Bic Runga's pretty cool eh?

Should really be packing prior to tomorrow's ridiculously early flight to Adelaide (I do have a reason to be going, not just some sort of masochistic tourism) but I can't do that until I have raved about the Bic Runga concert I just got back from.

Because it rocked.

More than 682 old people in rocking chairs can rock.

I have seen her sister playing in Stellar (who also rock), have all of her CDs, seen her on TV, listened to her on the radio, got the teatowel etc but this was the first time I have seen her live - and 'OMFG' she is cool.

The promo spiel for the night was rather uninspiring at first appearances - 'Bic Runga and studio band' - until you realise that her 'studio band' includes musicians on loan from some of NZs best bands - including Neil Finn on piano.

As for the mysterious Bic in person? Well, it seems she is a beguiling mix of incredible exoticism and supreme nerdyness. The nerdyness doesn't come accross in the media but boy does it ever on stage.

You would think that someone who looks as stunning as she does, with Cleopatra haircut, black stockings and heels and black pinafore-ish frock (complete with large pockets on the front for shoving one's hand into every now and then during a song) would be completely intimidating - and they should - but not when the wearer is skipping around the stage in between songs and giggling like a (very cool) schoolgirl.

And she is SO kiwi.

And I love her for it.

Sample banter (she didn't do a lot) included:

"Right-o"

"Thanks for coming and uh, thanks for buying my new album - it's #26 on the charts - woohoo! - I don't need to get a job!"

"Yeah, and I just wanna thank the band for coming all this way and for hanging out with me"

"We were going to invite the kiwi Commonwealth Games athletes along but we didn't want to bum them out with our loser vibes".

Have I mentioned that she rocks?

Her backup singers looked like they'd just popped into the Opotiki pub on a Friday night - gossiped with each other during songs and, at one point, made 'don't go there girlfriend' hand gestures at each other before (quietly) cracking up.

And Bic did a bit of that too - in between sounding as gorgeous as she does. Her voice is one of the better ones I have ever had the privilege of listening to, and that's not just the one-eyed Noo Zullander in me speaking (much).

The venue was the fabulous Hamer Hall (goddamn awesome acoustics) in the Melbourne Arts Centre (where I saw Antony and the Johnsons a few months back - it seems I have now reached the age when my concerts are in Arts Centres not skanky pubs - not sure this is good for my street cred.

And I have never seen as many bone carvings or paua jewellery items in one place in my life. There were more kiwis per square inch than a London ex-pat pub. And we knew it...and it felt goooooooooooood. As I sat there blissing out (and missing home) I could hear the same happy sighing noises that I was making going on throughout the auditorium.

Time to get me home for an Easter visit methinks...or at least to buy some more paua jewellery ;-)