In Swings The Tide

Last night, Nicole and I met for our second show at the Spiegletent after work, this time to see Anika Moa. First hearing her last month we were both inspired to come along for another show, this one being her album launch for In Swings The Tide.

Picking up our tickets, we had a snack in the alfresco bar area first, whilst other people lined up in the rainy Melbourne weather. Last night's full bill for the tent was a fundraiser for the Australians for Cambodian Education - all acts appeared for free, with proceeds of tickets going to the Happy School in Phnom Penh.

A short, cute intro before the gig, as we took our seats in a booth this time, showed details of the school in Cambodia and the story of how the fund got started. All set to a Khmer pop song, Every Breath by The Police, sung in Khmer.....took me back!

Anika was accompanied with bass and drums this time, and entertained the tent full of people with her disclaimers before the show - about her tendency to forget the words to her songs, and that while she may not sound very good, she's pretty, so we should all just concentrate on her face! She's funny! Totally self deprecating.

She played great tracks like Wise Men Say, Dreams In My Head, and Falling In Love Again. My Old Man, followed by Mother. A Fleetwood Mac cover, and title track to her new album. Youthful, another track she did, was so powerful and showed such vocal range.

Such a fresh, frank, funny entertainer, with great tracks and stories. Disappointing to hear that after moving over to Melbourne this year, she's heading back to her homeland, New Zealand, next month! Misses her family, she told the audience, no slight on our great city!!