23 Jan 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
The Kings Arms Aye, who would’ve thought. A lot probably but that’s beside the point. Nice place that really. Heaps of cool people go there. I went there, and so did Connan and the Mockasins.

With help from The Checks, lots of people crammed into the Kings Arms to farewell Connan and the Mockasins before they leave for London once more. The night started off very well, mainly with me laughing at the girl in the blue dress that got denied, and meeting a nice fellow named Peter, but it was smiles all round when humble Mr Hosford took to the stage with his little blue guitar and a drummer friend that wore something which made him look like Fred Flintstone. Any who, front man Connan knows how to sling a guitar, and with a new pedal at his feet, it was evident he was enjoying himself.

It was the biggest crowd I’ve seen at a Connan gig, which was cool because everyone was dancing and singing like it was 1999. Bass player Ross also managed to sing along while Connan played the auto harp, and drummer Seamus always makes it cool with the staggering “I Nude You” vocals.

The microphone on guitar solo at the end of the set was inventively inspiring and unlike much I’d seen before. My personal favourite of the night was “Uuu it’s teasy”. It is a slower part of the set, but the vocals are intense and the whole band sings along with smirks from ear to ear.

Whether it be in New Zealand or abroad, Connan and the Mockasins are the words on the lips of the people right now, so you need to check them out. A bit new, a bit old, a lot of fun.

Craig Johnson

Somewhere between fantasy and reality, innocence and wisdom, pop music and an art form as yet unnamed, is the world of Connan Mockasin.

Enter that world and you may find yourself, as one UK reviewer did, “giddy with the oxygen of originality”. Put simply, Connan Mockasin is not like anyone else. Whether he is singing an ode to a favourite pet, parading one of his handmade costumes, strumming his autoharp, performing fretboard heroics or manipulating one of his home-styled instruments, he has the uncommon ability to make an entire crowd smile.

Since relocating to the UK from his native New Zealand over three years ago, he has charmed audiences everywhere; from Hyde Park (where he played alongside the White Stripes) and Green Man Festival (Robert Plant, Joanna Newsom) to London’s legendary Durr club, where he remains the only artist to have been invited back three times. He has collaborated with Fatboy Slim on a track for the multi-million selling DJ/producer’s new album Brighton Port Authority, which also includes contributions from David Byrne and Iggy Pop.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Connan Mockasin

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