Maori folk singer Marlon Williams returned to Manchester to tour his new Album My Boy in a stunningly chaotic affair
Heckling is generally reviled at intimate live shows, and usually, for good reason- the inebriated rambles of those inflicted with main character syndrome generally feel disrespectful. But Marlon Williams embraced the drunken calls of “I love you” at his show in The Pink Room at YES, and engaged in the bizarre anecdotes of past interactions with crowd members, creating a conversational, warm and truly comforting gig,
The New Zealand singer/songwriter returned to Manchester to tour his 80’s soft rock-inspired new album My Boy. This album marked a significant departure for Williams, a move away from crooning country songs to a more synth-pop-focused, upbeat sound. Following in the footsteps of Alex Cameron’s 2019 Album Miami Memory, My Boy takes a sardonic twist on the 80s, marked by retro drum patterns and dated ideas of masculinity that Williams effortlessly mocks in his magnificent voice. But it’s not the cliche and derivative 80s throwback sound that so many indie bands over the past few years have tried to emulate, Williams’ Maori heritage is ever present in every aspect of his sound. It’s playful, easygoing and vocally stunning- qualities that make it perfect for a live show!
On this gloomy Sunday evening, the pastel pink walls of Manchester’s most aesthetically pleasing venue were relatively empty as the opening act, New Zealand singer Reb Fountain emerged on stage. This is a shame as her performance was one that definitely deserved a full audience. Fountain’s wild eyes, belting voice and sultry dances made for an impeccable stage presence that felt like a character removed from the soft-spoken woman who sincerely thanked the audience in between each song. Highlights of her set included the deeply personal and tragic ‘Hey Mom’ and the PJ Harvey-esque rock ballad ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’ that tackled issues of one’s own identity crisis.
By the end of her set, the room had filled to capacity and anticipation for Marlon William’s entrance began:
Williams has always had a flair for the theatrical, and he did not disappoint as he entered the stage with swagger, dressed in a blue geometric print shirt, hands adorned with rings and a big fat finger plaster. He had been going through his bag the night before in Leeds and cut his finger, resulting in him apologising in advance for “sh*t guitar playing.”
He opened his set with an old familiar sound launching into some older and more acoustic tunes. He started with ‘Devil’s Daughter’- a simple ballad from his 2020 collaboration album with country duo Kacy & Clayton. ‘Come To Me’ followed suit as a mellow opener of his 2018 album Make Way for Love set to a background of lush instrumentation. Later this transitioned into ‘I Know a Jeweller’, a song that merges bluegrass sounds with a slowed-down bossa nova groove.
Williams then turned to address the crowd, recounting the last time he played in Manchester. This is when the first of the crowd call-outs started – and possibly the strangest one – as a man yelled “Marlon do you remember when I hugged you in the toilets?”An embarrassed-looking Williams retorted, “Oh yes I remember,” before discussing how the guy had started playing Williams’ own music back to him while they were both using a urinal. He proceeded to, semi-jokingly, talk about how uncomfortable it is to have a fan serenade you with your own music whilst using the toilet.
Getting back on track, Williams and his band began a chorus of ‘doo doo doos’ as they headed into the title track of the new album, ‘My Boy’. The audience had been loosened by the bizarre ramblings of the crowd member and the track certainly takes a more upbeat and attention-grabbing approach than the previous songs, so this is where the gig really began to warm up.
During ‘Morning Crystals’ Williams made sure the crowd was aware that no, the song does not refer to drugs, but rather teardrops- a correction that needed to be made as I had indeed read the song as an ode to sex, drugs and rock and roll- with the bridge of the song leaning into an Elvis Presley character. Williams certainly embodied Elvis in his performance of the track, grabbing the mic from its stand and dancing with abandon as he twisted and spun across the stage. At this point a call from the audience asked if a profusely sweating Williams needed a tissue to mop his brow, he accepted and tossed the tissue back to the fan with the bravado of an 80s heartthrob.
‘What’s Chasing You’ felt like the magnum opus of the set. It’s my personal favourite of Williams’ discography and I adored hearing it live. It’s catchy and harmonic and it more than lived up to its studio recording.
Williams has previously expressed a desire in recording a full album in Maori, paying tribute to his biological and cultural heritage, as he attributes much of his musical identity to traditional Maori music. Here he gave us a taste of that, playing an unreleased song, ‘Aua atu rā’ – a phrase he said translates roughly as ‘it doesn’t matter’ but that the people of Leeds interpreted as meaning “F**k it.”
He began translating the lyrics in spoken form, incorporating the Leeds interpretation into his translation. Synchronised choruses of ‘F**k it’ could be heard coming from the audience as Williams went through the main lyrics: “Have mercy on me. The boat is falling apart. F**k it!” Hearing Williams sing in Maori put the rest of his music into context, and it becomes so clear to see the Maori references in all of his country and folk songs once he plays something so unapologetically Maori.
The transition from this breezy, mellow song and its simple lighting choices to the intense strobe lighting of ‘Party Boy’ threw me off. It’s one of Williams’ biggest and catchiest songs and despite being from an earlier album, sounds reminiscent of My Boy. It’s a classic pop song; danceable and fun.
There’s a theme running through Marlon Williams’ set list and his discography at large. His songs are beautiful, melodic harmonies and written with simple yet effective lyricism. And it works- really well! His talent is undeniable and his personality is ever present in both his more humorous songs and the more earnest ones.
‘Promises’ is the finale to My Boy and the final song in the setlist. It’s a raw and passionate ode to the promise of love.
“I am my love don’t let me die away” he belts as the crowd watches in awe. It’s a cover of a Barbara Streisand song but Marlon Williams makes it his own, transforming it from an upbeat disco tune to a heart-wrenching ballad. His vocal talents were impossible to refute before, but this song truly encapsulates his gift.
Williams returned for an encore, of course, but without the company of his band. He picked up his acoustic guitar with its trademark ‘MW’ embroidered on the strap and started chatting to the audience, taking requests for his next song. After a front row member begged him to play ‘Beautiful Dress’, he agreed, stating that he hadn’t played the song in years. It was an unconventional encore, but it added to the sense of audience participation that had been building all night.
He followed this up with the return of his band and the remarkable ‘Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore”- a duet originally sung with New Zealand folk artist Aldous Harding, but at YES, the audience became William’s counterpart, filling the role of a duet partner.
It would have made a great finale to the show, but Williams’ had one more unconventional and theatrical trick up his sleeve. He announced he would close the show with Smokey Robinson’s 60’s classic ‘Ooh Baby Baby’.
I went into this show expecting a mellow folksy gig. I knew that Marlon Williams’ sound was diverse and hard to pin down but I was not expecting bossa nova, soul, Maori, disco, country, soft rock and folk all in one setlist!
Marlon Williams and his New Zealand breeziness make any environment feel warm and welcoming. His engagement with the audience and his general conversational humour made the gig feel collaborative and made him seem so humble, yet his theatrical antics and vocal talents make it so clear why he is the one on that stage. And wow does he own that Stage!
