There was already a sizeable queue gathering outside The Tuning Fork when I arrived. The crowd was noticeably young, with groups of teenagers and dedicated fans congregating well before doors opened. There was an unmistakable feeling in the air that people hadn’t just turned up for a night out, but to support artists they genuinely cared about. Having never been to the venue before, we joined the line and were let inside just in time for the opening act.
First up was Flynn Adamson, a 20-year-old Christchurch-born artist now based in Auckland. Stepping onto the stage in a grey jumper with an electric guitar and an infectious amount of energy, his sound sits comfortably between pop and indie rock, pairing bright guitar melodies with a slightly grungier edge. Having started busking at just seven years old, he has played over 400 shows and produces, records, mixes, and masters his own music independently.
Opening with “Chasing Ghosts”, Adamson immediately established a raw, youthful indie-rock atmosphere that suited the room perfectly. Between songs, he shared the story of playing a tiny Auckland gig for just 12 people where Freya Skye and Jack Gray happened to be chatting in the audience. Adamson started playing Gray’s songs on the spot, prompting Gray to join in—a chance moment that eventually led to him securing the opening slot for this very show.
Before playing “I LOVE U LEAVE”, a track exploring the pain of loss, Adamson asked the room to be quiet, and the audience obliged. For a young artist in front of an energetic crowd, that brief silence made the performance feel deeply intimate. “Okay, the next one is less depressing,” he joked before launching into “Goodbye”, encouraging everyone to post clips online as the atmosphere grew increasingly relaxed. Closing his set with his newest release, “Sucks”, he asked the crowd to think of whatever was currently pissing them off—an introduction delivered with the exact directness and charm that makes him a rising talent to watch.
At exactly 9pm, Jack Gray took to the stage. Following a brief hush, the room erupted into immediate excitement. Dressed simply in a black T-shirt with his guitar, Gray opened with “Who You Are”, bringing a more melancholic, rocky edge to the evening. He navigated through several tracks before pausing to properly greet the crowd: “I’m Jack Gray. Thank you so much for coming.”
The gratitude throughout his performance felt entirely genuine. Gray repeatedly shared his appreciation for the audience, telling the Auckland crowd that it was his favourite city and noting that this show marked the very first night of his Swimming In Jeans tour.
When he launched into “Bluffin’”, the energy in the room shifted completely. Younger fans were dancing, singing along, and visibly thrilled to hear the track live. He followed with “Drive Her Home”, an emotionally vulnerable song addressing the heartache of watching someone you love battle mental health struggles while feeling helpless to fix it.
There were plenty of small, unpolished moments throughout the set—tuning between songs, adjusting equipment, and stopping to chat with the crowd. Rather than distracting from the show, these elements made it feel authentically real. There was no sense of a heavily rehearsed, corporate production where every second had been engineered. It was simply a musician, a guitar, and a room full of people who genuinely loved the music.
Gray treated the audience to an unreleased track—one of the first times he had played it live—and teased snippets of older material like “One Step Back”, delivering short bursts of songs like a live snapshot of his catalogue. During one track, he stepped down from the stage into the crowd, sending the room’s energy into overdrive as fans sang along to every word. By the time he reached “AdaLINE”, the atmosphere was electric.
The Tuning Fork provided the ideal setting for a gig like this. Intimate venues thrive when the room is filled with people who genuinely want the artist to succeed, and that connection was clear from start to finish. Gray’s performance was refreshingly human, reminding us that the best live shows aren’t always the most polished—they’re the ones that feel real.
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