15/03/2026

Muroki – Double Whammy: March 14, 2026 (13th Floor Concert Review)

New Zealand-born, Berlin-based musician Muroki graced Double Whammy last night with waves of grooving soul-pop that emanated through a crowd who delightedly rode the swell all the way to shore. He’s touring Aotearoa and Australia after the release of his debut full-length album Amber Skies in January.

It was a mixed crowd at Double Whammy, some younger, some older. Many, like me, somewhere in the middle. There was evidently a split of fans, as well. Some who knew the lyrics to all of Muroki’s songs – even his newest singles – and the ones who came along to see his platinum-certified single Wavy live. Either way, I witnessed an audience fall under the spell of a rising star who grabbed their attention and held it in both hands.

Len Blake

London-based Kiwi singer-songwriter Len Blake strolled confidently onto the stage in one of her signature hand-sewn dresses, shared a moment of eye contact with her guitarist, then opened straight into her first song Freckles. The intimacy of her voice and her stage presence settled over me. A talent that speaks for itself.

Three girls near the front of the crowd locked arms and danced along to Lost In Comfort and she spotted them, saying “love that,” into the mic, which earned some giggles. She had a dripping contagious joy mixed with a heady self-assuredness that connected with the audience. And by gosh Len Blake commanded the crowd with grace. While she playfully sang through Buttercup then 36C, she noticed some rude gig-goers having full conversations in the crowd – but never missed a beat – continuing on with the professionalism and excellence of a seasoned artist.

She slowed the room down for Te Piringa, a collaboration from the 2023 Waiata Anthems compilation album, segueing into a more intimate section of her set with Rich and Alone. She looked out over the room as she serenaded the crowd, making it feel like she was singing to each of us individually, rather than playing to a collective. She ended with the slightly more upbeat Better Now, her soaring vocals displaying the full range of pop and RnB-influenced talent that she’d put on show all set.

Greatsouth

Māori indie rock artist Greatsouth, hailing from South Auckland, began his set with the sounds of taonga pūoro – traditional Māori instruments – echoing through the room and drawing the attention of the crowd.

He gave mihi – acknowledgement – to the band supporting him for the evening then slid his smooth Kiwi accented vocals for 2carsparked atop the guitar chords and taonga pūoro that worked together to create a blanketing oceanscape of sound for his voice to float upon. It felt unapologetically celebratory of Aotearoa and all it has to offer, delivered with aroha – love – to the crowd. He continued into Another Day in Tāmaki, mixing a sprinkle of te reo Māori into his lyrics, then Nada in My Wallet about the plight of a creative trying to make money while making art.

There were a few sections through the middle of the set, during Please! and Hellhole of the Pacific, where the vocals were overpowered by the band’s sound, which was a shame as Greatsouth has a unique, soulful voice that is better heard than hidden. The band closed with It’s getting hotti. Their bodies grooving, the band soaked in the final few minutes of time in the spotlight.

Muroki

Muroki brought his globetrotting mix of influences spanning Kenya, Berlin, his hometown Raglan, Portugal and many travels in between, to his performance last night. He launched into Light Me Up. Confident in his talents and his song, he smiled down at his fans with direct eye contact during the grooving high-energy starter. He played through a few of his older hits with Simple Pleasure and Summer Season.

Then, the first tune of the evening off his new album Live For Today. A number of people already knew the lyrics and were singing along, which was only heightened as he moved into Alien. The crowd yelled “UFO” midway through the first verse, and they were off with a full-body grooving and singalongs, enthralled by the charismatic musician in front of them. The lead guitarist’s riff followed the sung melody to end off the song and it echoed into the applause.

As I looked around the room during Crossroads, I was surprised by how few hands had alcohol in them. Maybe those articles about Gen Z and Gen Alpha drinking less were right. Gold and Blue and Open Up revved up the audience, who were all bopping around as Muroki abandoned playing his guitar to let it sway with his hip movements, instead grabbing the mic with both hands to croon into it.

Then, a moment I’d been anticipating ever since I heard Len Blake was opening for the gig, she rejoined Muroki on stage to sing their duet Somebody Someday. It felt like a special treat to have both Europe-based Kiwi artists back in New Zealand to collaborate on this show. Melting their vocals together, it’s easy to see they are both experienced performers, the charisma that oozed from the stage was a potent rush.

After For Better or For Worse, Muroki introduced his song Popo with an amusing anecdote from his travels. It’s written about a taxi driver called Popo who didn’t speak a lick of English and who drove what felt like 200km/hour with one hand on the wheel and one hand smoking a spliff. And layered with the story, the song became better and funnier – re-energised with its wittiness.

Muroki’s effortlessly cool, calm vibe extended to new release On My Knees and the 2021 single Surfin. The music felt like sitting on the couch on the veranda of a bach that overlooks a surf beach. Watching the swell and picking the best part of the day to head out for a surf. Salty hair, surfboard wax scent, ready to plunge into the cold water and welcome the adrenaline rush feeling of flying down the wave on your board.

The swelling sounds rolled straight into what much of the crowd had been highly anticipating: Wavy. He played the first half in te reo Māori – Rehurehu, a version he recorded for Waiata Anthems in 2021 – and the second in English. It felt like a purposeful celebration of language in a way that every one of his fans could access. He finished his set with Skip The Stones, and left the stage to riotous applause, which turned into “one more song!”

The band played new high-energy number Break It Down as their encore. Muroki encouraged the audience into a call and response singalong. It was the point of the night where everyone had lost their inhibitions fully and were ready to show their appreciation to the musicians.

Muroki has skill and charm and passion all mixed into a strong undertow current that every audience member felt tug at their heart and soul last night. And they’ll be chasing that rush like a surfer searching out their next wave, until the next time Muroki rides in.

E.J. Rzepecky

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