Years ago, I saw Anthonie Tonnon perform at the Mussel Inn in Golden Bay. He shared his view on society through his unique music and performance style. It was quite a mesmerizing experience. He gripped me with his original approach in this intimate setting.

Now, sitting in Theatre Royal in Nelson for the opening of the Nelson Arts Festival 2025, I’m curious how the inclusion of imagery by live visual DJ Erica Sklenars, live feed videography by Theo Taylor and archive footage is going to enhance Tonnon’s original synthesizer musical journey. I’m excited!

While the lights slowly dim, the focus goes to the keyboard and DJ controller desk. A simple set up in front of a large white screen as the background of the stage. Tonnon enters and is wearing a casual suit jacket (a Tonnon signature) with a turtleneck. It transports me back to the 1980s.

With a simple soundscape of synthesizer melodies in the background, Tonnon talks us through the history of the Situationist International movement in France, supported by archive imagery on the projection screen. I’m quite amazed. I wasn’t aware of this movement as I grew up in Europe with an education in performing arts. 

The Situationist International (SI) movement (1957 to 1972) in Europe, consisted of artists, writers and social critics who aimed to eliminate capitalism through the revolutionization of everyday life.

The book The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord is a strong guideline on what the principles of the movement were based on. It is about the degradation of human life. Debord traces the development of a modern society in which authentic social life has been replaced with its representation. He argues that the history of social life can be understood as “the decline of being into having, and having into merely appearing.” This condition, according to Debord, is the “historical moment at which the commodity completes its colonization of social life.”

This message cannot be more important in our current society, based on political, economic decisions as well as social media being the main tool for social connection and behaviour.

One method was ‘detournement’, or taking preexisting images and mixing them together to highlight the underlying ideology of the original image. The SI identified film as being the most effective medium for ‘detournement’.

Tonnon then weaves his view on this movement and the inspiration of cinema on modern Aotearoa into a musical and visual 1.5 hour journey.

Sometimes I feel lost on how the two themes relate to each other as I can’t hear the song lyrics when he uses the distorted sound of the microphone. This disconnects me from the work. But when the lyrics are projected over the VJ Imagery it does bring it home to me.

My highlights of the show are when Tonnon physically moves with the imagery. Those are the moments he is fully merging all the different art forms present in this show. That is where the magic happens for me.

I’m in awe of the amount of preparation it must have taken for all parties involved to bring all the art forms together: the lining up of the archive material, the VJ imagery and the live videography. This is combined with the timing of Tonnon’s ‘storytelling’ through song.

Erica Sklenars does a truly great job in how she intuitively mixes the imagery with the music and overlays it with the live videography by Theo Taylor. This creates a 3-dimensional experience of the work. This immersive experience is enhanced when Tonnon takes his keyboard on his shoulder and moves through the audience. It is a great moment. The audience loves it.

Tonnon is taking us through his political economic views of the history of his favourite place, Whanganui. He does this with a nice balance of sarcasm and humour. He paints a lively picture of the place and the community and the way the arts are used as an act of rebellion against decisions made by governmental bodies and the huge impact this has on the community.

I really enjoy seeing Whanganui through his eyes, portrayed through his songs.  There are a few songs in this musical cinematic journey that he builds up so well that it makes me want to get up and dance. In those moments, I’m wishing for a different venue for this show so that we all can dance through the journey. Although there are also moments where the sound is so loud that it makes me very uncomfortable and want to leave the auditorium. I can see that I am not the only audience member who struggles with the high volume at times.

But overall, I’m very glad I made it to the opening show of the Nelson Arts Festival, such an important moment in the year of celebrating the arts for Nelson audiences. When ‘Cinematographer’ is near you, go and experience it. Tonnon will give you his original style and view with a caring and loving message for humanity.

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