Every now and then you happen to come across a band that puts on a performance that not only surpasses awesomeness, but creates and renews your appreciation for live music, and pretty much blows you away with their mind-blowing talent and stage presence.
Bonjah is part of this special group of performers. Hailing from New Zealand and based in Melbourne, they are on the first leg of their Go Go Chaos tour, smashing their way through Australia in a very, very memorable fashion. And we’re talking about ripped shirts, manic bowing and playful wrestling, so yes, quite memorable.
The Corner Hotel played host to The Joe Kings and Daniel Lee Kendall, who warmed up the crowd, readying them for the smash and bang of Bonjah’s opening song ‘Karma’, which had fans bopping away from the first beat. An old favourite, ‘Colours’, was a great way to get everyone singing along, and Bonjah likewise got into the sway of things, with lead singer, Glenn Messop, swaying his way across the stage, getting everyone involved and visibly breaking girls’ hearts.
It’s definitely hard to pinpoint the best moment of the night, with some saying it was the encore (boy, what an encore!) while others suggested it was perhaps the moody and beautiful namesake of their tour, ‘Go Go Chaos’, awash with blue lights and that incredible bass line. It was, for lack of a better word, sexy. And sexy appeared to be the theme of the night, with Messop getting his croon on during the song ‘Hope and The Devil’, with sultry whispers of “Let me in, let me in..” creating waves of emotion through the room, female crowd members swooning in their boots.
They flowed seamlessly into a cover of ‘Teardrop’ by Massive Attack, owning the song whilst adding a Bonjah element that is timeless and unique, and elaborating on their own incredible range and diversity. ‘Spin with the World’ lit up the room in a way that only the addition of a ukulele can accomplish, which was skilfully mastered by bass player, Dave Morgan. Morgan further established himself with his moves and grooves across the stage, and really helped to carry the band, especially during a little sound glitch during ‘Colours’.
They ended with ‘The White Line’, and did the customary stage exit, returning within seconds accompanied by their beloved supporting bands. The Joe Kings, Daniel Lee Kendall, and Bonjah then did something to The Divinyls’ ‘I Touch Myself’, that really, has never been done before. It was an explosion (no pun intended) of glam rock, made even more enjoyable by The Joe Kings’ front man, Jack Stirling, who went all out, taking on a Freddie Mercury role and running with it. It was an incredible cover of a great song that had the whole crowd was singing, and made everyone’s night complete.
Bonjah. They delivered, and so much more. Their commanding stage presence and their infectious love of what they do resonate, and transform what is usually a stuffy Melbourne crowd into a bunch of wild kids, just soaking up the goodness, with every song.
– Zahra Khamissa
