Live Review: Sampha, Ngaiire @ Hordern Pavilion

It’s been a while since Sampha graced our shores. It’s been a while since he graced any shores or stages for the matter. Five years away from the live limelight has laid the platform for the much-anticipated return to Australia of the inimitable vocalist/producer. 

This show at the Hordern Pavilion (celebrating its centenary) is one of a smattering of Australian and New Zealand dates that make up a tour that closely follows Sampha’s newly released second album, LAHAI, out now on Young / Remote Control Records.

First, Ngaiire brought her soul-tinged, stripped-back set of songs, blending beautiful melodies and meditative and tender lyricism.

Backed by synth/keys and drums from Andrew Bruce and Tully Ryan of GODTET fame, Ngaiire nestled into early attendees’ eardrums with mellifluous tracks that soared from blissful to danceable.

Closer provided a profound and vulnerable take on passionate love with a raw intimacy in the pre-chorus, enhanced by the synth and the driving groovy beat provided by Bruce and Ryan. 

Rabbit Hole also contained beautiful lyricism and an entrancing hook with a breakdown showcasing Ngaiire’s astounding pipes. 

One of Ngaiire’s more well-known tracks, Once delivered a more dancy, bouncy feeling and a lyric that sticks in your head, blending soul and pop to yield a euphonious melange of yearning and opportunity. 

Ngaiire, short on time, quipped: “We’ve got so many songs. This is a change for us…we’ve only got thirty minutes… or ten minutes… about as long as it took me to put these gloves on.” The set did feel short, but with the knowledge that Ngaiire is playing with GODTET and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House on May 4, perhaps this is a teaser of more to come this year.

Finally, Around - another track from Ngaiire’s debut album, Lamentations - breaks love down as a somewhat futile endeavour and a reckless act of relinquishing to another, which drives us to interrogate our connections when tested.

“Sydney, Sydney, Sydney…what’s up?” came the eagerly awaited initial interaction from Sampha, who emerged out of the darkness to a cacophonous cheer. “It’s been some years… six or seven years. I’m actually with a completely new band.”

The award-winning artist engaged the crowd early by coming to the front of the stage and jigging along to the rhythms his backing band were laying down. This was before he launched into the opening track of his breakthrough LP, Process. Plastic 100°C is a wondrous journey into the mind of the South Londoner as he welcomes us into his process, subtly recalling Greek mythology and perfectly melding soaring vocals with spine-tingling rhythms.

This heraldry moved seamlessly into Only from 2023’s extension on the meticulous and mellow process, the LP Lahai. This seems to be expressing the tension that comes with a much-expected follow-up with the line “La-la-la — it's fingers in my ears”, showcasing a need to block out criticism and stay true to the task, a true testament to his uncompromising genius. 

Satellite Business was a pensive ditty characterised by rapid fire lyrics, a spacy synth sound to match the title and topic, as well as an exquisite minimalist chord progression on the keys.

The lights transitioned from a reddish hue, dropping down to a spotlight on the centre staged Sampha as he sunk into Suspended, the angelic and uplifting track which rests itself on the titular Suspended before adding, “I’ve been lifted by her love; I feel lifted from above”, which subsequently heralds the return of those infectious rhythms which drive the song onto a higher plane.

Inclination Compass (Tenderness) continued the avian or celestial theme with transcendent soulful strutting. This then led into a drum circle! Much to the amazement of the crowd, signalled by a flurry of phones, Sampha and the band gathered around a drum kit and lay into an eclectic rhythmic medley reminiscent of the beaches of Brazil or the clubs of Lagos. 

This led to a stunning rendition of Peven Everett’s dancefloor banger, Gabriel, whereby Sampha was able to flex his vox with nimble power while the band kicked into overdrive to inspire a surprising Monday night boogie.

Later, the band departed and left Sampha solo with one of the singles that made his name: 2013’s Too Much, which exhibited his vocal range and moving lyricism, augmented by his dexterity on the keys. The glorious impact was only slightly marred by tipsy and tone-deaf Brits trying to sing along.

The singalong persisted with the follow-up track, his most popular: (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano, which has racked up over 90 million streams on Spotify. The simplicity and sincerity shine through on this track, which - if you’ve never heard him - will endear you to him instantly. It’s both nostalgic and cathartic.

Then the band returns with a triumphant bounce and frolic from Sampha at the front of the stage again, the smattering of experimental drumbeats and backing vocals in a mashup of Stereo Colour Cloud (Shaman’s Dream) and Dancing Circles.

All in all, this is a feast well worth the wait: a glorious show of a true artist who hasn’t compromised his singular soulful vision, has bucked the critics, and delivered an incandescent follow-up.