Gig Review: Marlon Williams @ St James Theatre, Wellington – 07/06/2025

The last time I had the beautiful luck of seeing Marlon Williams was in 2023 on January 20th. I felt the same vitality in every moment of hearing him live, and a nice change from hearing him through soundproof headphones. On Jun 7th at the St James Theatre, I had to take this opportunity to review Marlon Williams again.

Williams’ fourth album Te Whare Tīwekaweka translates to Messy House, It’s noticeably rare to have an internationally acclaimed artist from Aotearoa create a full album of ancestral language. He has said that it filled him with “whakamā (self-doubt)” and he has acknowledged that the grammar and phrasing may not be perfect, and frankly, I could say the same for myself writing this review. He has said he second-guessed this project in fear of being an unsuspecting poster boy for Te Reo Māori language. On the other hand, this project is a clear reflection of the public’s desire for an album like this. A project that took five years to make and is a vivid reflection of the connection with family and friends. All of this was clearly expressed as I watched him on stage. The translation to the stage of this album did it just as much justice. At its core, the album is a longing for connection before the opportunity is lost.

Once the house lights go down, KOMMI immerses us immediately into a wave of spirituality. They are a co-writer and producer on Williams’ album and a non-binary artist who doubles as a lecturer for Indigenous Studies and Te Reo Māori. Their music is known as witch-Hop or Swamp-Hop music and is all delivered in Te Reo Kāi Tahu, which is the dialect of the largest iwi in the South Island (Te Waipounamu). You may wonder if this would fit with a folk artist like Williams, but they were on stage multiple times together, making off-the-cuff jokes with the crowd. KOMMI stood powerfully under coloured lights set to Red, White and Black like the Māori flag. For those like me who are regretfully not fluent in Te Reo Māori, KOMMI would preface what their songs were about. The first thing they said after their first two songs was “Not what you expect?…Too bad.” in a joking manner. And talented backup singer Tay Renee echoes “Too bad”. I read that KOMMI’s music is unique to the Indigenous views of the Iwi, Kāi Tahu as it has ideas of spirits, witchcraft, curses, and love spells. But in this way, you can see it’s a form of escapism and a way of expressing values of Ancestry, and Māori culture which is beautiful. A prominent song for me was Pigs as it had an underlined political message which I found very relevant to today’s climate. At the end of their set, a Māori flag was revealed hanging on the mic stand. Their fedora hat with spikes which I believe is meant to look like mythical ears, was placed on top of the flag. This encapsulates their set for me for all they represented. 

Then we welcome Marlon Williams on stage just as much as he welcomes us. We have E Mawehe Ana Au first which is sung a cappella on the album but live he has a full band which adds richness to his vocals. The album is telling us about the link between past and the present. His vocals throughout his performance had poetic inflections which he is known for. And especially in the St James Theatre, it’s unintentionally biblical and melodic. Williams seemingly is unfazed and peaceful and comments on the set having steps to a solo stage. I believe it reflects home and the comfort of blue-collar familiarity. Continuing the first half of the show, Williams includes My Boy which I adore from his third album, and it’s delivered just as well as the last time I heard him perform it. Kei Te Mārama is a notable song for me and truly shows his skills as a folk singer. However, it’s impossible to box him into one genre because when you hear songs like Rere Mai Nga Rau which is more pop. Further on this note, he performs hip-hop with KOMMI, so he is a man of many talents. Throughout the show, I was constantly glancing at the tapestry at the back of the stage of the album cover. The cover art was done by William’s mum (Jennifer Rendall) who is an artist. It was created when she was pregnant with Williams, and then years later resembles an uncanny resemblance to an adult Williams.

I knew I’d enjoy this performance, and I wasn’t disappointed. I now have a new artist to listen to and am left with a nostalgic feeling of childhood singing Māori songs at primary school. Marlon Williams is no stranger to the stage and it shows as he conducts himself profoundly as a performer with such respect for those who work around him.

There was a standing ovation as he bowed with his band, and if you ever get the chance to see one of his shows you will see why.

Photo Credit: Andy Snaps for Muzic.NZ
Marlon Williams Photo Gallery
KOMMI Photo Gallery