Review by Donald Gunn (17 August 2018)
Is it possible to bottle energy? Is it possible to stand still? Where does amazing begin and continue to unfold as a spellbinding carpet morphing from moment to moment too…. ? Kaki King threw all of this up into the wind with her “The Neck is a Bridge to the Body” tour – a multi-dimensional multimedia performance using projection mapping to present the guitar as a metaphysical blank slate in a creation myth unlike any other. Luminous visions of genesis and death, textures and skins, were cast onto an Ovation Adamas 1581-KK Kaki King Signature 6-String Acoustic guitar customized specifically for this production. The projections on a huge screen behind her harmonised with King’s mesmerising melodies and on-stage energy.
Kaki walked on in white jeans and a white top with her hair pulled up in a knot above her head and lazy Florida white sunglasses. The crowd clapped and she walked off like a skittish child. This happened 3 times. Then she sat down behind her guitar and the magic began.
I have seen Kaki King a few times before. She has been cavorting around for 13 years and has released 6 albums. She has a large collection of custom built instruments (Not all technically “guitars”) which is another complete story in itself. Kaki is a gifted musician with incredible feel and passion in her playing. This production was in another dimension. If you could imagine Laurie Anderson and the soundtracks and imagery from the films “Latcho Drom” and “Baraka” with a pinch of Ayahuasca and a dash of Fly Agaric Amanita Muscaria with a specially built ovation guitar and uber computer power to fly the whole spaceship. Looking at some footage on YouTube may kind of put you there.
There was very funny mini-movie about her life so far – played by a white ovation guitar as khaki and then a series of other guitars playing other characters she interacted with.
She performed for about 60 minutes and then stopped and stood up and talked to the audience. She has had this production on tour for 4 years and said..” we are exiting the world and starting in Australia – this is the last leg of a 4-year world tour”.
She reminisced about her previous visits to Byron Bay and how on one visit she had a romantic interlude with “a lady who turned out to be a huge Australia celebrity – but I had no idea at the time” and on another visit she married her true love and this time she performed and went for a morning scuba dive the next day.
Kaki played for another 30 minutes and then exited the stage with the music and screen vying for your affections and attention.
Stunning. Amazing. Worlds colliding. Interdimensional wind-walkers. Knowing there are way more than 7 colours and 144 parallel dimensions on this earth and beyond.
