Kerryn Fields plays Paekākāriki - where were the lesbians?

I've just got back from St Peter's Hall in Paekākāriki…

… where I heard, watched and sang with the most fabulous lesbian "Americana' singer. She is tall - a goddess. About 6.2" and sings like an angel. I had heard her on the Kim Hill program talking about her music and mentioning that she was lesbian. “Yahoo!” I thought - “how fabulous and singing in the St Peter's Hall in Paekākāriki - bet there will be a crowd there”.  

Before the show started, people gathered around to chat to each other and in the background there were sounds of the wonderful Gillian Welsh. My favourite song came on and I started to sing it. Suddenly there appeared a young woman, very tall who started singing with me - we knocked out harmonies and enjoyed each others efforts to keep up with Gillian - it was a fast song. She said "Hi I'm Kerryn - I'll be the singer tonight, but let’s just sit down so we're the same height."  We chatted about our experiences of performance. The ease and composure of this young star blew me away.

After singing with her guitar a few haunting songs she wrote while travelling around NZ, she began on her harmonica and with great restraint used her tambourine to accompany a song she had written to her lover.  

I looked around at the audience expecting to see familiar lesbian faces. It seemed I was the only one (it being my partner's Bridge night). Bad media relations?  Not enough time to find out she was coming to play in the “lesbian and cultural capital of the world” (to quote this Meet the locals #1 webpage). 

This young woman is about to head to Nashville - she has awards for her songwriting.  A woman to watch - I bought her CD 'water'  let me know if you are keen to hear her and I'll do what I can. Lesbians are indeed invisible - such a disappointing turn out.

Editor’s note: This article was written on 24 May 2024.