Gig Review: James Reid @ 4th Wall Theatre, New Plymouth – 18/09/2019

On a quiet Wednesday night, singer-songwriter James Reid (best known as the frontman of Kiwi icons The Feelers) brings his Songbook Tour to the 4th Wall Theatre in New Plymouth.

The theatre is packed and the stage is set sparsely with a chair, an amp, two guitars, and a songbook on a stand.

Reid enters to applause and unassumingly takes his seat. He opens with a classic Feelers number, Larger Than Life, and the crowd is completely silent – his voice still has that soft grit that made it so memorable back in the Supersystem days.

Between songs there is no small talk, but the acoustic arrangements of his material let the songwriting speak for itself. The subdued energy but powerful delivery makes it feel like we are sitting in on something very personal. Ten songs – including crowd favourites Fishing For Lisa and Venus – fly by with the room’s attention fully on the performance.

After a brief interval, a more relaxed but still reserved Reid takes the stage, and gradually warms up, enjoying himself more with some newer tracks. There is a noticeable difference in his voice between the very old and the very new, as if Feelers-era James Reid has been perfectly preserved somewhere in him.

The Traveler is a bit of a turning point in the set: Reid clearly enjoys this one and the crowd love it. An emotive acapella break in the song sits among the many high points of the show.

Finally, Reid eases into some covers and comes right out of his shell, regaling the crowd with a short story about his guitar – including a thoroughly enjoyable impression of a Nashville accent. Covers differ between cities on this tour, and New Plymouth is treated to such gems as Strawberry Fields Forever – less polished and more personal than the rest of the set – and an encore of Pearl Jam’s Black, which really shows off what a remarkable vocalist James Reid is.

James Reid’s songs and voice stand strong on their own and were perfectly showcased in this cosy venue.