Moa has three brilliant albums in Thinking Room, Stolen Hill & In Swings the Tide. There is plenty of songs to play from on this tour but as we found out there is another new album on the way! The greatest idea of this tour is playing across the country in remote and beautiful locations in Aotearoa.

Julia Deans has been opening all of the shows who has her E.P. out now for an upcoming solo album. J.D. is a kiwi rock veteran. She was the perfect opener for Anika Moa. Julia has a lovely voice and played acoustic guitar for the set. The songs are pop/folk rock and are personal to Julia. A lot of effort has been put into the delivery of the lyrics with raw emotion pouring through. A nice 30 minute set to setup the evening.

Bethells Beach Cottages are usually setup for a wedding or private function. The venue holds up to 190 people and can sleep up to 12. It is right next to the beach with a stunning view. It was a real privelage to go to such a lovely site to see Anika play live in concert.

Anika Moa provided friendly banter throughout the set. She is a very down to earth, funny & witty kiwi gal. The set comprised of songs from each album with a focus on the new album. The highlight songs of the evening were Wise Man Say, Dreams In My Head &  Falling In Love Again! (The carpet commercial song) Anika also let us know that for the encore of every show she has played Youthful in different styles. She chose to play it in a reggae style.

The tour is still playing throughout the North Island with the rest of the shows listed below. I recommend checking out this artist if you enjoy a friendly kiwi music experience then this is a gem.  Tickets are around $30.

I am very grateful to have been able to see Anika Moa play live as it is a relaxed atmosphere which everyone can enjoy!

The Anika Moa Aroha Tour :

Wed-Nov-25 Cambridge Town Hall
Thur-Nov-26 Raglan Town Hall
Fri-Nov-27 Thames Civic Centre
Sat-Nov-28 Rotorua BarBarella

Wed-Dec-2 Auckland Monte Cristo Room
Thur-Dec-3 Featherston Memorial Hall
Fri-Dec-4 Wellington Bar Bodega
Sat-Dec-5 Havelock North Underground Cellar

www.myspace.com/anikamoa