A Gauge ECM-80 dynamic handheld microphone owned and used by Kimbra (Kimbra Lee Johnson) for live performances and songwriting across her touring career, signed by Kimbra in silver Sharpie on the handle. This is the better-preserved of two Gauge microphones offered in this auction (Lots 48 and 49) — the Gauge logo remains intact on this example. The microphone grille retains a smear of blue-green lipstick, a direct and tangible trace of its use as a performance microphone. Acquired from The Official Kimbra Reverb Shop in November 2020, accompanied by a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity from Kimbra.
Video Documentation
Historical Context
Kimbra (born Kimbra Lee Johnson, 1990) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for her theatrical, genre- spanning sound and dynamic live performances. She rose to global prominence through her feature on Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” (2011), which reached #1 in numerous countries and won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo or Group Performance in 2013. Her solo albums Vows (2011), The Golden Echo (2014), and Primal Heart (2018) established her as a distinct and critically respected artistic voice. In the video linked above, recorded for her official Reverb shop in November 2020, Kimbra states: “They are a series of live performance mics really and I’ve used them across the years. Sometimes I travel with my own mics and some of these microphones are ones that I’ve sung with on tour.”
Stage & Performance Use
Per the original Official Kimbra Reverb Shop listing: “This was used primarily for live performances and for writing.” See Lot 48 for Kimbra’s full statement on these microphones from the November 2020 Reverb promo video.
Specifications
· Manufacturer: Gauge
· Model: ECM-80
· Type: Dynamic handheld microphone
· Finish: Black body, silver-tone grille
· Serial: N/A
Condition
Good. This example is the better-preserved of the two Gauge microphones in this auction. The handle exhibits scrapes and scratches consistent with road and performance use. The Gauge brand logo is intact on the lower handle. The silver-tone grille retains a smear of blue-green lipstick from performance use — an unaltered trace of the microphone’s stage history. Signed by Kimbra in silver Sharpie on the handle.
Provenance
Acquired from The Official Kimbra Reverb Shop, November 2020.
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit’s principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item’s documented history.
Shipping & Measurements
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