Live Review: Fly My Pretties, Five Mile Town

An overwhelming majority of Kiwi accents are ‘deticted’ at 170 Russell for national heroes Fly My Pretties’ Bluesfest sideshow. Two members of fellow NZ band Five Mile Town provide suitable warm-up with some solemn rock.

Fly My Pretties’ bilingual singer Ria Hall appears majestic as she opens the first set singing alone in Maori. Joined next by the backing band, and flanked by Anna Coddington and Mel Parsons who provide backing vocals, the “girl’s set” is distinguished by luscious vocal harmonies, particularly on Garden. LA Mitchell gets off the Rhodes piano to sing Apple Heart with her arms twirling about like a cabaret singer. Things then turn super funky with a bouncy keys solo by Nigel Patterson and Hall belting vocals on the petulant-but-awesome Where Did All My People Go?

It’s all manly when Barnaby Weir sings lead on Lucky, which incorporates one insanely fast guitar solo by burly top-hatted guitarist Kara Gordon. Parsons calls out, “Who’s coming to Bluesfest!?” and receives no response from the Melbourne crowd who are obviously staying put this Easter (awkward!), so she good-naturedly offers to have a great time on everyone’s behalf. Sharing her story about surviving a car accident, Parsons then performs Get Out Alive, a stormy and intense number befitting her experience. All The Goodness reintroduces some funkiness, with Gordon going nuts on the guitar again to close out the first set.

A cappella harmonies by the ladies on Angels starts the second “boy’s set” off on a truly divine note. Weir sings Champion while finger picking his acoustic, as Gordon sits down to play lap slide guitar. Chatty drunk chicks in the front row greatly distract Weir, who chastises them saying, “There are cues in life and you missed them, like, the cue to be silent!” Ouch. Gordon remedies things by playing some dirty blues-rock, this time using both hands to tap over the guitar neck like a keyboard, even tapping away holding it up one-handed. Constantly rotating on and off the stage, the second set continues on, perhaps for a little too long. They play a variety show of rock, reggae and a little extra funk; including clear crowd favourite Bag Of Money. Guitarist Ryan Prebble risks a sledging when congratulating Australia on the cricket World Cup win, but a punter yells out, “There’s no Australians here!” and she’s 99% correct. A Kiwi musical love-in it surely is.