Gig review: Kora in Auckland

BY CHRIS SCHULZ

Who, exactly, are Kora? Are they a dub band? Roots? Rock? Funk? Metal? Soul? Reggae? Electronic contortionists? Performance artists? Mystery mashup superheroes? A boundary-pushing family collective?

The answer is, of course, all of these, and a little more.

On paper, they should be Frankenstein's musical monster. That they manage to make their chaotic genre-mashing succeed comes down to three things: Family connections, great songs, and an incredible live show.

Yep, during a celebratory performance at Auckland's Powerstation - their first solo show in Auckland in more than three years - Kora proved to be much more than the sum of their quite considerable parts. 

The Whakatane family-orientated group - Bradley, Laughton, Francis and Stuart Kora, plus bassist/keyboardist Dan McGruer - showed off the full range of their influences from the opening thump of Skankenstein, as front man Laughton played the keyboard riffs and sang while taking swigs from a two-litre container of milk.

"Go the trim milk," he offered as an explanation later.

They played most of their chart-topping 2007 debut album, with the heaving reggae of Burning, awesomely trippy instrumental Skoolyard and the foot-stomping synths of On My Mind - complete with hysterically spooky cackles - standing out.

They also included "some new shit" - several experimental electronic tracks that found the band exploring a new direction best described as a work in progress. But the band sure looked impressive as they hovered over keyboards and sample pads, pushing buttons, twiddling knobs and headbanging in unison.

And it was worth the wait when they pulled out an incredibly filthy and aggressive version of crowd favourite Pop Your Bubble, with the bass so loud you could feel it hitting your chest.

With members of opening act Sunshine Sound System and Shapeshifter front man P Diggs taking the stage for remixed songs and extended jams, and with band members swapping instruments and microphones regularly, Kora's stage show is just as chaotic as their sound.

But, somehow, it works brilliantly, and for many hyped and sweaty audience members - like the guy holding a Kora T-shirt with both hands above his head for the entire 90-minute show - it was obviously an occasion akin to a religious experience.

With these futuristic funk soul brothers standing at the pulpit, it's not hard to see why.

* What did you think of the show? Post your comments below.

- © Fairfax NZ News