NZ Music

Live Review: The Wellington Sea Shanty Society at Breaker Bay Hall, Wellington

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The Wellington Sea Shanty Society

Breaker Bay Hall, Wellington

Friday 31 July 2026

I met my friend Vorn about sixteen years ago. We both worked for Tranz Metro, the commuter rail network in Wellington. Our job involved selling and clipping tickets on the trains. Many of the staff had worked there for decades – much longer than I’d even been alive. So Vorn and I were both among the “young” staff, even though he has about ten years on me. I don’t remember the exact circumstances of meeting him, but I do remember that Donna from the pay office shared that he was a musician, and not long after he sold me three CDs of his eponymous band. [My reviews of his most recent albums: The Winter Session, The Late Album]

We became friends and I remember him recruiting me to film him for a DIY music video. A few months later he asked me to drum for a gig he’d organised for the adult guitar class he’d been teaching. I was just a teenager, fairly fresh out of school, and finding my footing in the world. It meant so much to me – that a real musician would ask me to contribute to some of his projects – and it gave me a big confidence boost.

Vorn on accordion

Vorn has always been iconic. He used to rock these huge red bejeweled sunglasses that clashed with our navy blue uniform. He was frequently seen biking around town in his fluro yellow Tranz Metro issue jacket, and busking on the waterfront, playing Jimi Hendrix covers on accordion. Vorn is a lovable enigma, perpetually true to himself. [See also, this great Audioculture article about Vorn, written by Michael Hollywood]

The first time I saw The Wellington Sea Shanty Society was at a bar called Mighty Mighty in 2013. I was there to see legendary Japanese rockers Guitar Wolf, and WSSS were playing at the other end of the room while the stage was being set. I remember thinking that it was a novel, fun concept. Most of the songs were reasonably well known, and invited audience singalong and participation.

WSSS was actually Lake’s project. Known for his groups Lake South and Urbantramper, Lake had befriended the French shanty crew Croche Dedans during his travels in France and transplanted the idea back in NZ. It made a lot of sense in this setting, a country settled by seafaring navigators and sailors, and populated by many whalers when first being colonised by Europeans. Lake asked Vorn to collaborate with him, and WSSS was born. WSSS’ third album, Ahoy!, is a collaboration with Croche Dedans, and Lake and Vorn have toured France a few times with them. [I should also share the most recent Croche Dedans album, Glou].

Lake

I remember seeing this video on the Croche Dedans Facebook page. The song was incredible, compelling and meditative, with gorgeous bones that could be fleshed out. I took it to some friends who I was starting a band with and we all agreed to cover it with a blues rock feel. It’s a shame we never properly recorded it, because it was easily our best song.

The first Breaker Bay Shanty event I remember took place in 2020. To me, this is when WSSS ascended from busking status to something more. It wasn’t just two guys playing singalongs on guitar and accordion, it was now an event, with a full band. Thomas (violin) and Nick (drums) from the Vorn band helped flesh out the sound, and MC extraordinaire Louis Tait helped set the scene with his poetic nautical monologues – a thespian possessed by the spirit of Herman Melville.

The setting was perfect. The backdrop of the stage features a beautiful painting of the bay. [You may also recognise it from this The Beths video]. The venue is right on the shore. Everyone had songbooks for singing along – think hymn missals from church, but more scurvy than spiritual.

I wasn’t exactly on my best behaviour. I’d consumed too much rum before the gig – to get into the spirit of things… Lake still uses footage from that night when making promo material for the band, and almost always uses a clip of me drunkenly staring into the camera, whilst wearing a pirate hat.

There was an obnoxious reporter from a current events show who hijacked the evening to get footage for a segment on her show, but once she and the camera crew had left, it was a fantastic night. Easily the best night of the year, and an exciting fixture in the calendar every time the lads book another show there.

This was a year or two before “Wellerman” blew up on TikTok, and became the viral song that permeates pop culture now. It’s a genuine whaling-era song from Aotearoa that Lake and Vorn had discovered it in some ancient songbooks. I do remember it being a real highlight at WSSS gigs along with “Drunken Sailor”, long before virality struck. Somehow a postman in Scotland discovered this obscure old song from Aotearoa, and a video of him singing it struck a chord that resonated with people to the point that the song has been appropriated the world over. Even The Wiggles now do a version of it. Wellington Sea Shanty Society had two recorded versions of “Wellerman” before the song blew up, and those two songs currently have over three million streams on Spotify between them.

I’ve been coming to Shanty gigs at Breaker Bay Hall since 2020 now. So do they ever feel stale? Not at all. The setlists change over time, although firm favourites usually remain constant. They’ve just released a new EP, Never Mind the Rowlocks (with album art styled to imitate The Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks), so have a few new songs to add to the repertoire.

It sounds like the tour to date has been a total blast. The band played a low key pop-up gig on Leftbank in Wellington the night of the EP release. They’ve sold out a lot of their shows on the tour. In Auckland they played a live-to-air for bFM, and featured as the musical guests on televised comedy show 7 Days.

The EP release pop up gig on Leftbank

 

As we arrive in Breaker Bay, the locale gives a taste of the night to come. It’s a surprisingly calm day, so there is a distinct lack of waves crashing on the rocks nearby. But it’s certainly right on the shore. The air is lightly scented with seaweed. Thankfully that’s about the only smells we get whiffs of – the local sewage treatment plant has been infamous for mishaps all year, with no set resolution in sight for a long time yet.

It’s always interesting to see who shows up to these gigs. We see lots of pirates and sailors, as well as a squid. And stripes. So many stripes. It’s enough to get a zebra hot and bothered.

Dressing up is highly recommended. I won best dressed one year for a sexy mermaid outfit I’d made (complete with wig, shell earrings, and shiny scaled tail/skirt). My best friend Craig won the following year by wearing The Titanic.

You can tell that a lot of people popped into the local Look Sharp shop to get a suitable accessory – think plastic pistols and sailor caps. We see some people waving cutlasses in the air. But some people really put the effort in, and their outfits are quite impressive. Long leather boots, velvet shirts, corsets and waistcoats. And as the saying goes, you get out of it, what you put in. Those who dress up, sing, dance, and embrace the spirit of the night, have the best time. This is not a passive experience.

My mate Paddy had been up late the night before using a hot glue gun to attach trimmings and gold buttons to his blazer, and had pinned a soft toy kookaburra to his epaulette as a stand in for a parrot. The winning outfit of the night was a siren, with shiny tail, blue face makeup and trident. Well deserved.

I don’t want to share too much, lest I spoil the show for any yet uninitiated seafarers. There’s a lot of crowd interaction. Captain Louis, master of ceremony, welcomes us in with his welcoming address. He provides context for the night – touching on the band’s recent album, explaining what a rowlock is, and casting a spell that summoned seabirds and cephalopods into the hall.

And then the band begins. They start with a new original punk shanty. Thomas on the fiddle is that star in that one. Lake and Vorn share lead vocal duties, playing guitar and accordion, respectively. Nick is trialing his new compact pancake drum set, which sounds good despite lacking the depth or resonance of your standard drums.

The set list is varied. The new stuff is more punk themed. One was written in the vein of the much maligned ‘stomp clap hey’ genre of the 2010s. There are authentic olde tyme shanties – some true to form, some with updated lyrics. Lots of WSSS written originals. Shanties sung in Spanish and French. Contemporary covers with nautical themes (“Anchor Me”, “Whaling”), as well as ones that have been reworked to become nautical. I like the songs that are a bit more boisterous and involve punctuating the singing with the odd “HEY!” and “HOORAH!” and the like. There’s so many shouts of “Ho!” throughout the night that we could be at home in a 1990’s rap video.

Louis returns throughout the night to lead games and challenges. It’s a cold, windy night and we’re on the coast. But here, inside the hall, everyone is grinning and breathless and sweaty from all the singing and dancing. It’s frantic and silly and loud. Louis adds a lot to the night, making the evening an experience, more than just a band playing some songs on the stage. He casts quite the figure, with his wild, teased hair, and his poetic addresses. It’s probably a difficult balance, inspiring interactions, mutiny and shenanigans, fending off the heckles, and keeping the evening going roughly to script. As usual, it’s mostly my friends misbehaving. Louis takes it in his stride. We have an awful lot of fun.

Louis at the pop up gig

It’s election year, and WSSS are a political band. It’s not always super on-the-nose, but these are musicians who believe in worker’s rights. Lake used to have a bumper sticker saying “Back the Teachers” on his guitar. They penned the song “We’re Not In London Now (Sam Parnell’s Law)”, about Sam Parnell, who is credited with establishing the 8 hour working day in NZ. And now, the lead single from their new EP is entitled “I Struck for Better Wages“, a rousing number that takes lyrics from 1893 and couples them with music that draws heavily from Dropkick Murphys’ sound with a punk feeling and fiddle.

And I think that in an era of divisiveness and distraction, sometimes it’s salient to come together in a room full of strangers, and celebrate community and creativity and the arts and things that are important. Some of these songs are from the 1800s, and some were written this year. Some are heartbroken and homesick. Some are full of excitement and adventure. But these songs, these shanties – they have the power to bring people together to truly live for a night.

Nick

Words and photos by Joseph James. 

Live Review: Public Service Broadcasting at Meownui, Wellington

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Public Service Broadcasting

w/ Coast Arcade

Meownui, Wellington

Saturday 2 May 2026

It’s only been about three weeks since I last saw Coast Arcade play, but I’m not complaining. These youngsters are fantastic. They have a great pedigree of influences, including Biffy Clyro, Velvet Revolver and I think I spotted that bassist Leo Spykerman had a Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream tattoo on his arm.

Meownui is known for having a decent sound system, and Coast Arcade sounded huge. I loved the segments were they would just jam out in the breakdowns, full of energy.

I find it funny how fashion trends come around, and that it is once again cool to baggy clothing. But maybe I should hold off commenting on things that betray my age – a few days ago I had to wince when I read one of my reviews from 2015 review where I referred to an “older crowd” as aged 30+… 

I remember regrettably having to turn down an offer to review Public Service Broadcasting last time they came to New Zealand in 2018. They were playing in Auckland, and I couldn’t feasibly make the trip up because already I had a flight to Belgium scheduled for next day to roadie for the band Ranges on their first European tour.

So I made sure to grab a ticket when I saw Public Service Broadcasting were returning. At first they were booked to play the smaller Meow, but sales were strong enough that they upgraded to this larger venue.

They play interesting mostly-instrumental music that features audio samples drawing from historic archival footage. As their album title Inform-Educate-Entertain would suggest, the audio content often lands within such categories. They cover topics like the space race, and the Welsh mining industry. Their most recent album, The Last Flight, is a concept record inspired by the story of heroic pilot Amelia Earhart.

I’ve always been a sucker for post-rock with vocal samples. Maybeshewill were one of my first loves in that respect. Brave Arrows are another that springs to mind. The new Overhead,the Albatross album is one of the best records to come out in the past few years. My dear friends Ranges have used samples a fair bit earlier in their career – and I even loaned my voice to a recording of a Rudyard Kipling poem that they wrote an album about. One of the standout moments of dunk!USA was The End of the Ocean using a clip from The Walking Dead. 

Maybe I shouldn’t lump Public Service Broadcasting in with many of these moody bands, because their music can be so lively and upbeat. But it fits in my mind, so I’ll roll with it.

Clearly missing the baggy clothing memo from Coast Arcade, the members of Public Service Broadcasting looked more like academics. All four bespectacled members wore ties, with lead Willgoose Esq rocking a bowtie. They were arranged in a semicircle onstage, flanked by a video projection screen.

One punter heckled “I love bow ties!”, earning a grinning retort from Willgoose: “congratulations on being a person of distinction and taste.”

I was pleased to see the drums close to the front of the stage, taking me back to Tortoise when they played San Fran, or seeing Maserati at dunk!fest 2023. Wrigglesworth, the drummer, was phenomenal. I was seriously impressed. Some of his playing reminded me of Blink 182’s Travis Barker, the way he used different parts of the kit to create complex beats. But he was subtle about it, completely locked in to the music. He had complete command of his instrument and I was awestruck so many times throughout the set.

Next to Wrigglesworth was JFAbraham, who predominantly played bass, but actually used a variety of instruments throughout the night. He was the person who would work the audience the most, walking out in front of their semicircle arrangement to wave, indicating for us to clap along to sections, or conducting us by lifting the neck of his bass. The best was when he had us chanting “Go!” to the song by the same name.

I had a hard time figuring out what Mr B was playing. He had a laptop and some items with knobs and buttons balanced upon a flat guitar case on a keyboard stand. I gathered that he was doing some visuals because he came out with a camcorder a few times to get live footage of his colleagues for the screen. It’s not until the end of the night, when introduced, that I realised that I was right – he was the visuals guy. A part of the band, but not one of the musicians. He used a mix of archival footage and rendered animation to tie in with the themes of the songs.

And then we had Willgoose, playing the toe-tapping guitar parts. You can tell that he’s a giant nerd, given the topics of his music, and his professorial attire, but he brings such an aire of delight to everything that he could never be accused of being stuffy or boring. Here he was, bringing history to life in such a novel and infectiously exciting way.

I had wondered if they would play some of their songs that featured more singing, thinking it wouldn’t be the same if it was just backing tracks. They invited Bella Bavin from Coast Arcade onstage to fill those singing roles for a few songs. She seemed a bit shy for “The Fun of It” (possibly not her usual register?), but absolutely hit her stride and nailed it in “Blue Heaven”, clearly enjoying that one and even getting the German language parts down.

The band played a handful of other songs featuring vocals, heavily altered with effects that reminded me of Jakob Collier and his harmoniser. The German electro funk of “People, Let’s Dance” reminded me of Kraftwerk or Daft Punk and was so fun.

Their final song was a fitting tribute to great New Zealander Sir Edmund Hilary, with a song about Mt Everest. JFAbraham played some great flugelhorn in that one.

What a class act! Willgoose shared that this was the biggest crowd they’d played to, for the first time playing any given city. I had such a great time, and have come away feeling more informed, educated, and entertained.

Joseph James

This review goes out to Richard Roden, one of the teachers who made a big impact on me at highschool. We kept in touch for a few years after I’d finished school and I remember him telling me about how he’d been impressed by Public Service Broadcasting at Glastonbury.

Live Review: Ovus – Cascade EP release show at Valhalla, Wellington

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Ovus Cascade EP release show
w/ LadyReign, Mammuthus
Valhalla, Wellington
Sunday 18 January 2026


Ovus are a fantastic band that sadly don’t play very often – mostly because Josh the bassist lives in Christchurch, adding a not-insignificant extra travel expense every time they want to get together. They released their wonderful Cascade EP last August, making this show well overdue. They made the most of Wellington Anniversary Weekend, booking a Sunday show, knowing that most people can still enjoy a late night gig thanks to Monday’s public holiday.

LadyReignLadyReign kicked things off. They play metalcore in the vein of bands like Reliqa and Spiritbox, with a fabulous double-pronged vocal assault courtesy of Liv and Aggie. Both singers have phenomenal, powerhouse voices with different timbres. Sometimes they tag team, taking on different verses that showcase their individual abilities. When they harmonise it sounds even more fantastic. And then Soyam on bass jumps in with unclean vocals now and again, just to add even more texture and variety. LadyReign’s music has so much personality. Sometimes groovy, sometimes symphonic, sometimes just plain nasty and heavy (in a good way).Their songs transition flawlessly with plenty of aplomb. They played a powerful, dynamic set, including a surprise Paramore cover.

Their debut single “Crowd” has already garnered over 20,000 listens on Spotify, partly in thanks to featuring on a Brazilian workout playlist. They’re not quite sure how that came about, but they’re not complaining about it either. LadyReign are working towards recording an album at the moment, but some members will be moving to New Plymouth in the future, so Ladyreign’s upcoming set at Newtown Festival will possibly be their last.

LadyReign

Kokoa Nashi had been booked to support as well, but sadly had to pull out, so we instead have stoner rock titans Mammuthus stepping in. Mammuthus have been a force to reckon with for many years, and have been playing loads of great shows recently, including their “Bring Back the Riff Tour” with Infinity Ritual, and opening for Californian desert-rock heroes Brant Bjork Trio. Jed Van Ewijk has just recently joined on bass duties. Jed also plays in Planet Hunter along with guitarist Will Saunders, so those two are well used to being locked in with each other. As you’d expect, Mammuthus deliver a thunderous set, densely filled with, uh… mammoth… riffs. Can I say that? Is that lazy writing? It’s true though. They play huge sounding songs that envelop you and compel you to just nod your head with just the slightest of stank faces.

Mammuthus Mammuthus
Then we have Ovus. This is nerd time. It’s technical, it’s complex, it involves numbers. Adam gave a shoutout to a friend in the crowd who had just submitted their PHD research. Yep: Neeeeerds. But on the other hand: riffs.

Ovus play prog-metal with a sense of humour. All four members were rocking clothing that they made for their Twisted Frequency gig a few years back: a sci-fi look with neon coloured light strips and big shoulder pads. Their writing process must be incredibly calculated, but the music is so fun. Plus Josh is swole AF, which somehow offsets the nerdiness. Even his bass guitar is swole, with a few extra strings, earning it the name “big guitar”.

Josh Ovus

All three bands tonight manage to impress with their musical abilities, but being a drummer, I especially love watching Jig play drums in Ovus. I was always in awe watching him play when he was in Adoneye, but his technical abilities shine even more in this context.

It was a solid turnout – especially for local bands on a Sunday night. It reminded me of the times that instrumental metal heavyweights like Intervals and Plini played Valhalla. I guess that’s fitting – seeing how Ovus opened for Intervals in Auckland on the same tour. It was a class performance that seriously impressed. Such complex music can feel inaccessible at times, but everyone in the audience looked to be having a total blast.

Adam Ovus

What a fantastic night. Three awesome bands, great turnout, and a great success for a band that really should play more often. It felt like a celebratory homecoming, and I would really love to see more from Ovus in the future.

Joe Ovus

Words and photos by Joseph James

This review originally featured slightly abridged in the first edition of SoundCheck, a new music magazine focused on the Wellington music scene. They aim to offer monthly issues of the mag, along with monthly live gigs.

Check them out: @SoundCheckMagazineNZ

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 whatsever 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 those songs in the present moment, right 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” had 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

Album Review: Shihad – Old Gods

Shihad Old Gods
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It’s no secret that I’m a big Shihad fan. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen them play, but the figure is near 20. I’ve got all their albums on CD, as well as bunch of special editions, a live DVD and a handful of EPs and singles. They never quite “cracked America”, but to me, they embody the dream of a NZ rock band who have achieved the dream of making a successful career from their music. They’ve toured the world, shared the stage with rock heavyweights such as Faith No More, AC/DC, Pantera, Motorhead and Black Sabbath; and have just released their tenth album, Old Gods.

The band has changed a lot throughout their 30+ years. Their debut Devolve EP features blistering speed-metal and a Black Sabbath cover. The first time I heard one of the tracks I honestly thought it was a cover of a Metallica song I wasn’t familiar with.

Churn beckoned a more industrial sound, thanks in part to Killing Joke front man Jaz Coleman in the producer’s role. Killjoy was less metal, but still raw and heavy, boasting some of the band’s most enduring riffs.

The self titled record (known by many as the fish album) introduced a more radio-friendly rock which the band honed and perfected with the commercial alt-rock giants The General Electric and Pacifier.

Pacifier was derided by many fans and critics who viewed it as evidence of the the ultimate sin: selling out. I’ll always remember reading a passage written by Grant Smithies, in which he stated he’d prefer to rub himself raw with a cheese grater and throw himself into shark-infested waters than listen to Pacifier. Harsh words, but fantastically evocative writing.

I personally loved Pacifier. I was a teenager obsessed with bands like Linkin Park and Foo Fighters so I couldn’t understand how anyone could find fault with the music.

Love Is The New Hate was considered a penitent return to form, and although much of it was angry, there was a lot of sadness and mellow moments to be found. Beautiful Machine, by comparison, was very much leaning towards the pop side of things. It’s a lot softer, almost 80’s feeling at times. I enjoyed it, but it was more Foo Fighters than AC/DC.

Ignite was the most forgettable album of Shihad’s catalogue. “Sleepeater” was a hit when played live, but the rest of the album seldom gets a mention. When looking at an overall trend, it feels like the quality and “rockiness” of the band’s output had been in decline since the beginning of the 2000’s.

Shihad’s last album FVEY came out in 2014. It’s the first album review I wrote when I started this blog. I raved about the album and how it felt like a return to form with the sheer heaviness of it all. Admittedly, I did tire of it when the new songs featured so heavily during the band’s ensuring tours. It felt a bit too chug-heavy and I wanted more dynamics. But I’ve given the record a few spins recently and I stand by what I wrote seven years ago: it’s a killer album.

The Adults Meow Wellington

The Adults at Meow, Wellington. Image: Will Not Fade

Front man Jon Toogood has a side project called The Adults. Their second album Haja stands among my favourites. I was fortunate enough to catch that iteration of the band at their first show in Wellington, and they even used one of the photos I took to promote that tour [although they didn’t even credit me for my photo, naughty!]

The Adults revealed a different side to Toogood. Stemming from when he married his wife in Sudan, Haja is a feminist pop/hip-hop album featuring contemporary NZ musicians and Sudanese drumming. A real departure from the hard rock of Shihad. And I learnt something else new about Toogood last year that arose from his marriage – he has become a Muslim.

I don’t wish to come from a place of judgement, I think it’s great that he has found a faith. It just came as a surprise. Look at this list of Shihad songs: “Missionary”, “Sport and Religion”, “The Bible and the Gun”, “Waiting Round for God” and “The Prophet”. I don’t claim to understand everything that these songs are about, but they are certainly anti-religion to an extent. And that’s fine that Toogood could write those songs, and then later change his beliefs. People are allowed to change. But I do find it interested that Shihad would name their new album Old Gods after hearing that Toogood has found a faith. To be fair, it sounds like the title track is aimed at those who have traditionally been in positions of power, rather than an attack on any specific religion. But Shihad are still taking potshots at churches, with one song on the album, “The Hill Song” taking aim at a group that shouldn’t be hard to figure out.

FVEY came from a place of unrest. There was never any doubt that the songs were written from a space of defiance against corrupt governments and world powers. I found it really amusing to see that National MP Chris Bishop featured on a podcast about Shihad recently. Bishop is allowed to enjoy whatever music he choses, but I certainly see an irony, considering that Shihad’s last album had songs that were essentially a middle finger directed squarely at his political party.

Old Gods comes from the same space. Sure, world governments have changed over the past seven years, but there’s still a lot to get angry about. If anything, people feel even more oppressed. One big movement from recent years is #blacklivesmatter. The movement sparked international demonstrations against racism and police brutality.

Another occurrence that sparked the rage was in 2019 when a scumbug came from Australia to New Zealand and went on a shooting spree at two mosques in Christchurch. This horrifying event shook us a country and highlighted how New Zealand as a nation is more racist than many would like to admit. Toogood played a number of gigs to raise money to help those affected by the attacks, coming public with his recent conversion to Islam.

In a recent conversation with Grant Smithies (the same guy who wrote the scathing Pacifier review), Toogood shares how he was watching footage of an English crowd tear down the statue of an historic slave-trader. He wrote a song about it. To quote the interview: “That song is about the fact that many of us aren’t prepared for such people to be portrayed as heroic anymore, especially in the middle of the streets where we live.”

I live in Shihad’s hometown of Wellington, New Zealand, and a lot of streets here are named after wealthy colonials who first settled here. It sounds like a lot of these men were not good people. (Here’s a funny song about Wakefield, by local band Housewitches) I’ve got a magazine sitting on the table in my lounge. The magazine is called Massive – the Massey University student rag – and the main head line of the cover is about how former prime minister William Massey was a racist. They’re outing their own namesake. I think that gives a pretty clear example of how far some elements of society have come. So-called heroes are being scrutinised and some of us have decided that we don’t want to glorify people who were responsible for atrocities.

“Tear Down Those Names” is a thunderous cry to action. Sonically, it’s extremely similar to FVEY, with dense, downturned riffing.

My personal favourite, “Feel the Fire” harkens back to Beautiful Machine, with an synth-drenched uplifting feel. I love it so much. It makes me happy and I can happily play it on repeat. It stands out on an album of heavier tracks. There’s still that omniscient bass tone from Kippenburger, but there’s a lot more treble in the guitars, and the song exudes vibes of hope.

“Empire Falling” is also one of the better tracks, with interesting palm-muted rhythmic strumming and a lighter feeling chorus. It’s about how Toogood is kept awake at night worrying about raising his children in a world dominated by so many bigots.

Maybe I’m being a bit dismissive, but some of the themes in FVEY came across as overly paranoid. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that the government needs to be held to account more than they are. But naming the album after a collection of spy agencies gives of vibes of conspiracy theories. I leveled the same criticism at Killing Joke in my review of their last record. There’s distrusting authority figures and then there’s going full-blown antivaxer. Head too far down the conspiracy route and people just aren’t going to take you seriously.
I’m trying to say is that the themes of Old Gods seem more realistic than they did in FVEY. Complaining about governments spying on us sounds a bit too James Bond-fantasy. But it’s harder to deny racism when we’ve recently witnessed extreme nationalism under Trump, Brexit, #blacklivesmatter, mosque shootings and so on… And I think that makes more sense given Toogood’s personal situation. Toogood has a Sudanese wife and two bi-racial children and now he’s witnessing forms of discrimination such as racism in a different light. Suddenly the message seems a bit more targeted than ‘sticking it to The Man’.

In an 2014 interview with NZ Musician, drummer Tom Larkin discussed the impact of Green Day’s American Idiot, and how it was a vehicle for planting dissenting ideas in the minds of a demographic of Americans who may not have otherwise been questioning the status quo. Lead guitarist Phil Knight namedropped Rage Against the Machine as a big influence on the new album in a Guitar World profile too.
I’m not sure how much I buy into the whole message. I’m not opposed to the message of fighting the bankers and the politicians, but it seems a bit futile. “Eat the Rich” is a great sentiment (Motorhead and Aerosmith both have songs with that name), but not sure it’s so great in practice. Look at America, where the last president organised an attack on his own government. Nothing appeared to changed for the better or worse.

Voting doesn’t appear to make much of a difference – neither of the two big political parties in NZ appear interested in making changes to improve the lives of their citizens. And governments have refused to acknowledge what the people have voted for in a majority of the referendums we’ve had over the past few decades. Maybe I’m just cynical. Maybe we need more bands like Shihad spreading the fire of discontent so that the population don’t become as jaded as I am.

Final verdict?

I went through Shihad’s albums earlier and explained how the band have continually evolved throughout the years, changing their sound as they progressed. Each record had a unique sound. This has earned them accusations of selling out every step of the way, but it has also meant that they’ve never felt stale.

Interesting then, that after their longest break between releases, Shihad haven’t altered their sound. In many ways, Old Gods feels like an updated version of FVEY. I’d argue that the topics seem more relevant with this album, but the sound and themes are very similar. The gang vocals outro of “Kill! These! Old! Gods!” may as well take the place of the “GCSB!” cry from the previous album.

Remember how I said I got a bit tired of FVEY being so chug-heavy? It does feel a bit more like more of the same. It’s weird, I would have found the premise of an album’s worth of “My Mind Sedate” very exciting as a teen. But I’ve since learnt that too much heavy riffing gets old. Variety and dynamics go a long way. Old Gods is a good record, but could use a few more tracks like “Feel the Fire” .

I’ve got a ticket to see Shihad play next month. It was originally going to be in November but had to be postposed. I just hope that the concert actually takes place, because I could sure use something to make me feel amped up for once.

Joseph James