Ventura Black & Gibson XCVIII at Ponsonby Social Club - GIG REVIEW
Alex de Vries went along to a double bill show with up and coming headliners Ventura Black and Gibson XCVIII at Ponsonby Social Club
It’s not often that you get to attend an artist’s first gig as a headliner. It’s pretty special when you see them transition from a bedroom/studio artist to an onstage persona. It’s pretty special, then, that I’m at Ponsonby Social Club, nursing a Red Bull, and settling into my dimly lit corner to see emerging artists Ventura Black and Gibson XCVIII (it’s pronounced Gibson 98, and for the sake of everyone’s brain rot, I will use G98 moving forward) show this city what they’ve got.
Before the show begins, the first thing I notice is the wall of photographers standing around. My pet peeve at concerts is the wall of screens that emerges as soon as an artist takes to the stage. Often it means that you are watching the first couple of songs almost entirely through the filter of someone else’s phone. What’s ironic is that this particular army of photographers is intentional. In the age of social media, does a performance even happen if it isn’t documented from every angle? Perhaps the entertainment value here is seeing the photographers and videographers dance past each other in such a confined space, desperately trying to get the best shot while also trying very hard not to ruin the shots of their friends.
Opening the show is Sophie Gibson (yes, another Gibson), who enlightens the audience with her pleasant voice. Performing a folky set, her vibe is very singer-songwriter-as-genre. She’s soft spoken, and her music has a similar wispy quality. When she sings Deeper Waters, the room grows still and silent, mesmerised. It’s certainly the best song in her set, which she sings with a contemplative tone. Funnily enough, the videographer choreography adds a comedic enough touch to her set. Gibson is a delicate palate cleanser for a night that is about to get rather loud, rather fast.
G98 take to the stage — the Christchurch duo are back for their second ever Auckland show, joined by Alex Beattie on drums. For a band that makes relatively easy-listening pop music, they come out with a bang, and I feel it in my ear drums. G98 have a lively stage presence, with guitarist Mark often losing himself in the music, and lead singer Dean confidently laying it all on the stage. Unfortunately, there is a slight mismatch between how cool the band feel they are and reality. This isn’t usually an issue — as artists, we often have to climb cringe mountain before people respect our hustle. Yet in this instance, I find myself praying for Dean to put down the disposable camera that makes at least five appearances throughout the short set. The first time was cute, charming even. The fifth time, the gag was tired.
Musically, however, G98 put on a solid performance. My eye, though, is constantly drawn away from the actual members of the band and towards Alex Beattie — what great hair, what a fun knitted jumper, and what incredible skill on the drums! I make a note to message him after the show to let him know that he killed it. When the last song rolls around, the tracks mysteriously drop out, and after a short pause, the band make a shaky recovery, and finish their set to a generous applause from the audience.
Ventura Black (VB) finally emerges, joined by Jayden Lee on drums. I’m convinced that VB is going to be a star. He writes catchy, repetitive songs, which is perfect TikTok fodder. You’d be forgiven for thinking that VB has headlined dozens of shows, with his unmatched confidence, his expert vocal range, and his masterful instrumentation — but this is his first time, and it only gets me excited to see what comes next.
You really get a sense of who VB is throughout the night — he talks about writing songs to describe the perfect first date, in order to offer a different perspective to the countless pop songs about sex. When he sings Believe by Cher, he tickles a nostalgic heartstring, which he doubles down on by following up with Can’t Help Falling In Love. Whether it’s to my taste or not is neither here nor there, but VB has an identity that is clear, and if these are his influences then it’s obvious why he is drawn to them.
What makes the night feel special for VB is the way in which he oozes charisma, making the audience feel safe. I’m in a room with a dozen photographers and countless blonde women (although their roots betray them), and as a person of colour, I don’t feel like I have to stay in my dimly lit corner. VB’s version of pop music gives Taylor Swift’s Fearless meets a banjo-less Mumford and Sons. There’s a sweetness to it, a nectary naivety. It explains the tightly coiled bleached hair and animal print in the room.
While the performance went well, there were moments where VB faltered — particularly in constantly switching between guitars. The set could have been designed in a way that the acoustic tracks were grouped together, to eliminate any awkward pauses. In saying that, VB talked us comfortably through the changes, at times with sincerity, at times with a comic interjection. All of this is simply to say that no one is perfect, and how could I expect perfection from a first-timer?
I come out of this gig richly caffeinated, and with three key takeaways:
That Ventura Black’s music is just easy listening and unchallenging enough to achieve some semblance of success amongst mainstream New Zealand.
That all I want for Gibson XCVIII is for them to relax into themselves.
And that I may well be completely head over heels in love with Alex Beattie.
Verdict — a win is a win (only just).
Photos courtesy of Samantha Davies.