Binwe Adebayo
(Natasha Meister Cuervo Music Room- Rhodes
University)
Natasha Meister’s voice
carried throughout the Steven Biko building, inviting music lovers and curious
festival goers to her show. The Cuervo
Music Room provided a spacious yet comfortable atmosphere, with dim lighting
and sparse furniture. The scene was definitely set for a high quality
blues-style set.
The Canadian artist and her
band are certainly not newcomers to the scene. Meister recently became the
first woman to ever be endorsed by Fender guitars and her band members play
with the precision and poise that only comes from practice. So with all the
ingredients for success, why was the experience so underwhelming?
Meister’s look and sound is
reminiscent of a young Alanis Morrisette and while her guitar riffs, chord
progressions and rhythm are technically flawless, the live music experience
could be summarized in one word: lacklustre. In such an intimate setting, one
would expect the chance for true engagement with the crowd and yet the ambience
was fairly wooden. Even within the ranks, it seemed as if the rapport was a
little off. While the drummer, Paul Tizzard seemed entirely in his own world,
the bassist, Roger Bashew seemed to stare into space from time to time. Perhaps
there is an ESP connection between the three of them that works but it
certainly made for poor viewing and an uncomfortable sense of distance between
the band and the audience.
That having been said, there
is no doubt that the band has a strong musical core and while the songs are
quite predictable, they are brought to their full potential. With the musical
side clearly controlled, the band definitely needs to focus on perfecting the
art of live performance.
Natasha Meister played the Cuervo Music Room on 29-30 June,
with her final show on 2 July.
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