Artist Profile: SkaldMH

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Welcome to Will Not Fade’s Artist Profile series, where we take a look into the people in the music scene who aren’t necessarily musicians.

Lewis aka SkaldM

Who are you?

I’m Lewis, originally from the distant and exotic land of Shannon, Horowhenua, now based in the capital.

Spiral at Valhalla

Spiral at Valhalla

How did you start off doing photography?

I have a lot of early memories of enjoying taking photos of family members who were not keen on being photographed with a very thrashed kodak, so I would say that is where I caught the bug. I’m much more respectful now. I later took up photography in secondary school where I took a lot of photos of ink and acrylic paint swirling around in water for my NCEA external assessments. I think I cleared out half the painting department’s supply.

Why do you photograph musicians?

I’m usually disinterested in still life or portrait photography (because I suck at it) so a dynamic environment with dynamic subjects is right up my alley. It ain’t a proper set until I’ve shot over a thousand photos on rapid. It’s also pretty cool to get chummy with people who have a creative skill I lack, and fellow photographers are also cool to chat with and ask basic questions like “hey, how do I turn off the shutter timer on a canon?” IYKYK.

Chelsea Wolfe at Meow Nui

Chelsea Wolfe at Meow Nui

Film or Digital?

Digital, because it’s the best.

Colour or Black & White?

I’m usually shooting nocturnally and indoors so I do black and white almost exclusively. What I do, see, is crank up the ISO to 10k minimum, which unfortunately does makes colour look like mud with my M6 MkII’s sensor, but if I desaturate and then pretend the massive amounts of ISO grain are intentional, then I can get some nice renders ranging from aesthetics perfect for a classic lofi black metal band to a modern black metal with an actual budget. Remember to delete that bit about pretending.

Black Country, New Road at Meow Nui

Black Country, New Road at Meow Nui

What has been your highlight so far as a photographer?

The chat. Getting back into it after about a decade of inactivity has been a good exercise in outletting creativity and being more sociable.

What band would you most love to photograph?

That would have to be Spiral, NZ’s best 5th wave Emogaze quartet. If they’re not available then it’s a dice roll between Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Deafheaven and Mineral.

APHIR at Meow Nui

APHIR at Meow Nui

Have you got a favourite venue?

Only been there a couple of times so far, but Meow Nui has a gorgeous lighting array, and yet it lacks the sticky, soothing floor of Valhalla. Oh, a boy surely cannot choose.

Shuv-it at Start Today fest

Shuv-it at Start Today fest

What do you consider your most essential piece of equipment?

The spare battery I forgot I had. Never lets me down. My very big external hard drive. So many duplicate and write-off RAW files I still haven’t gone through and deleted.

Ringlets at Meow Nui

Ringlets at Meow Nui

What kind of ear protection do you use?

I had some really good broken in-earphones that connected together magnetically, but I lost them. So good. Now I use some proper earplugs I got from MusicWorks.

distance at Valhalla

distance at Valhalla

Have you got any advice for aspiring beginner photographers?

Just jump in, see what you can get, see what you can make of the shots and repeat and repeat and repeat. Don’t be worried about how good you are before a gig, going is how you get better. Download darktable.

 

How can people contact you if they want to use your services?

I’m on Instagram under SkaldMH. Flick your boy a message.

 

Live Review: Biffy Clyro at James Hay Theatre, Christchurch

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Biffy Clyro
w/ Coast Arcade
James Hay Theatre, Christchurch
Monday 13 April 2026


There’s something surreal about seeing a band perform when you’ve listened to them thousands of times. Biffy Clyro have been my favourite band since I was a teenager. The first music magazines I ever bought – which happened to send me down the path of wanting to become a music writer – included a Rock Sound magazine featuring Biffy Clyro on the cover. I’d never heard of them but I did really enjoy the track that was included on the CD sampler that came with a mag. I heard another track on a Kerrang sampler that I acquired later in the year, and that was enough to sell me on wanting to get my hands on the album Puzzle.

I’ve been a Biffy diehard ever since. I’ve got most of their albums on vinyl, and a bunch of pretty rare stuff too. This is the third time they’ve come to NZ, and it’ll be my third time seeing them play.

Image: Bevan Triebels

This is my first time coming to James Hay Theatre. What a fantastic venue! It was nestled in as part of the Christchurch Town Hall complex. Nice and intimate, with a standing section at the bottom and two seated sections above, it appeared that the view of the stage was fantastic no matter where you were situated. The sound was great too.

Image: Bevan Triebels

Young Auckland band Coast Arcade kicked things off. After achieving success with Rockquest during their time at highschool, members of Coast Arcade formed the band in recent years, and are already seeing successes. They released their eponymous debut album on CD and wax last October, and have support slots with Play Lunch and Silversun Pickups coming up. Tonight was a dream come true for their drummer Thom Boynton, having been a huge fan since childhood.

I saw Ben Johnston and Mike Vennart watching and nodding along from side of stage during Coast Arcade’s set, and Ben had great things to say about them later in the night. And rightly so – they had big energy and plenty of head banging moments, following in the footsteps of their anthemic heroes. A cover of Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” also showed how tight they were – they’re asking for tough comparisons when playing the songs of rock royalty.

And then we had Biffy Clyro. It’s eight years since they last played in New Zealand, and they’ve released four studio albums in that time. This tour has been a long time coming. I was positively fizzing.

The precursor to their set was a stop/start electronic percussive ostinato played loudly over the speakers. Dilating tempo signaled something was about to happen, before the lights dimmed and the band came onstage.

Biffy Clyro’s sound has changed over the years, but as soon as I heard the drumming into to their most recent album opener, “A Little Love”, it unleashed some long engrained Pavlovian response. There’s no doubt whatsover that those drums sound like Biffy Clyro. I was moving and grinning from ear to ear.

My inner teenager was positively giddy. Hell, old man me was giddy. It doesn’t get much better than this. The irresistible bounce of “Who’s Got A Match?” took me right back to being 16 again, listening to Puzzle on my cheap CD walkman and marveling at these weirdly complex songs that the Scottish trio had written. I felt the same sheer awe and joy watching them play their songs now, in front of me. 

Image: Bevan Triebels

It was a two tiered stage. Ben Johnston was at the back with his enormous drum kit. Singer and lead guitarist Simon Neil stood to his side, belting out the vocals. Simon was topless, both Scots were heavily tattooed, and soon to be covered in a glistening sheen of sweat. The stage lighting was fantastic, with red and white blinders pulsing and flashing.

I mentioned Mike Vennart earlier. He and Richard “Gambler” Ingram have been part of Biffy Clyro’s live act for many years, both having also been in legendary prog band Oceansize back in the day. (Vennart also has a metal side project along with Simon Neil entitled Empire State Bastard.) Vennart was on left-handed guitar, Ingram on keys.

I was hoping that they’d play a range of material spanning their back catalog, and maybe even a few special additions for NZ audiences, seeing how they’d never played here when releasing most of their albums. However, they have a fill-in bassist, Naomi MacLeod, stepping in while usual bass player James Johnston addresses some mental health and addiction issues. I imagined that Naomi had only learnt and rehearsed the songs that they’d selected for the standard set list of the tour so would have understood if they didn’t deviate from that.

Image: Bevan Triebels

Looking at Setlist.fm, I see that they did play the same songs they’ve been playing this far on tour. But it was still a great selection and I wasn’t left wanting. Nothing from their early albums when they were signed to Beggar’s Banquet, but I have no complaints.

Biffy Clyro have been around for a long time now, so have become veterans of the stage. We still got tastes of the human element though. It seemed like they got excited and sped up during “That Golden Rule” and “Bubbles”. And the Simon’s tortured scream during “Goodbye” had his voice breaking slightly in a way that I just love.

Image: Bevan Triebels

One criticism is that the backing tracks were too loud and borderline ostentatious at times. Yes, lovely string sections make ballads feel more emotional, but they stood out too much in the mix and took me out of the moment at times. I thought this made “Space” feel a bit like bad karaoke. But that didn’t stop half the crowd singing along with their arms in the air.

And Biffy Clyro know how to do ballads. “Machines” was the perfect antithesis to the garish rendition of “Space” – just Simon and an acoustic guitar, later joined by Ben on backing vocals. No need for backing tracks there, just pure magic. And who could deny the power of “Mountains”? Or “Many of Horror”? The unifying power of the ‘woahs’ in “Biblical”? Truly transcendent. 

But my heart lies with the riffs, with the songs that compel us to move and thrash about. There is few things in life that make my heart sing quite like the riff in the later half of “Different People”. The frenzied, acerbic riffing of “That Golden Rule” leaves me breathless. “Bubbles” the crowd bouncing with effervescence. The bombastic intros of “The Captain” and “Wolves of Winter” take no prisoners.

One moment that stood out was the outro of “Two People in Love”. I hadn’t paid that song much attention until now, but I really loved how the band sat on the motifs, building beautifully, first with twinkling piano, then adding fresh layers of guitar and crashing cymbals as the song grows and grows with captivating wonder. It sounded huge, ready to engulf us all.

Image: Bevan Triebels

This is a band that isn’t afraid to mess with us, to show off a little. Just listen to “Living is a Problem…” A few minutes of seemingly random stabbing that launches into choral harmonising and erupts into big choruses. As if it wasn’t technical enough, Simon derailed it during the bridge, the mad conductor holding the band hostage as they entered a passage that was somehow even more chaotic than the recorded song that we all know. He paused, slowed it down, sped it up, added weird distortion and just enough tension, before finally letting it resolve, the band following along flawlessly.

If I had to describe Biffy Clyro in one word it would be: anthemic. They know how to write a song that rouses you and makes you feel. Big riffs, big choruses, big energy, big singalongs. Plenty of dynamics and loads of fun. This gig was everything I’d hoped for and more.

Mon the Biff!

Image: Bevan Triebels

Review by Joseph James.

Photos by Bevan Triebels.

@triebels_photography
bevan@triebelsphotography.co.nz

Thanks to 818 and Live Nation.

Image: Bevan Triebels

 

Coast Arcade

Biffy Clyro

Live Review: David Byrne at Spark Arena, Auckland

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David Byrne Who Is The Sky? Tour

Spark Arena, Auckland
Wednesday 14 January 2026

David Byrne came to Wellington on his American Utopia Tour in 2018. It was incredible, one of the best shows I’ve ever witnessed. And it truly was a show. The uniform, the choreography, the lighting… not to mention the music. Outstanding.

And then a few years ago I went to the local Embassy theatre to watch the re-release of the iconic Talking Heads film, Stop Making Sense. I’m too young to have seen it when it first came out, so this was a such a joy to behold for the first time on the big screen, especially with the amazing speaker system that the Embassy boasts.

So I was pretty excited when I saw that Byrne was returning to NZ. I’m not a big fan of going to Auckland, but the promise of an incredible show was too good to pass up.

I happened to sit next to another music writer on the flight up (Alexander Bisley – check out his excellent recent write up on Don McGlashan) and he asked me if that last David Byrne show would rank in my top 10 concerts. It was a very convincing yes. I had no doubt that tonight would be amazing, the question was how would it differ from last time.

The thing that sets this show apart from most is that everyone is mobile. Most bands would have a drum kit set up, amps at the back, microphones on stands… But in this case, everyone had their instruments on straps or harnesses in some way so that they could move about the stage as they played. Drummers playing mounted drums and percussion like a marching band would, and everyone used wireless pickups and headset mics. This changes the dynamic so much because every song is choreographed and we see the performers line up and move in different formations, adding such an interesting visual component to the show.

This was the same for the American Utopia tour, but there were a few updates. They all wore dark blue uniforms, whereas last time they all wore light grey suits that showed up sweat patches, and had bare feet. Last time a curtain of chains enveloped the rear and side of the stage. This time we had huge screen walls showing videos.

This is the Who Is The Sky? Tour, and they played three tracks from said album. Lead single “Everybody Laughs” was a joyous time. But Byrne is synonymous with his old band Talking Heads, so he treated us to many of their classics.

I also liked that they included a Paramore cover. Paramore singer Hayley Williams featured on the Who Is The Sky? album, although they didn’t play that song tonight. Byrne also recently recorded a song with Olivia Rodrigo. I find it so charming that this iconic man in his 70s is so connected to current pop divas.

They started off with the beautiful “Heaven”, and took us through memory lane, with obligatory inclusions of crowd pleasers like “Psycho Killer”, “Once in a Lifetime”, and “Burning Down the House”. These all saw people jumping to their feet to boogie at a seated concert, and looking through the crowd, hundreds of phones were lit up as people recorded the experience.

And although I think people are better off being in the moment, I can see why they wanted to capture things. It was a sight to behold, a baker’s dozen worth of star performers singing, dancing, and playing in complex evolving formations.

I could see what they were playing, but even so, it was hard to believe that it was all live instrumentation. It is so commonplace for bands to rely heavily on backing tracks these days that it makes me wonder how Milli Vanilli was so controversial when they were exposed for lip syncing. But this was the real deal. It’s a shame that he didn’t do it again tonight, but I remember last time they actually made a point of building a song up slowly, player by player, so it was evident how each musician contributed to the sound. Even then, despite the evidence, it still sounded almost too good to be true. Remarkable stuff.

This show would have taken an incredible amount of rehearsing. I can certainly think of some shows that I’ve seen that have felt borderline sterile with how rigid and rehearsed they were. But this was lively, infectious. We could see how much fun the performers were having, full of energy. It was a celebration of music, of the arts, of humanity.

Byrne and Talking Heads came up in the new wave and punk music movements of New York, largely connected to the iconic venue CBGB’s, alongside contemporaries like The Ramones and Blondie. This exciting scene was known as vibrant and innovative. It’s incredible how Byrne has kept the creative momentum going, and remains relevant in his 70s.

He quoted an interview he’d read with director John Cameron Mitchell, in which Mitchell stated that “love and kindness are the most punk things you can do these days” [my paraphrasing]. After some consideration, Byrne decided he agreed with this. Especially considering the current world events and the state of the USA, choosing to be kind is an act of resistance.

Byrne made a point of highlighting how people have fought to come together for humanity in recent years. He shared how Italians would sing to each other from their balconies during the pandemic – especially on their Independence Day – which was a day celebrating the defeat of fascism. They used the screen walls on stage to broadcast footage of protests, or even just t-shirt slogans, with progressive bumper sticker sayings on them. The audience would cheer loudly when they saw images or slogans that resonated with them. I strongly remember Byrne playing an incendiary cover of Janelle Monáe’s “Hell You Talmbout” at the last show, a powerful song that decries police brutality and racial violence. There’s no denying that he was making strong political statements, but with a filter of positivity and inclusivity.

David Byrne blew me away with his last show in 2018. And this new iteration delivered just as much, but with more Talking Heads hits thrown into the mix.

Before playing “And She Was”, Byrne shared that the song was about a girl he’d gone to highschool with who always seemed super happy. He’d wondered what the secret to her happiness was. Turns out it was LSD… I can’t comment on taking acid, but I think attending a David Byrne concert can deliver a pretty darn potent dosage of happiness too.

 

Joseph James

 

After the show Marty Duda from 13th Floor stopped me and asked about my tshirt. I was wearing a House of Guitars shirt I’d bought when I was on tour with Ranges earlier in the year. Turns out Marty used to work there, 30 years ago! And then I met another music writer, Nick Bollinger (author of Goneville and Dancing Sundays) – his daughter and I are both Kindergarten teachers. I thought it was pretty cool to have randomly met three other music writers in the space of a few days.

Live Review: Ash Grunwald at Meownui, Wellington

Ash Grunwald NZ Tour
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Ash Grunwald

w/ Simon Donald
Meownui, Wellington
Sunday 24 August 2025

Ash Grunwald was the first musician I interviewed for Will Not Fade. Local author John McCrystal helped me edit the interview and I was so proud of the finished result. It gave me a big confidence boost as a writer. Ash was great to talk to and put me onto a bunch of artists and ideas that were new to me.

I saw him play that year, at Meow. I wouldn’t have even classed Meow as a proper venue back then – more a cafe that sometimes hosted folk acts and singer/songwriters. Ash pulled a modest crowd and I remember having a fantastic time. The standout moment for me was when Ash left the stage, walked into the middle of the room, and gave a powerful rendition of “John the Revelator”, just stomping, clapping and hollering. I was so inspired by this that I started a band a few years later that I modelled on this sound of stompy, chanty blues and rock.

So it was very cool to see Ash play again tonight, a decade on. Meow is now more known as a venue than a cafe, and the owners now have an even bigger venue – one of the best in Wellington… Possibly even the country – called Meownui. Ash’s popularity has increased so much over the past ten years that his current NZ tour has resulted in many sold out shows, with demand being great enough for him to play second shows in many towns. And he’s managed to make Meownui feel full on a Sunday night. He joked at one point that being a full time musician is basically living a life of poverty, so this is a pretty awesome achievement to see him have such success.

First of all, it sounded great. Meownui is an old Salvation Army church, so the acoustics have probably always been good in this building. Ash kept giving shout outs to Drew on the mixing desk, and mentioning how much fun he was having, hearing himself on such a good sound system in front of a good sized audience.

And he was was a class performer. Most of his songs have a big stompy feel, so he had us clapping along to many. And many have repeated singing parts, so he got us singing too. It was interactive and immersive. 

His set up was a bit different to last time, but the essence was still the same. Last time he had a crazy foot operated thing that housed all these drum and percussion bits. This time he had a few e-drum pedals instead, as well as a cajon box drum he sat on with two pedals attached. He has three guitars too – one being a resonator and another being a hollow body – all of which gave that classic bluesy rock sound, especially when played with a slide. 

Ash’s daughter Sunny had been tagging along on tour. She’s currently being homeschooled so that she can come on the road with him. Ash got her up onstage for a Bill Withers song and her voice was a show stopper. Seriously good, even outshining her dad. No doubt Ash is super proud of her.

Ash Grunwald Meownui Wellington

Ash joined onstage by his daughter, Sunny

Ash has a large repertoire to draw from, and wasn’t afraid to drop a handful of covers in as well. He gave a nod to Chain – the only Australian blues act to hit No. 1 on the charts. As I’d mentioned already, his daughter Sunny came onstage for Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands”. He’s just as happy to draw from the blues greats like Robert Johnson or Howlin’ Wolf, as pop acts like Gnarls Barkley with his cover of “Crazy”. A good song is a good song, and we don’t need to gatekeep with genre.

He was such a pleasure to watch, clearly at home onstage after a lifetime of touring. Whether he was eeking out dolphin sounds, getting lost in the love of the riffs, or letting his dreadlocks fly about as he headbanged, he brought fun, effusive energy to his work.

I thought it was interesting that there weren’t any merch offerings available, because Ash is proving so popular that I have no doubt he would have sold plenty. [Post edit: I’ve since learnt that Ash will have merch at his other shows, but a contractual issue meant that he couldn’t sell it at Meownui.] I’m pleased to see his clear increase in popularity since he last came to Wellington, and seeing him again tonight made it clear why he has begun to sell out big venues.

Tickets for the rest of the dates on Ash’s NZ tour can be found at https://ashgrunwald.com/ 

 

Words and photos by Joseph James