Melissa Etheridge Civic Theatre, Auckland. Friday July 6th I don't call myself a huge Melissa Etheridge fan. I barely call myself a fan at all. But I knew a few of her hits and went along to see if I could catch a bit of the magic she had over so many other like-minded women I know. Having been to a few concerts in my time I am always concerned of the vocal quality of singers in the later years of their career. Melissa Etheridge is renowned for her deep, raspy voice and I was scared that without that, she wouldn't have the same appeal. I need not have worried. From the very first note her voice sung clear and strong with a deep passion and intensity behind every word. You could tell that this woman had lived and was ready to tell the world she was here to stay. Dressed in a black leather blazer and tight black pants, the 51-year-old musician ominously crept head down onto the stage playing her guitar, then stood firm centre stage. The nearly full Civic Theatre all rose to their feet remaining a sea of dancing fans throughout the duration of the show. Opening with her song Fearless Love, from the get go you could tell this woman is a seasoned performer. She gave a heartfelt welcome speech and did not shy away from talking and flirting with the crowd throughout the show, full of innuendos and promising that she was "showing you all of my things tonight". The two-hour set was a collection of old and new. From her 90s rock hits, to new unreleased material. She showed us her immense talent by playing a variety of instruments ranging from her classic 12 string acoustic guitar to a ”Banjotar”, from harmonica to rocking out solos on her electric guitar, which were more often than not, duelled by her on stage wingmen - the band. Just when we thought we'd seen it all she surprised us by joining her drummer behind his kit, and proceeded to join him in an impressive drum solo for the finale, during a lengthy rendition of 'Bring me some water'. After some enthusiastic applause demanding an encore, Melissa and band returned to the stage for a lengthy goodbye, closing the show with lesbian anthem 'Like The Way'. Overall it was a fabulous show. Although feeling heavily rehearsed, it delivered what we wanted to hear. The band was tight and let Melissa take the spotlight throughout as she conducted her way through the set. Her in between banter kept us amused and entertained, with her continuous praise for New Zealand leaving us feeling loved and rather special. So after all that was I converted to a Melissa Etheridge fan? Well, I have a newfound respect for her as a musician. I didn't really feel the emotional pull as many others there did. I however have never put on one of her CDs after a breakup. The concert showed me that she is still a brilliant performer and a pretty awesome woman to have on the queer team. - Katija Vlatkovich Katija Vlatkovich - 7th July 2012