There's a 1930s' mood to the musical offerings in Titirangi this month. Sharu Delilkan meets cabaret melodymakers, the Absolute Truth.
Sarah Macombee is intent upon making her mark in West Auckland, even though she's a relative newcomer from the United Kingdom.
Esconced in Titirangi for three years, Macombee says she was
told she'd never be able to form a band the size of the one she fronts in such a short period. But she's done it.
The 10-piece line-up, Macombee and the Absolute Truth, will unveil their sound and style at Titirangi Theatre when they open in A Two Night Stand. Billing themselves as "avant-garde" the bandmembers describe their sound as cabaret punk with a 1930s' Broadway style.
"I think performing at a retro venue like the Titirangi Theatre couldn't be more appropriate," says Macombee. "It fits in with our theme and gives us the chance to encourage people to dress up in 1930s' bling, which allows them to make believe they've gone back to an era that most people have never experienced first-hand."
The mother-of-four says she has only recently managed to focus on her music, as her life "has previously been peppered with pregnancies, making it [music] an intermittent pastime."
Besides writing all the band's music, Macombee is responsible for the lead vocals and keyboards.
"I've never felt I'd be able to do covers justice. That's why I've always written my own music, which is pretty much autobiographical. It covers everything from losing your virginity, drugs, an incurable disease, death, the establishment, sex and the mystic."
In fact, she confesses her 17-year-old daughter, Poppy, who is also in the band, has "pretty much got to know me through my songs. And as she grows older she has a renewed understanding of me and the lyrics."
A Two Night Stand featuring Macombee and the Absolute Truth, Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell House, Titirangi, November 19-20. Doors open 7pm. Tickets: email theabsolutetruth@macombee.com or door sales.
