#Ivan Karczewski

[13thfloornz]

  Just a few days before Halloween and who rolls into town? It’s the king of shock-rock Alice Cooper!

It wasn’t that long ago that the Coop was in Auckland, opening for Motley Crue. Alice blew away the headliners that night. This time around, Cooper was at his rightful place at the top of the bill.

Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley had the honour of opening for Alice. Like Alice Cooper, Kiss, was a hard rock powerhouse in the 1970s, basing their act on crunching guitar riffs, theatrics and plenty of make-up. So you’d think Frehley would shine in his role of opener.

That was not to be the case.

While Frehley is a fine guitarist, his solo career lacks any songs of any discernible quality. On top of that, the man has virtually no stage presence, no charisma. So he and his competent band ploughed through an hour of tedious hard rock numbers, including a few from his old band. The most embarrassing moment was during Ace’s big solo hit New York Groove, when he attempted to get a singalong going but was met with a rather feeble response from the crowd.

Alice Cooper, however, is exactly the opposite.

The man commands the stage like no one else. Standing in front of his band, brandishing his stage sword, one gets the feeling that he was born to entertain.

Fortunately, he was also born to rock and roll.

Cooper and his band, featuring three stellar guitarists, deftly plucked classics from his catalogue. There were tunes from the days of the original band…Halo Of Flies, Under My Wheels…along with later hits such as Poison and Feed My Frankenstein.

Along with great songs, there were plenty of theatrics, the best of which was the 12ft Frankenstein that raced across the stage during Freed My Frankenstein. This was in addition to the usual beheading, straightjacket-writhing and doll debasement that goes along with any Alice Cooper show.

Alice himself seemed to be having voice issues, his trademark growl transformed into a croak. But, ever the trooper, he carried on putting on a terrific show that offered up something for everyone…some of rock’s finest songs and some of show business’s most outrageous theatrics.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

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Alice Cooper set list:

Brutal Planet

No More Mr Nice Guy

Under My Wheels

Department Of Youth

Pain

Billion Dollar Babies

The World Need Guts

Woman Of Mass Distraction

Poison

Halo Of Flies

Feed My Frankenstein

Cold Ethyl

Only Women Bleed

Paranoiac Personality

Ballad Of Dwight Frye

Killer

I Love The Dead

I’m Eighteen

School’s Out/Another Brick In The Wall

    Alice Cooper & Ace Frehley – Trusts Stadium October 27, 2017 Just a few days before Halloween and who rolls into town? It’s the king of shock-rock Alice Cooper!

[showbizchicago]

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the first mainstage production it its 2017 – 2018 season Billy Elliot the Musical, music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, with direction and choreography by Porchlight Artistic Associate Brenda Didier, with Associate Choreographer Craig V. Miller and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Linda Madonia at Porchlight’s new home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Previews are Friday, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m.(October 22, October 29 and November 5) and at 2 p.m. (November 12 and 19) with an open captioned performance, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. and a weekday matinee Thursday, Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Please note: there is no 7:30 p.m. performance Thursday, Nov. 16. Tickets are $33 – $60 and available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre  box office, 773.777.9884.

Billy Elliot the Musical is based on the 2000 film “Billy Elliot” and features music by Elton John with book and lyrics by the film’s screenplay writer Lee Hall. Winner of both the Tony Award and Olivier Award for Best Musical, Billy Elliot the Musical is an inspirational story set in an English mining town during the miners’ strike of 1984-85. Billy Elliot takes a journey from the boxing ring to a ballet class to make his dreams come true while challenging the long held beliefs of his hometown. Along the way, he discovers a passion for dance that unites his family, inspires his community and changes his life forever.

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The cast of Billy Elliot the Musical will be the largest in Porchlight’s history and includes Jacob Kaiser and Lincoln Seymour sharing the title role of “Billy Elliot;” Shanésia Davis, “Mrs. Wilkinson;” Sean Fortunato, “Dad;” Iris Lieberman*, “Grandma;” Adam Fane, “Tony Elliot;” Peyton Owen, “Michael Caffrey;” Nicole Cready, “Mum;” ”Princess Isis Z. Lang, “Debbie Wilkinson;” with Jordan DeBose, “George/Ensemble;” Gabriel Robert, “Small Boy;” John Gurdian, “Big Davey/Ensemble;” Michelle McKenzie-Voigt, “Lesley/Ensemble;” Jeff Bouthiette, “Scab/Posh Dad/Ensemble;” Tommy Novak, “Mr. Braithwaite/Ensemble;” Ivan Bruns-Trukhin,“Older Billy/Ensemble;” Bernell Lassai III, “Pit Supervisor/Ensemble;” Logan Baffico, “Posh Boy;” Alejandro Medina, “Tall Boy;” Jessica Vann, “Clipboard Woman/Ensemble;” Graham Hawley, “Accordion Player/Grandma Dancer/Ensemble;” Jacob Voigt, “Ensemble;” Roy Brown, “Ensemble;” Jenny McPherson, “Ensemble/Grandma Dancer;” Kayla Boye, “Ensemble;” and Darby Leetch, “Alison Summers;” Moriah Mitchell, “Keeley Gibson; Paula Hlava, “Angela Robson;” Anna L. Bramlett, “Julie Hope;” McKenna Rogers, “Karen Davidson;” Emerson Tait, “Sharon Percy;” Katelyn Montgomery, “Margaret Gormley;” Kendall Sorkin, “Tina Harmer;” Ayla Gray, “Tracy Atkinson” and Bernadette Olivia Schwegel, “Susan Parks.”

Additional members of the creative/production team of Billy Elliot the Musical include Porchlight Artistic Associate Bill Morey, costume designer; Denise Karczewski, lighting designer; Christopher Rhoton, scenic designer, Robert Hornbostel, sound designer; Mealah Heidenreich, props designer; Adrian Abel Azevedo, assistant director; Kayla Boye, assistant choreographer/dance captain; Sara Haverty, assistant to the choreographers/associate child supervisor; Sammi Grant, dialect coach; Jaq Seifert, fight choreography; Sean McStravick, stage manager; Corey Boughton, assistant stage manager; Matt Nadler, assistant stage manager; Shannon Desmond, assistant stage manager; Joaquin Gomez, child supervisor/ASM swing and Samantha Treible, wardrobe supervisor.

Musical Director Madonia conducts and is the pianist with musicans Justin Kono, drums/percussion; Cara Hartz, reeds; Sarah Younker, french horn; Greg Strauss, trumpet; Justin LaForte, guitar and Dan Kristan, electric bass.

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association

ABOUT BRENDA DIDIER, DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER

Brenda Didier, a Porchlight Music Theatre artistic associate, returns to Porchlight where she last directed and choreograhed In The Heights and the award-winning Dreamgirls. Didier is a multiple Jeff Award recipient in both direction and choreography, and the recipient of After Dark Awards, BroadwayWorld awards and the National Youth Theatre award. She is the proud owner and artistic director of the Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, celebrating its 20th season. Other credits include work at the Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Second City, Theatre at the Center, BoHo, Mercury Theatre Chicago, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, Stage Left, Six Flags Great America, Busch Gardens Virginia, Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier, T-Mobile’s national commercial “Home for the Holidays,” The Kenny Rogers Christmas Tour and the University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin and Carthage College.

ABOUT CRAIG V. MILLER, ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER Craig V. Miller returns to Porchlight Music Theatre where he choreographed the Porchlight Revisits production Little Me and was the assistant choreographer for the Jeff Award-winning Ain’t Misbehavin’. As a guest artist, he has performed with the Civic Ballet of Chicago’s production of The Nutcracker, Esoteric Dance Project, Dance in the Parks, and Chicago Dance Crash. Additional choreography credits include: The Color Purple at Mercury Theater Chicago where he was the associate choreographer and won the Broadway World Award-Best Choreography in a Musical and Carl Neilsen’s Maskarade (Vox3 Collective, choreographer). His work has also been presented at Dance Chicago, Dance Chance and Chicago Freelance Dance.

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, MUSIC DIRECTOR/CONDUCTOR/PIANIST

Linda Madonia is a Porchlight Music Theatre artistic associate and has previously worked with Porchlight on Porchlight Revisits Little Me, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Double Trouble. As a music director and conductor in the Chicago area for more than 30 years, Linda Madonia’s recent credits include Mary Poppins and I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett at The Mercury Theatre. Other credits include Grand Hotel and Nunsensations at Drury Lane Water Tower Place, and A Chorus Line, She Loves Me and Me and My Girl at Theatre at the Center and The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes at Mercury Theatre Chicago. For the past nine years, Linda has been the music director for Chicago’s Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards. Madonia also owns American Eagle Productions, a touring theater company that takes shows and workshops directly into schools. American Eagle has been doing shows for twenty-four years and presents 250 shows a year to Chicago area schools.

ABOUT SHANÉSIA DAVIS, “MRS. WILKINSON”

Shanésia Davis makes her Porchlight Music Theatre debut with this production. Recent credits include Baltimore Center Stage: Jazz and Intimate Apparel, Mark Taper Forum/ Goodman Theatre: Immediate Family (NAACP award nomination) and Congo Square’s What I Learned in Paris, Brothers of the Dust. Other credits include South Coast Rep’s Intimate Apparel; The Gift/Steppenwolf’s Richard III; Court Theatre/American Blues Theater’s Native Son; Steppenwolf’s Our Lady of 121st St, One Arm, and The Glass Menagerie; The Goodman’s Watermelon Rinds (Jeff nomination), Black Starline, Spunk, The Visit, Drowning Crow (Jeff/BTAA nominations). Davis’ Film and TV credits include Early Edition, Cleveland Abduction, Empire, Chicago Fire, Crisis, Detroit 187, Chicago Hope, Missing Persons, Making a Case for Murder: The Howard Beach Story, Internal Rivals, Consumed, Damaged Goods, The Weatherman, Uncle Nino and Life Sentence.

ABOUT SEAN FORTUNATO, “DAD”

Sean Fortunato makes his Porchlight Music Theatre debut with this production. His recent credits include Cabaret at Theatre at the Center and Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody at Writers Theatre. Other credits includeThe Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler, The Real Thing, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Travels with My Aunt, The Chosen, Incident at Vichy, A Phoenix Too Frequent, Richard II, Rough Crossing, Spite for Spite (Writers Theatre), 2666, Measure for Measure (Goodman Theatre), Spamalot, The Producers (Theatre at the Center), Pericles, Cyrano De Bergerac, School for Lies, Sunday in the Park with George and Timon of Athens (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), “Rene Gallimard” in M. Butterfly (Court Theatre), “Detective Cioffi” in Curtains (Drury Lane Theatre) and work at Northlight Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, About Face Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Next Theatre and First Folio Theatre. Regional credits include Intiman Theatre (WA), The Old Globe (CA), The Duke on 42nd (NY) and twelve seasons with Peninsula Players (WI), where he played “George” in Sunday in the Park with George. His film amd TV credits include The Merry Gentleman directed by Michael Keaton and Chicago PD. Fortunato has received four Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and an After Dark Award.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 23rd season, is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre’s noted veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences for its growing and diverse audiences. With the vision of Artistic Director Michael Weber, Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago’s only Equity not-for-profit company exclusively specializing in music theatre. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including the launch of a youth Summer Camp in 2017. The company’s many accolades include 17 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and three awards, as well as a total of 126 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 39 Jeff Awards including four consecutive Best Production awards for Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the first mainstage production it its 2017 – 2018 season Billy Elliot the Musical, music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, with direction and choreography by Porchilght Artistic Associate Brenda Didier, with Associate Choreographer Craig V. Miller and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Linda Madonia at Porchlght’s new home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Previews are Friday, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.,Monday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. (October 22, October 29 and November 5) and at 2 p.m. (November 12 and 19) with an open captioned performance, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. and a weekday matinee Thursday, Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Please note: there is no 7:30 p.m. performance Thursday, Nov. 16. Tickets are $33 – $60 and available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre  box office, 773.777.9884.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation,  the Bloomberg Philanthropies, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Cooper’s: A Neighborhood Eatery, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, The Saints, the Service Club of Chicago, and the Topfer Family Foundation. The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Porchlight Announces Casting for Brenda Didier Helmed BILLY ELLIOT Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the first mainstage production it its 2017 – 2018 season 

[13thfloornz]

  Now living in Los Angeles, Kiwi musician Andrew Keoghan has been back in New Zealand for a while now, visiting family and friends, making music and performing live. He closed out his Something Going On Tour with a show at Auckland’s Tuning Fork.

Regular visitors to the Tuning Fork will have noticed something different about the venue tonight…a large black curtain was draped across the room, separating the performance area from the bar. This had the effect of making the room feel a bit more cosy, while offering up an area for those inclined to have a conversation while the music is playing to do their thing without annoying the rest of us.

Tonight’s opening act was Madeira, aka Kim Pflaum, formerly of Yumi Zouma.

Her’s was mixed bag. While I enjoyed the songs and guitar playing and her Statue Of Liberty-esque outfit, Madeira’s vocals left something to be desired. She wandered off-pitch often…possibly due to problems with monitors or perhaps she was distracted by also playing keyboards and guitar. Whatever it is, she should definitely address it as she mentioned that she is heading over to the UK to gain some exposure overseas.

Andrew Keoghan had no such problems. He possess a strong, almost operatic voice, that easily glides from falsetto and back again.

Tonight he was accompanied by long-time drummer Alistair Deverick and Tiny Ruins bassist Cass Basil. Both added good value to Keoghan’s already impressive songs and performance chops.

They began with Running, from Andrew’s second, and most recent album, Every Orchid Offering and then served up a dramatic reading of the album’s title track, with Keoghan gesturing and conducting.

Next was Arctic Tales Divide, one of the few tunes we heard from the first album of the same name. This one really got the audience’s attention, thanks to Cass’s funky bassline. The result sounded like a meeting of The Smiths with Stop Making Sense-era Talking Heads.

That vibe continued through When A Lover Comes Back To You and No Simple Doll…the latter an apparent last minute addition to the set list, and a good one, with Cass chiming in on harmony vocals and Andrew and Cass playing back to back, leaning on each other.

Andrew then introduced Cass as, “my new dance partner”.

After They Don’t Want A Boyfriend, Auckland vocalist Jessie Cassin was invited to the stage and she and Andrew duetted on Stuck In Melodies. Jessie remained on stage for the remainder of the set and she was much appreciated.

Andrew loves to punctuate his lyrics with “yeah, yeah, yeah yeahs”, or “bup, bup, bup bups” and Cass and Jessie’s vocalizing filled out the sound nicely.

The set finished with a shimmering Everything and Andrew returned, solo and with acoustic guitar for Spots On The Leaves, wrapping things up in just under an hour.

I will say that by the last two songs Andrew and the band were really hitting their stride, so it seemed a shame that they finished up so soon…but hey, better to leave the audience wanting more that to overstay your welcome.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

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Andrew Keoghan set list:

Running

Every Orchid Offering

Arctic Tales Divide

When A Lover Comes Back To You

No Simple Doll

They Don’t Want A Boyfriend

Won’t Let You Go

Stuck In Melodies

Something Going On

Queues At Dani Keys

Everything

Spots On The Leaves

    Andrew Keoghan – Tuning Fork April 28, 2017 Now living in Los Angeles, Kiwi musician Andrew Keoghan has been back in New Zealand for a while now, visiting family and friends, making music and performing live.

[13thfloornz]

Auckland’s very own Albi & The Wolves moved The Tuning Fork to dance last night with a rousing set of down-to-earth folk and Americana. On a rainy Saturday night they warmed the room with a set steeped in musical communal tradition, without ever feeling stale despite their reliance on familiar folk-rock idioms.

The opening act is well worthy of mention first, though to call them an opening act seems almost reductive, as they mingled and collaborated with the headliners throughout the night. Hamilton’s country-folk-rockers Looking For Alaska achieved a connection with and response from the audience rarely done by support acts. Their music initially came off as fairly standard sugary country-flavoured folk pop, though elevated by some nice electric guitar playing from guitarist/vocalist Aaron Gott and incredibly strong and on-point vocals from frontwoman Amy Maynard.

Their connection with the headliners was shown when Albi & The Wolves frontman Chris Dent joined them on stage for a song they had written together. This was followed by an emotional performance of Kyle’s Song, from the group’s 2016 self-titled debut album. Maynard explained she had written the song about the tragic death of her young cousin, and dedicated it to her family in attendance that night, at their “coolest” gig to date. The vocalist gave the song her all (which was a lot), and finished to the biggest round of applause and shouts of approval of the night, the half-full venue showing their voices earlier than they had expected to. Next track You Only See Me When You’re Sleeping was another great piece, after which they finished with an energetic cover of Mel Parsons’ Get Out Alive, a song the original artist had played at the same venue less than two weeks earlier. Rarely do a support act receive such vocal protests at leaving the stage.

Albi & The Wolves followed shortly, the guitar-violin-upright bass trio opening gently with Story and Try, two beautiful lilting folk songs, before setting the energy to “barn dance” with the title track from last year’s debut album One Eye Open. Their music is simple and rooted in folk-festival presets enough to seem familiar even to those seeing them for the first time, heavy in vocal harmonies just rough enough to stop short of sugary. They were joined after five songs by the drummer William from Looking For Alaska, who filled out the sound nicely.

Of course it is that crowd-pleasing violin, an instrument instantly evocative of folk community and tradition, that ups the group’s appeal. Pascal Roggen’s five-string electric, played with stunning virtuosity and expression, never lost its immediate charm throughout the entirety of the set. If that wasn’t enough, the physicality with which Roggen threw himself into the playing of his instrument was entertaining in its own right.

The dreamy Fall With You was a nice break in between endless hoe-down Americana cuts like Workin’ Hard, It Ain’t Easy, This Is War and a cover of The Black Keys’ Lonely Boy. The space infront of the stage that had been empty for the first half of the night was soon filled with dancers, revelling in the direct hooks and breakneck rhythms. I certainly preferred their more traditional-leaning compositions to their more contemporary folk-pop pieces (I Will Not Be Broken came a little too close to a Mumford & Sons pastiche for my liking), but the crowd lapped up every note they played, right up to the encore when the group invited most of the members of Looking For Alaska back to the stage for a jubilant cover of The Doobie Brothers’ Long Train Running.

Albi & The Wolves left their audience buzzing with the communal energy that comes with basic and direct folk music played well. I was expecting towards the start of the night to write something involving the word “cliche”, but any last notion of that had dissipated by the end of the set – not because it’s not true, but because it’s not relevant. This is comfort music, steeped in tradition and familiar sonic presets, but still alive, vibrant and satisfying in the moment.

Ruben Mita.

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

  Looking For Alaska setlist –

  Lullaby

In The End

Take Me With You

I’d Go Anywhere (with Chris Dent)

Kyle’s Song

You Only See Me When You’re Sleeping

Get Out Alive (Mel Parsons cover)

  Albi & The Wolves setlist –

  Story

Try

One Eye Open

I’m Not Free

Something In The Way

Workin’ Hard

Fall With You

Wayfaring Stranger

It Ain’t Easy

This Is War

Lonely Boy (The Black Keys cover)

I Will Not Be Broken

Settle Down

Home

  encore:

Long Train Running (The Doobie Brothers cover, with Looking For Alaska)

    Albi & The Wolves – Tuning Fork November 18, 2017 Auckland’s very own Albi & The Wolves moved The Tuning Fork to dance last night with a rousing set of down-to-earth folk and Americana.

[13thfloornz]

Well they didn’t suck. Nor were they exactly super.

Failing, for better or worse, to live up to either entertaining possibility installed in their name, the American self-proclaimed “greatest rock’n’roll band in the world” took a safe middle route with a borderline parodical set of solid fast-paced classic southern rock. And yes, the above quote is how they introduced themselves to the half-full King’s Arms on a Thursday night. But before going any further, I want to talk about the opening acts.

Walking into the venue, I was struck immediately with the strong and specific feeling of having walked into a scene from Dig!, the documentary on The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Auckland eight-piece Magic Factory were commanding every inch of the stage, most of it with bodies, sustaining steady garage-psych grooves while a wide-eyed tambourine player crouched unsteadily on the lip of the stage, drunkenly staring down the audience while shouting along to the lyrics. It was uncanny. The group’s music blended Brian Jonestown-esque psych with classic rock and blues tropes, both musically and lyrically, but their memorable stage presence made them the most entertaining act of the night, one I would have happily watched for longer, even if only to watch the tambourine player perform stage-jump after stage-jump onto a mostly empty floor.

Next up was another Auckland group, The Solomon Cole Band. They took a different approach to the obvious classic-rock theme of the night, backing the otherwise predictable screaming guitar solos with danceable post-punk beats. The result was entertaining, though the emphasis on blues-rock guitar virtuosity seemed out of place over much of the music, and they were sadly plagued by a muddy mix and crackling amplifiers. To their credit, this didn’t negatively affect their performance too much.

Supersuckers took to the stage shortly before 10:30, wasting no time in launching into their fast-paced brand of dirt-road rock. The headlining three-piece played together with effortless solidity, something the opening acts were missing. After all, they’ve had the practice – the first incarnation of the group formed in 1988, though lead singer and bassist Eddie Spaghetti is the only original member remaining. As the vocalist told the crowd, with just a hint of bitterness, “we’ve been doing this for a fucking long time, and this is all we get”, referring to the size of the venue and the number of people. But he made sure to thank everybody for coming along, calling them “people of impeccable taste”.

The kind of one-sided rock-or-nothing attitude implied by that comment was evident in their music as well, for better or worse. The group played with stubborn dedication to their well-established sound, so much so that their refusal to deviate from the same old building blocks of their Motorhead-channeling rock’n’roll (growled indecipherable vocals, breakneck drumbeats, distorted bluesy guitars and endless shredding) was their weakness.

However, within the parameters of that specific sound, they played the part to perfection, a part well recognised and well rehearsed. Each song was recognisable by its musical classic-rock references, cutting chord progressions and riffs out of a lineage of similarly stylised groups, climaxing with the inevitable front-of-the-stage shredding from guitarist “Metal” Marty Chandler, and finishing with the rehearsed guitar-in-the-air pose. If they’re a parody they’re unbelievable actors. If not, they’re a solid band at least.

For people who had bought tickets for such a specific style of music, I expected the crowd to be more enthusiastic than they were. While a few dancing gig-goers buzzed with energy down the front, the majority hung back statically, only hesitantly acknowledging the guitarist’s gestures to come forward.

Supersuckers are openly and proudly a one-trick pony, so of course the enjoyment of their live set rests very much on your stomach for classic bar-rock, but for those who came to see just that, I can’t think of a band more devoted to their sound and complete performance package. Their stylistic boundaries are self-imposed, and within them they delivered absolutely. It’s nothing new and it’s nothing special, but it’s rock’n’roll.

Ruben Mita.

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

Supersuckers – Kings Arms November 16, 2017 Well they didn’t suck. Nor were they exactly super. Failing, for better or worse, to live up to either entertaining possibility installed in their name, the American self-proclaimed “greatest rock’n’roll band in the world” took a safe middle route with a borderline parodical set of solid fast-paced classic southern rock.

[13thfloornz]

Wu-Tang man GZA performed at The Studio on Auckland’s K Road last night. 

13th Floor photographer Ivan Karczewski was there and has sent through these pix, including opening act Raw Collective.

Click on any image to view a photo gallery of GZA by Ivan Karczewski:

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GZA – Concert Photos November 11, 2017 Wu-Tang man GZA performed at The Studio on Auckland's K Road last night. 

[13thfloornz]

After a string of performances through Europe and Japan in promotion of his third album Harmonies, Wellington producer and multi-instrumentalist Lord Echo finally brought his album release tour for a night of funk, groove and disco to the people of Auckland.

A week after an appearance in his hometown of Wellington, Lord Echo (also known as Mike Fabulous) made a stop at Avondale’s iconic Hollywood Cinema which has been host for other musical events such as Aldous Harding and Nadia Reid. Although this being his first headlining show in Auckland for the year, I had been lucky enough to catch Lord Echo play a special set at this years WOMAD festival in New Plymouth which was very well received despite being the last act to play for the weekend and to such an exhausted audience.

Lord Echo’s music could be described as being on the edge of house music with a twist of world sounds such as reggae, Latin music, disco and African soul, perfect for a festival like WOMAD but would it be right for a venue like the Hollywood?

The night started off with fellow Wellington based band The All Seeing Hand kicking off the night. I have always been eager to witness them live but unfortunately have always missed my chance but luckily tonight was my night. The band were backed by fantastic display of live visuals (put together by Erika Sklenars) to accompany their experimental sound which strongly reminded me of bands like Death Grips and Clipping. They played a forty minute set to a crowd of middle age punters who were dancing awkwardly to their interesting tunes but nevertheless I absolutely loved it, the sound was fantastic and performance was something I’ve never quite seen before.

Lord Echo took to the stage around ten o’clock to a packed out room of highly intoxicated adults and university students taking a break from study, a rather mixed demographic. Accompanied by his five piece band made up of well-dressed session members Lisa Tomlins, Mara TK, Lucien Johnson, Daniel Hayles and Izak Chads, we were ready to boogie.

The set started off sloppy, the mixing was off, the bass was too loud, the horns and vocals were quiet and the bongos could not even be heard! I myself was disappointed and not pleased with this mess. At such an early start, the audience seemed to be 50/50 about the performance, people were either dancing or rudely talking over the band, showing complete disrespect and spilling their drinks everywhere, including on me.

After a scruffy start to the show, things started to pick up some momentum. The conversations drew to a close and people seemed invested in what they were watching and the sound was on point, I myself could finally dance and enjoy the show. Lord Echo presented his worldy tunes to the fullest which contained a hint of a Kiwiana sound, but sadly some songs were not impressive. Ultimately the tunes blended into one another and everything began to sound the same and feature a similar structure from one another.

A highlight of the show was the moment when the backing band each got their own chance to steal the limelight and show off their musical abilities, they are all talented and great performers to say the least.

After a very exciting encore, the set drew to a close. Lord Echo is a great musician and his show was electrifying but Hollywood Cinema did not reflect truly on this. Lord Echo has the type of music you would like to watch outdoors on a nice summers day at a festival on the grass, not in doors in an old musty cinema. Maybe for now he should stick to festival slots instead. As for The All Seeing Hand, they completely stole the spotlight with their phenomenal set in my opinion, they are one band I’m definitely going to be catching on their upcoming tour.

Jonathan Strock

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  Lord Echo – Hollywood Cinema November 10, 2017 After a string of performances through Europe and Japan in promotion of his third album Harmonies…

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North Carolinian bluesman Big Daddy Wilson wraps up his month-long tour of New Zealand at Auckland’s Tuning Fork, before heading back to his adopted homeland Germany to commence the European leg.

Promoting his current long player, Neckbone Stew, Wilson has a clear affection for The Land of the Long White Cloud having played here many times and even putting it to record with his song New Zealand-Aotearoa on his 2015 album Time. Touring with a full band on this occasion, comprising of Cesare Nolli on lead guitar, Nelson based Steve ‘Gilles’ Gilberg on guitars and Paolo Legramandi on bass, with Wilson picking up the sticks with drums and percussion.

Arriving at the venue, the audience to this event was a complete contrast to the one happening next door at the Spark Arena, a youthful crowd seeing Drake’s second night show. It was a far lower key gathering inside the intimate Tuning Fork, with the audience seated and tabled with the occasional bar snacks being delivered. A varied bunch in the crowd, being more on the elder side, some having a family night out, it felt like just the right mix for an evening of live music.

Big Daddy and his band walked on stage right on time at 8.30pm to warm welcome. Wilson, dressed in a black suit, black hat, shades with a red tie looked sharp as a knife. His band members, Cesare and Paolo also looking dapper in their own hats. They all took their seats and kicked into their set with Wilson asking the crowd, “you ready for some blues?” to which they all replied, “Yes!”

The band, effortlessly tight and clearly love playing together, ran through a varied bunch of Wilson’s back catalogue. Songs like Time and the cheeky sounding Thumb A Ride, which Wilson warmed up the crowd with a clap-along. In-between songs Big Daddy would share short tales with hints of comedy, adding to the intimacy of the night. Introducing Rail Road Work Song with, “every bluesman’s got a railroad song”, with the band providing some great three-part gospel harmonies.

A dedication to his friends back home in the States affected by flooding saw him play Hurricane off his 2006 album Walk A Mile In My Shoes. Recalling a tale about observing a, “fine looking woman” of larger proportions on a dancefloor, had the crowd laughing before launching into the 12 bar Texas Boogie which involved a singalong from the responsive crowd singing, “shake it big momma”. He then played Anna Mae, a love song written for his wife to, “keep me out of the dog house”, Wilson displays a natural talent for engaging with the crowd. He wrapped up the first hour long set with Bullfrog off the 2015 long player Time.

A fifteen-minute interval brought them back on stage, looking comfortable and relaxed. Running through early career Freight Train with Wilson on shakers and Gilles on Resonator lap guitar and 7 Years off his new album.

The band are very impressive players with some fantastic licks from lead guitarist, “Big C”, who effortlessly soloed his way through the night with Wilson each time shouting, “Smokestack!” to rapturous applause. My Day Will Come was a long, locked-in jam, super tight. Then closing the set with a showcase of just how talented these players are by running through Country Boy, intersecting various classics into the jam with the lead guitarist and bass player taking turns picking up the lead vocals…songs like The Temptations’ My Girl, Otis Redding’s Dock of the Bay and Ben E King’s Stand By Me.

They ended the night with a real gem of a cover, Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right, with Gilles’ beautifully picked acoustic guitar giving my ears plenty to be thankful for.

A great gig by some very talented musicians, I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for their return.

Matt Lord

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Big Daddy Wilson – Tuning Fork November 4, 2017 North Carolinian bluesman Big Daddy Wilson wraps up his month-long tour of New Zealand at Auckland’s Tuning Fork, before heading back to his adopted homeland Germany to commence the European leg.

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Some crowds make you feel like a poser through nothing but sheer adoration. Such was the crowd that packed out the King’s Arms front to back last night for The Dillinger Escape Plan. For me, one those bands I’d always been aware and appreciative of, but never compelled to delve deeply into. Plonked amongst a raging, surging crowd that seemed to know almost every word of the lyrics, I felt very much like I’d been missing out. Considering this was Dillinger’s last ever New Zealand show, before a planned and amicable break up, I was better late than never to see one of the most intense live acts out there.

For me it was a night of converting the fence-sitter to the faithful. Opening act Blindfolded and Led to the Woods are a Christchurch metal band that play a strange, complex blend of genres. I’d listened to some of their studio output and not quite known what to make of it, but they didn’t take long to impress me live. I wasn’t alone either, as the crowd went from listening with half an ear to pressing forward towards the stage in attention and cheering for each song. These guys played fast, weird rhythms and riffs that somehow remained catchy enough to bang your head to. The impact wasn’t in recognisable hooks, but in keeping the audience in a state of pleasant disorientation, as the band shifted through blinding transitions and breakdowns.

For all the sound was chaotic, you could tell the songs were meticulously arranged. It showed in the perfectly placed snare snap into a single beat of silence from the rest of the band, and the little perfectly placed squalls of feedback. Those little moments of finesse were crucial in leading us from one bizarre riff to another. My only complaint was that while the bottom end had plenty of stomach churning impact, it sometimes swallowed the details of the complex lead guitar work. Nevertheless there was no denying the talent on display here, and Blindfolded closed their set to a wall of pounding distortion and a fully converted crowd.

The already crowded bar only packed out more and more as it neared the time for The Dillinger Escape Plan to take the stage. The excitement was pressing heavy along with the heat of pressed together bodies, and it all exploded the second the band launched into their set. This is an admission of failure for a reviewer, but if you weren’t there, it really is impossible to convey to you the raw intensity and aggression that immediately swept between band and crowd and back again.

It just kept going, too, for three songs without letup, as the band thrashed their instruments, the guitarists performing leaping air kicks off the drum sets and speakers, singer Greg Puciatio screaming his heart out while leaning out over the crowd to gesticulate and slap reaching hands. The crowd responded as if the band’s intensity were a challenge, leaping up and down, rushing the stage, stage diving, crowd surfing, and above all forming some of the most frenetic mosh pits I’ve witnessed.

It took those first few songs for me to pull myself out of the melee, to watch as the band transitioned into material that was just slightly more measured and melodic. The setlist was masterfully curated, with a pitch perfect gauge of when to ease of the gas slightly, when to bring back the full aggression, and how long to sustain it for.

Musically the band were damn near perfect, showing not only impressively technical chops but a versatility that encompassed everything from anthemic choruses with big bold power riffs, to chopped up stop-start breakdowns pulled off with impeccable timing. Puciato in particular impressed with the range of his singing styles, whether full-throated screams or clean mids or falsetto. Sadly again, the only marring element was technical, with one of the guitars having repeated problems in the mix, so much so that at one point the frustrated guitarist (I think it was Kevin Antreassian) offered a thousand dollars for someone to punch his guitar tech in the balls.

The fans didn’t care a bit for such petty issues though. The emotions between crowd and the band felt intimate and real, willingly entered into by the members whose appreciation for their followers was completely authentic. Lead guitarist Ben Weinman leaped backward to perform one solo on the raised hands on the front rows, and during the encore Puciato crowd surfed all the way to the back. In the middle of the song, suspended, he took the time to tell his fans how much he would miss them. The crowd certainly took this last show to prove to The Dillinger Escape Plan how much they would be missed. Bittersweet as it was for the long time fans, I’m only glad I was there. Had I not gone, I would have had no idea how badly I’d missed out.

Cameron Miller

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Dillinger Escape Plan – Kings Arms October 25, 2017 Some crowds make you feel like a poser through nothing but sheer adoration. Such was the crowd that packed out the King's Arms front to back last night for The Dillinger Escape Plan.

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The Kings Arms was packed last night as the Auckland stop of singer-songwriter Anika Moa’s In Swings The Tide 10th Anniversary Tour rolled into town.

Moa is touring her 2007 platinum selling album In Swings The Tide, her third and most successful album. This tour is a massive achievement for Moa after she nearly lost her hearing in August when her left eardrum burst and got infected.

The old tavern was full to the brim of loyal fans. You could tell the audience had been with Moa right through her career and were looking forward to hearing those old songs again. Moa even said how weird it was playing those songs after so long, so I am sure the crowd appreciated it.

Mulholland kicked the night off with a solid set of Crowded House-esque rock. This is the band of Anika’s guitarist Jol Mulholland and they did a good job of setting the scene as the crowd gradually built for the main event.

While the appetiser was nice, it was Anika that everyone was looking forward to. Moa took to the stage with her very tight three-piece band. Jol Mulholland on guitar, Tom Broome on drums, and Anika’s long-time bassist of over ten years Chip Matthews.

This show was predominantly about celebrating the album In Swings The Tide, so Moa kicked things off by playing the album in full, something that is in vogue at the moment with Bic Runga about to do the same thing with her album Drive. All of the fan favourites were on show including hit single Dreams in My Head, Wise Man Say, and title track In Swings The Tide. Moa even dedicated a song to the former owner of the Kings Arms Maureen Gordon who passed away last week.

Moa was in fine voice musically, but also in terms of her engagement with the audience. She talked throughout, cracked jokes, and the crowd loved every word. She even managed to fit in a couple of mentions of New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, much to the crowd’s delight. Her stage presence and personality are a strong feature of her performance and this was on show throughout the night.

One thing is for sure, an Anika Moa concert is never boring, and with her vivacious nature, you never got the impression that this was just another gig for her. Moa was having so much fun and for one song she even got friends in the audience to join her on stage and provide backing vocals.

Moa was also in a storytelling mood, explaining what songs meant to the crowd at every opportunity. This included introducing the first song she ever wrote aged four, and a very personal story about My Old Man, a song about her father. Moa explained how she wrote this song before her father died and recounted the story of the first time she played it to him. These were deeply personal stories, but Moa brought them to life in a funny and mostly non-serious way.

The show finished with a mixture of hits including Running Through the Fire (Storm) which closed the show, as well as some new songs. Whether these new songs are an indication of a new album, we will have to wait and see, but in the meantime, one thing is definite, and that is Anika Moa is back playing music, playing it well, and enjoying it as much as she ever has done before.

Sam Smith

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  Anika Moa & Mulholland – Kings Arms October 20, 2017 The Kings Arms was packed last night as the Auckland stop of singer-songwriter Anika Moa’s In Swings The Tide 10th Anniversary Tour rolled into town.

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“You do not know how lucky you are to be here tonight” one Me First and the Gimme Gimmes fan told me before they took to the stage, I was skeptical but at the end could not have agreed more! he was right; so very, very right.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a San Francisco punk supergroup comprised of punk legends Fat Mike (NOFX), Chris Shiflett (No Use For a Name), Joey Cape (Lagwagon), Dave Ruan (also of Lagwagon) and ably fronted by Spike Slawson (Swingin’ Utters), all members of bands signed to Fat Mike’s label ‘Fat Wreck Chords’, who, surprisingly enough, only perform covers.

Unfortunately, due to Fat Mike and and Chris Shiflett’s busy schedules, they were unable to appear at last night’s show but luckily Jay Bentley of Bad Religion was able to assume bass duties while Lindsay Mcdougall of Australian band Frenzal Rhomb covered for Chris on the guitar.

This was the band’s last show on the ‘Rake It In: Greatest Hits’ tour, which was also in order to promote the new greatest hits album.

Although I knew of the band members, I was not aware of the band itself till I saw the New Zealand tour announcement. I was then surprised to learn that the show had sold out quickly and then thankfully for those of us late off the mark, was upgraded from Kings Arms to Powerstation to meet the increased demand, and these extra tickets also quickly sold out too! I was interested to check out the hype surrounding this band who surprisingly had not released any original material.

I arrived to a packed out Powerstation still feeling drained from Die!Die!Die!’s excellent show the night before at the Whammy bar and as I entered the Powerstation, I was rudely greeted by loud, obnoxious and incredibly intoxicated gig goers who, throughout the show, were chucking cups, bottles and cans across the venue, showing complete disrespect for the venue and the punters caught up in the crossfire!

The venue was packed with middle age groovers, majority of whom were wearing NOFX shirts.

I was able to catch the end of Nuggiez set which consisted of heavy, high volume, punk which was enough to keep the impatient Me First fans occupied.

During the Me First stage set up, I had a brief conversation with two fans who told me they had been following the band for fifteen years. They were kind enough to give me a full run down on the band and any information that I could deem useful. “If you a fan of punk, you’re in heaven right now” one told me. Chatting with these two fans was a nice change from the rather sour greeting I got earlier upon entering.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes took to the stage exactly at 9:00 as was promised. All wearing matching black pants and shirts with a gold tie uniform as well as same guitar bodies, except for Spike who had an extra gold blazer on show.

Opening up with George Gershwin’s Summertime which would be the first of many covers, the mosh pit was instantly in full force. The crowd was yelling the words out and the floor was rumbling. Spike was strutting across with stage with extreme swagger and the middle age performers proved they were still as punk as ever! Each member was incredibly enthusiastic and loving the performance despite this being the last show of a long tour.

Between songs, Spike would converse with the audience, telling them stories and asking questions as well as sharing their sense of humour and foul language.

Mid set, Spike performed a ukulele rendition of Madonna’s Crazy For You, during which encouraged loud sing along.

One aspect of the performance that I was not a massive fan of are the band introductions. Although they were well thought up and crazy, they were almost a bit too long and at times quite contrived. We are here to hear music, not chit chat and try hard dialogue!

During this, Australian guitarist Lindsay voiced his respect for New Zealand’s impressive rugby efforts and our marriage equality law, both things Australia is trying to match!

The band’s covers of Elton John’s Rocket Man and Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive (which the band asked the macho men of the crowd to release their inner diva for) were my personal highlights of the night.

Me First really did prove me wrong when I pondered how on earth a band could have such a big following and career playing only covers. The show was wild, fun and possibly one of the best I’ve been to all year and I have been lucky to see some incredible shows in 2017. Despite being a Sunday night, the crowd proved they were still ready to go crazy with Me First, even on a school night!

By the time Me First left the stage, I really did feel lucky to have witnessed this show and what a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. Come back soon guys

Jonathan Strock

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Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – Powerstation October 15th 2017 “You do not know how lucky you are to be here tonight” one Me First and the Gimme Gimmes fan told me before they took to the stage, I was skeptical but at the end could not have agreed more! 

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The 13th Floor’s Simon Todd headed down to Auckland’s ASB Theatre to check out Alison Moyet’s NZ tour. Here’s what he encountered…

I didn’t think I’d be seeing a 5-string bass solo last night, but that’s what happened, half-way through Hollie Smith’s super support set at the pretty much full Aotea Centre.

Smith, joined on stage by bassist Marika Hodgeson, graciously guided the audience through her back catalogue, as well as introducing a couple of newbies. Her between-song banter was modest and funny. Introducing a new song about a ‘just good friend’ called Billy, she said the song was called Billy because she’s not very creative with song titles.

Clad in a baby-pink ninja/geisha suit, Smith delivered her songs with that unmistakable voice; sultry, soaring, produced with distinctive facial manoeuvres – captivating. Finishing with her best-know song, Don McGlashen-penned In The River, Holly left the stage smiling triumphantly – she’d definitely found some new fans tonight.

As the lights dimmed after an interval, the PA blasted out April 10th from the album Other. This poem set to music introduced the soundscape for the evening; classy yet sparse synth-scapes, with of course the powerhouse vocal department of one A Moyet.

Flanked by knights in keyboard armour, Sean McGhee [Artmagic] and John Garden, Alison Moyet starts the show proper with the defiant, anthemic I Germinate, then says a big hello to the crowd, promising a set stripped of any nostalgia and focusing on her new album and what she calls a return to her roots, electronica.

This was a brilliant move. Of course she plays the hits from Yazoo and her pop incarnations, but these have been musically rearranged to bathe in the pallet of the Other sound. So we get Only You, Is This Love and All Cried Out, but these tracks’ infectiously whistleable riffs sound fresher, less 80s cheese, new.

John Garden straps on a wailing, spikey guitar for standout Other track, Beautiful Gun, while Sean McGhee stands mostly still, arms hidden among his keys. But it’s fun to watch him occasionally reach up and trigger leads from his drum pad. I think he enjoys that bit the most.

Honestly though, all eyes are on Alison, and her presence is magnificent. She is punk. Striking poses is something she does with swagger, with strong femininity. She looks like a poster campaign for Women Factory Workers of World War II. She ardently sways on her mic stand like Johnny Rotten.

She looks like she’s having a ball, and the contralto is spot on, especially beautiful on The Man In The Wings from 2007’s The Turn.

It’s songs like this and others, from Other, that are most captivating and make you realise why Moyet is still such an important English singer and writer today. Moyet introduces The English U, with its David Arnold-y string arrangement, as a tribute to her mother who was a stalwart defender of proper English.

If you didn’t think pop lyrics could emote by being about punctuation, think again. “I want to know the comma / though I forget to honour / every breathe implied / uncertain of its needs”.

With other Other, The Rarest of Birds and Lover, Go getting applause and whoops, there is a sense that their seats cannot restrain the crowd any longer. They sense a party and they want the big singalongs.  

So that’s what Moyet and her band do. For the first time the keyboards and drums are ramped up to a more familiar 80s sound and there’s dancing in the aisles to Situation, Don’t Go and Love Resurrection.

It is of course the only way the show could end, but I did leave humming the new material, and thinking that it was the real showstealer.

Simon Todd

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Alison Moyet – Aotea Centre, October 14, 2017 The 13th Floor's Simon Todd headed down to Auckland's ASB Theatre to check out Alison Moyet's NZ tour.

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The queue was around the corner last night as New Telepathics packed out the soon-to-close Golden Dawn to celebrate the release of their new single Goat Magic, cut from their upcoming album The End Of War.

Glenn Bodger from Braintree delivered an acoustic support set as the punters flocked into the small, bulging venue, which boasts an amazingly clear sound; made even more impressive and consistent by the roaming sound guy, who constantly adjusted levels throughout the gig on his tablet.

Like a big, booming toot on a spanking-new tugboat, the considerable brass section [including members of Hopetoun Brown] begins the start of the New Telepathics set, taking to the stage and more [the vocal contingent of the telepathic research agents are on the floor, completely face-to-face with the front row] with an exciting kapow of brings-an-instant-smile-to-your-face Afrikana.

The party vibe continues throughout the set, with 6 of the 8 songs taken from the upcoming album.   Vocal sparrings from singers Nuel Nonso, Phodiso and Sandy Mill envelope the excited crowd who, despite not knowing most of the tracks, dance like they were listening to their favourite feelgood playlist.

New single Goat Magic made an early appearance, with ring-master and original New Telepathic Darryn Paterson-Harkness standing stage left and clearly reaping the rewards of his efforts. He took the lead vocal duties on old song My First Shotgun, which ups the guitars to a beat-poet melody, before it’s back into the afro-jazz brass-supersonics until the come-to-soons closer, Siamese Skull.

As the band left the stage with friends and fans still queuing round the corner, I still had that smile on my face and thought that this single, this album, this band, could well be the soundtrack to my summer.

Simon Todd

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New Telepathics played:

Never Know

Central Station

Goat Magic

My First Shotgun

Monochrome

Up All Night

We Are Free Intergalactic

Siamese Skull

  New Telepathics – Golden Dawn October 13, 2017 The queue was around the corner last night as New Telepathics packed out the soon-to-close Golden Dawn to celebrate the release of their new single…

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Adam Ant returned from the 1980s to perform his album Kings Of The Wild Frontier. The 13th Floor sent David Boyle to check it out. Ivan Karczewski provides the pictures. 

There’s always a risk that when a band launches into their gig and plays one of their best known albums end-to-end, the impact and flow might get lost in our age of digital streaming, especially in the “pick and mix” music world we live in today. And I have seen a few in my day, from the Pixies playing Doolittle, to Gary Numan and The Pleasure Principal, jeez I even saw the Boss do it with Born In The USA.

Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.  Luckily those who were at the Adam Ant concert were from the LP era, where albums like Kings Of The Wild Frontier were the staple of most parties and almost always played from start to finish. For me, growing up in Ashburton, Adam and the Ants had a different sound to others, and a swagger that was filled with confidence and a bucket-load of arrogance that many teenagers could connect to and, more importantly, sing along to.

The not-quite-so-full house of punters, who came along to capture their youth and memories of the past, weren’t disappointed with the opening song. Dog Eat Dog kicked off the setlist from a youthful, slightly “Pirates of the Caribbean” looking Adam Ant and his more fresh-faced five-piece band. The two drummers were the initial standout and really made the most impact, filling our ears with the double beats that were his signature sound and taking everyone back to the first time they bought the album and dropped the needle on it.

From there it was true to the album track list with Ant Music raising a roar from the crowd, signaling that this was one of the key songs they had come to hear. There was a tinge of sadness from my perspective that one of the most well-known tracks came out so early but, that aside, a very good rendition was played and really got the crowd singing along.

Yes, there were moments in the first setlist that did lose their way a little, especially for those who didn’t buy the LP at the time. But it reminded me why I love albums so much and hearing the tracks played in order brought back some old memories of mine, especially songs like Feed Me To The Lions, Ants Invasion, Jolly Roger, and of course the title track, Kings of the Wild Frontier. 

Surprisingly there was no interaction with the crowd and Adam ranged around the stage like a caged cat with sporadic body flinches and the odd sneering glare out to the back of beyond. That all changed as we came to the end of the album and an apology was offered for his self-indulgence at playing all the songs in one long, uninterrupted blast, with a delightful lady yelling back “we know and I love you”.  I don’t think she was on her own either.�� This was his first visit to New Zealand and I suspect that most who turned up were pleased that they had.

The band then launched into the second part of the show and became a lot chattier. They kicked off with what was the highlight for me Beat My Guest; not on any album, this track can be found as the B side on the Stand And Deliver 45. It’s a favourite of mine as it has a punk edge, played at pace, with a rawness that suggests it was one of his very first songs, written from influences of his time being Television, X-Ray Spex, and New York Dolls in particular. More songs followed that were a mixture from his other albums with Vive Le Rock, Apollo 9, Prince Charming, and of course Stand And Deliver to close the set; sadly the latter didn’t deliver and was notable as my low point of the evening, given how much I loved that song.

With the traditional farewell and thanks the lights fell. A short break, some chanting and they returned for the encore with three tracks: Goody Two Shoes, Red Scab, and Physical before waving goodbye, unlikely to return to our shores again.

I hadn’t quite known what to expect before the night – my fear was, like many bands of that era, they were best left in the past, remembered with fondness and protected by their original recordings.  So, I was expecting the worst to be honest, and hoping for something better. Happily, overall, they didn’t disappoint.  Adam sang an octave or two lower, missed some words, and let the crowd and backing band sing the bits he couldn’t. But there was enough there for most fans and those who turned up would probably agree they got what they expected and that’s not always a bad thing.

Adam A(i)nt what he used to be, but that’s ok and I was glad to have seen him.

David Boyle

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Adam Ant – Powerstation October 9, 2017 Adam Ant returned from the 1980s to perform his album Kings Of The Wild Frontier. …

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Hollie Smith wrapped up her Long Player 10th Anniversary Tour at Auckland’s Crystal Palace. The vintage venue always seems to host gigs that stand out as something special, and this was no exception.

When I arrived up-and-coming soul sing TEEKS (23-year-old Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi) was holding court on stage, accompanied only by a keyboard player. But when you have a voice like TEEKS, that’s all you need. The crowd was loving it, shouting out encouragement and making him feel truly welcomed.

Hollie and her band arrived soon after, with the headliner looking glamourous as ever. Her band consisted of keyboard player Daniel Hayles, Tyson Smith on guitar, long-time drummer Darren Mathiassen, the phenomenal Marika Hodgson on bass and backing vocalists Lisa Tomlin and Mark Vanilau

This being the 10 anniversary of Hollie’s  debut album, Long Player (a deluxe edition has just been reissued), we were treated to the album being played in its entirety from start to finish.

It was Tyson Smith who proved to be an early highlight. He played some funky wah-wah during the laguid opener, Can’t Let You Down, then soloed beautifully during I Will Do.

Hollie herself was in top form, her singing styling owing as much to jazz and r&b. She sang, scatted, and improvised with the band following suit. Most tunes started slowly, then built in intensity until they were scorching by the end.

The singer seemed to be taking a trip down memory lane as she told stories behind the writing and recording of the songs…some of which she hadn’t performed in years.

The set finished with the prayer-like Be Whole In Thee, with just Daniel Hayles’ keyboard playing behind Hollie’s impassioned vocal.

The entire band was back for a celebratory four-song encore. Despite a bried problem with Tyson’s guitar, spirits were high as Hollie and her crew closed things out with God Bless The Child and Bathe In The River. In keeping with the sentimental mood of the evening, Hollie brought her high school music teacher up on stage…he’s retiring at the end of this year…to pay tribute to his inspirational work. TEEKs also returned to help with Bathe���no doubt equally inspired by Hollie’s formidable talent.

Marty Duda

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Hollie Smith – Crystal Palace October 6, 2017 Hollie Smith wrapped up her Long Player 10th Anniversary Tour at Auckland’s Crystal Palace. The vintage venue always seems to host gigs that stand out as something special, and this was no exception.

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  Just four months after appearing at the same venue with a tribute to Cream, former Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes returns to pay homage to his old band and bandmates.

There was a strange vibe in the air as fans waited for Hughes and his band to appear at Auckland’s ASB Theatre. On one hand, there was a continent that clearly came to rock out and have a good time. On the other hand, it had been a day of tragedy, with the massacre in Las Vegas and the death of rocker Tom Petty hanging in the air.

Hughes’ performance reflected both attitudes.

Taking the stage just after 8pm, Glenn Hughes was looking better than a 66-year-old survivor of 45 years of rock & roll excesses has any right to. He did have to cut his show short in Christchurch a week ago due to dehydration, but seemed in fine form tonight.

Hughes was joined by three other musicians, guitarist Jeff Kollma, Lachy Doley on organ and drummer Pontus Engborg. The quartet got right down to business, kicking off with the title track to Deep Purple’s 1974 album, Stormbringer, the first to feature Hughes.

While the three other musicians may not have been old enough to know this music when it was made in the 70s, it’s obvious that Hughes has schooled these guys on the finer points of 70s hard rock.

Guitarist Kollma had Ritchie Blackmore’s riffs down pat, along with a few of his own, and keyboard player Lachy Doley combined the showmanship of Keith Emerson with the virtuosity of the late, great Jon Lord.

The events of the day clearly weighed on Glenn Hughes who referred to the death of his friend and repeatedly reminding the audience that “love is the answer and music is the healer”.

The two hour set showed off the best and worst aspects of 70s hard rock. There were plenty of sturdy riffs and Hughes’ impressive voice was sounding strong. The band played well together, although I could have done without some of the solos. I still have nightmares of extended drum solos from back in the day, and they were flashing back here.

The majority of the material stemmed from the three Purple albums Hughes played on in the mid-70s…Stormbringer, Burn and Come Taste The Band, and while all three records have their moments, this was not Deep Purple at its finest.

This became apparent when Hughes and company ripped into Smoke On The Water and Highway Star…two pre-Hughes classics. The room really came alive as fans stood and played air guitar along with the band.

The show wrapped with Burn, the song I was waiting to hear. Hughes did not disappoint, giving the song his all and making the night a triumph.

Tom Petty’s death made us all realize that we need to appreciate these classic rockers while we can. Hughes, who is the same age as Petty was, was facing his own mortality but is determined to continue rocking as long as he can. He promised to return next year. If he does…I’ll be there.

Marty Duda

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Glenn Hughes set list:

Stormbringer

Might Just Take Your Life

Sail Away

Mistreated

You Fool No One

This Time Around

Holy Man

Getting’ Tighter

You Keep On Moving

Smoke On The Water/Georgia On My Mind

Highway Star

Burn

    Glenn Hughes – ASB Theatre October 3, 2017 Just four months after appearing at the same venue with a tribute to Cream, former Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes returns to pay homage to his old band and bandmates.