Gig Review: Frankie Venter @ Tuning Fork, Auckland – 23/05/2025

There’s a new type of pop girl taking over, and at the Tuning Fork last Friday night, she wore maxi skirts, sports jerseys, jorts, denim on denim, baby tees, and hair bows, singing every word like her life depended on it. Actually, there were hundreds of her. A sea of them, fangirls aged seven to seventy, waving handmade signs and friendship bracelets in a crowd that looked like Frankie Venter’s Instagram had come to life.

This was the closing show of Frankie’s ‘Like It Like That’ tour – and even if she’s opening for Six60 in October, this gig felt like a full-circle moment. There was a buzz in the air: not just the type that follows a viral star, but one you get when everyone in the room already knows every lyric, every dance, every joke.

But before Frankie took the stage, chants of “Emerson! Emerson!” rang out like a battle cry – a testament to the growing overlap between Aotearoa music’s Gen Z fan bases. The screams only escalated as Frankie’s opener, eighteen-year-old Emerson, strode onto stage, instantly commanding attention with her unreleased opener Show You Off. The band’s chemistry was palpable, their collective joy bouncing between the stage and audience. Emerson, bouncing around with infectious energy, asked, “Are we doing alright? How’re we going, guys?”

Her second song, Residue (another unreleased track!), slowed things down, delivering a haunting performance grounded in sparse chords and a heavy, vibrating bass line. Emerson drifted closer to the edge of the stage, connecting directly with fans, even accepting a friendship bracelet from someone in the front row. It was proof of her ability to adapt her performance to the mood of each track – a theme that ran through her whole set.

That mood shifted again with Carry Me Home From the Car (my personal favourite!), a stripped-down, emotionally raw standout. “I turned 18 last week,” Emerson shared while introducing the song. “Is anyone else really scared of growing up, or is it just me?” By the end of the song – and an unexpected emotional moment of eye contact with her dad in the crowd – she was wiping away tears. The crowd, visibly moved, clung to every lyric. One girl near the front clutched her chest; another mouthed the words back as if they were her own.

Emerson’s upbeat number Counting Sheep re-energised the crowd with one of the catchiest choruses of the night. The electric guitar (Liam Beasley) really shone here, sharing the spotlight with Emerson’s vocal range and groovy drums (Elliott Borland). When Emerson began a clap-along, the whole room joined in. The band’s cover of Cherry Cola by Devon Again was an unexpected but incredible choice that fit Emerson’s voice perfectly. It was clear she was having the time of her life. And somehow, despite the high-energy dancing, her vocal control never faltered.

Next were Emerson’s hits I Want You to Know Me, Bored, and unreleased ballad Tip of My Tongue – which she announced would be released in the coming week. Without spoiling too much, I will say that Tip of My Tongue had immensely vulnerable songwriting that saw phone flashlights illuminate the room in a quiet, glittering crescendo. I’m already looking forward to adding this one to my sad girl Spotify playlists.

Emerson’s set ended with fan-favourite You Really Must Hate Me, her most streamed and arguably most beloved track. “Feel free to jump, feel free to move!” she shouted. And we did. Every person in the room was dancing, screaming, celebrating. It was loud, bright, sweaty, and utterly euphoric – proving the opener can be just as memorable as the main act itself.

The moment the stage dimmed again, chants of “Frankie! Frankie!” rose like a tidal wave. Then, ambient stems from what sounded like Like It Like That began to play, and when Frankie finally emerged (wearing the very t-shirt featured in her tour poster, might I add) the room went feral. From the second she stepped on stage; she didn’t just perform. She owned it.

Kicking things off with her latest single, Like It Like That, Frankie’s confidence and command of the stage was calmer, more easy going than Emerson’s energetic, high-energy vibe. But even with that cool assurance, she still gave everything. She danced across the stage, lights flared, and the crowd’s voices nearly drowned out the band. While her mic could have been turned up a touch, occasionally being overpowered by the drums throughout the set, the passion pouring off her fans filled any gaps.

Fine came next, and in true Frankie style, she immediately began interacting with fans. By the end of the song, she was donning sunglasses from someone in the front row. The crowd screamed every lyric, the band’s musicianship and precision showed clear practice and chemistry. She followed with Backseat Driving, grinning as she asked, “Do any of you guys know this one?” The audience screamed their answer before she even started. Her vocal delivery matched the studio recording almost exactly, but the live translation of the track brought something newer, bigger, and bolder.

Frankie has always known her audience, and You Won’t Forget Me proved that beyond a doubt. “Who here has an ex they hate?” she yelled, and the crowd roared back. The build at the end of the song, with soaring vocals and bandmates completely letting loose, felt like a cathartic release. It’s truly refreshing to see a band allow themselves to unashamedly have that much fun onstage. The joy is contagious, bleeding into every sound wave and every eardrum in the room.

Frankie kept the high energy going with a stunning cover of That’s So True by Gracie Abrams. I couldn’t help but recall hearing the song performed live by Abrams herself at Spark Arena a month ago, where many of Frankie’s fangirls were also present, no doubt. And based on what I witnessed last Friday, I’m certain Frankie will be playing a show there herself in no time. Her vocal ad libs built tension beautifully, before the band burst into an unexpected final chorus.

She then treated fans to an unreleased love song: “You might have noticed a lot of the songs I sing up here are super sad and depressing, and about heartbreak. But I recently met someone who gave me a reason to write love songs. This one’s for my girlfriend Jess – she’s here!” Sweet, tender, and still a pop banger, it revealed a new dimension of Frankie’s writing. “I have a tendency to run before I even get the chance to jump,” she sang, her songwriting proving for the hundredth time why her Best Pop Artist nomination at this year’s Aotearoa Music Awards is well deserved.

“Do any of you have a little app called TikTok on your phone?” Frankie joked, before launching into Move With It. While she described how this song went viral and changed her life, it was clearly more than just another TikTok hit. Watching groups of girls sway together, Frankie waving back at them, it was clear this song – and this artist – meant something.

Another gorgeous unreleased track, about touring and long distance (“I’d travel the world just to see my girl”), was explosive and heartfelt. A perfect balance of her signature pop sound with something new and elevated. Then came Juno, a Sabrina Carpenter cover. While she modified some lyrics to keep it PG for the younger fans, Frankie also impressively made the iconic “Can’t help myself / Hormones are high” run her own. Fans raised their hands as she called for a dance party, and the room lit up.

And then Frankie reminisced about writing her first singles at 13. “I didn’t think anyone would still like these,” she said, “but I still get messages asking me to play them. I read all of your DMs, by the way.” Her connection with her fans truly is her greatest superpower. She has a deeper understanding than most, of the authenticity Gen Z craves most from artists – after all, she is one of us.

Her performance of How was delicate, stripped back mostly to just vocals and guitar. Her voice soared, clear and controlled throughout the choruses. Frankie quietly introduced 10 Times Out of 9 as “another slow one before we bring the vibes back up again,” but the crowd didn’t dare lose any energy. This is one of her earlier tracks but judging by the volume of the audience singing every word, it’s clear she’s not just an Instagram phenomenon. Frankie is a songwriter in it for the long haul. The line “baby, I’m still changing, I’m still growing apart from you” hits even harder now, coming from a more grown, more self-assured version of the teenage girl who first penned it in her bedroom.

Frankie flipped the structure on this next song, opening with the instrumental breakdown of Work It Out that normally comes later in the song. Live, it’s a genius move – it instantly shifts the energy. The crowd responded in kind, shouting along, dancing, throwing their hands up. A group of slightly older fans in front of me broke into full choreography, while Frankie moved across the stage, clearly feeding off the crowd. When the drums (Harry Ingram) took over for another breakdown later in the track, even more intense than the first, it felt like a battle cry before the guitar (Nat Hutton) returned for a stripped-back chorus that let the audience carry the melody. What a way to interpret a track for live performance!

Leyla was the set’s closer – and the loudest moment of the night. The whole room was electric. From the first note, it was clear that Leyla was the one people had been waiting for. Frankie introduced it cheekily, sharing the song’s origin story: “So I was dating this guy. And he told me not to worry about his best friend Leyla… Turns out, the entire time he had been with her behind my back!” The crowd audibly gasps. “But it’s okay, this song’s really good for getting all your anger out.” And get our anger out, we did. Everyone screamed. Everyone danced. Everyone felt it.

While Frankie and her band walked offstage to the same vocal stems that introduced them, the crowd wasn’t done. They chanted “one more song! one more song!” until the musicians returned, and Frankie asked, “Do you think you have time for a couple more?” The encore opened with a gentler, more whimsical love song with the lyric “I can’t believe that you’re all mine / did we meet in another life?” Emerson joined her onstage to sing the second verse, and the crowd freaked out once again. Then came the moment: “Your turn,” Frankie said, pointing the mic outward. I’m pretty sure the walls shook from the crowd singing back to her.

“This song changed my life – and you guys did too,” Frankie said, before concluding the night with How You Like Me Now. The final song of the gig exploded to life with a showy, dramatic intro: drum fills, guitar lines, and at least one high-pitched scream from a fangirl who couldn’t contain it. From the back of the venue, you could see the entire crowd moving as one, a sea of heads bopping and phone video cameras glittering like stars. Three words: euphoric, overwhelming, unforgettable.

“If you wanna say hi to me tonight, stick around after the show. I’d love to talk to you guys and take some pictures,” Frankie said announced after the song. The whole crew, including Frankie’s parents, then returned to the stage for a final bow to close the curtains on the Like It Like That tour.

Frankie Venter has come a long way from the Mount Maunganui high schooler who won a Play It Strange songwriting comp years ago. And even though the show ran surprisingly late for an all-ages gig (with many little fangirls wide awake past bedtime), it was the kind of night that they sure won’t forget. I, for one, will definitely be remembering this gig for years to come.

 

Photo Credit: Thomas Nan for Muzic.NZ
Frankie Venter Photo Gallery
Emerson Photo Gallery