Review: Woolshed Sessions

By Cathy Aronson

Recorded in an old woolshed in Golden Bay and transformed into a converted sawmill in Leigh, the Woolshed Sessions was a rare chance to be in the same room with some talented Wellington musicians as they recaptured the warm, free range ambience of the original sessions.

It was also a rare chance to see most of the audience sitting on the wooden floor at the Sawmill Cafe, one of only three intimate locations chosen for the small North Island tour.  The engaged audience was ideal for the band, who partly got together in a shed in Takaka - in the summer of 2007 - with a goal of avoiding noisy pubs and disconnected audiences. 

The collective features some of Wellington's top musicians - Age Pryor, Jess Chambers, Justin 'Firefly' Clarke, Andy Hummel, Peter Hill, Brett Skinner, Al Fraser and Dr Lee Prebble - who performed a musical mesh of instruments, vocals and styles including folk and blues.

It takes some experience, talent and passion to record a live jam in a woolshed in four days, turn it into an album and recreate that experience two years later, infront of an audience in a different space. Luckily the band says the vibe of the Sawmill reminds them of their local at Takaka.  They also spent some time before the gig getting the sound right for the old mill.

The final sound and performance provided the same moments of ‘character’ from the album, but their barbershop style harmonies and instrumental virtuosity was big enough to fill a room, without being loud.

And like any good jam, there were a few jokes between friends in between songs, with Andy Hummel a vocal contributor.  His songs were pretty good too.

Jess Chambers sat in the middle of the boys with her big guitar, big red flower in her hair and an even bigger earthy and ethereal voice, which left me wanting to check out her solo work.  Justin 'Firefly' Clarke swapped between instruments including his guitars and banjo – often a welcomed addition to liven up the set.

Al Fraser’s variety of taonga puoro, traditional Maori instruments, was a treat to hear and watch providing some visual energy on stage.

Towards the end, during the second encore, the band stood up with the audience and got more of the bluegrass shindig going on, including a homely sing-a-long with the words rearranged to say ‘Leigh’.

Despite a slow warm up it didn’t take much for the audience to start thigh-slapping along, but it did leave a sense of wanting for more.  Knowing you were hearing a recreation of a special moment, what history will recall as the Woolshed Sessions, made up for it - especially when the band is only going as far as the ride takes them.

Some of the audience might not have known this. “It’s a bit slow eh. It reminds me of sitting by the campfire on the beach,” said a neighbouring audience member between sets.

“Yeah, I think that’s the point,” said her companion.

* The Woolshed Sessions, Leigh Sawmill Cafe, April 18 2009. Photos by Jessica Mills and Paul Konings.