Live Music Reviews

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

Live review: distance final Wellington show

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distance

w/ Serpent Dream, Sheeps, FVKVSHIMA
Valhalla, Wellington
Friday 6 June 2025

Serpent Dream

I have nothing but love for Valhalla, the treasured venue that I consider my musical home. That said, it has a notoriously sticky floor a lot of the time. Opening act Serpent Dream was playing and I was shocked to see roughly a dozen people sitting down to enjoy their tunes. It was a suitable reaction to the lovely music, but I’ve always been of the mindset that making any more than the bare minimum of contact with the Valhalla floor was inadvisable. They were a duo: Josh on guitar and some vocals, and Kelda on violin. Kelda had contributed violin to distance recordings in past and they’d always discussed playing together at some point. I’d not encountered Serpent Dream beforehand, but I came away a fan. The ethereal music left us spellbound and paved the way for a great night ahead.

Sheeps have been a mainstay in the local music scene for some time now. I remember first seeing them play when they opened for Hiboux at San Fran during their Migrations tour. I know that they bonded with distance at Twisted Frequency festival one year that they’d both played, and had been tight ever since.

Their drummer Thomas has been living in Auckland for a few years, and it hasn’t always been worth flying him down to Wellington for gigs. Pete from FVKVSHIMA had been filling in here and there, opening for Toe, and playing Newtown Festival and Cubadupa. It was nice to see Thomas back on the drum throne for this gig.

Sheeps play a interesting brand of rock that draws from the lighter side of prog and post rock, while still leaving an impression. Three guitarists play intricate melodies and frontman Dean Blackwell delivers soaring vocals that remind me of Radiohead.

[Sheeps are currently raising funds to press their album Working the Machine on vinyl. Here is a link if you’re interested: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/getworkingthemachinepressedtovinyl]

FVKVSHIMA and distance have enjoyed a long friendship. I think they both opened for Spook the Horses years ago, which was FVKVSHIMA’s first show. Sam Butler filled in on bass one time – which is no small undertaking, considering how technical FVKVSHIMA’s music is. And the bands have played together many times. They will also be playing together in Christchurch next weekend, at distance’s final show.

I’m a big fan of FVKVSHIMA, and was honored that they were happy to work with me to premiere their debut single “Kuato” last year in May. They have immense stage presence and irresistible djenty grooves. Thematically, they draw heavy influence from from post-apocalyptic and sci-fi canon. Musically, I liken them to Meshuggah and Killing Joke.

Check out their new single “The End is Nigh“, released a few days ago.

It’s a sad moment. distance are one of the best bands to arise from the NZ music scene in the past decade. It started out as a solo lockdown project from Sam Butler, but before long became a fully fledged band. They’ve easily the best actively gigging post-rock band in the country for a lot of their tenure.

We last saw them touring with Australian band Myriad Drone in February. Myriad Drone were about to release their newest record, and were selling it before the official release dates at these shows. distance had an album in the works too, and had planned on releasing it to coincide with that tour, but some delays meant that the album wasn’t ready in time.

It’s a shame, because that album is a ripper. so as not to forget (released March 28, 2025) is a masterpiece. It’s dynamic and nuanced and shows clear growth in songwriting abilities. It also clearly draws from the trio’s metal roots, with plenty of big riffs and blastbeats that are both tasty and tasteful. Without question my favourite album released so far this year, and I feel like I’m still barely scratching the surface with discovering how much it has to offer.

So yeah, it’s sad that such an amazing band is calling it a day, and that they didn’t have much to to showcase their incredible new record. But they’re ending on a high note. Sam Butler is moving to Europe. Exciting new adventures await. A shame that this spells the end of a great band, but I have no doubt we will see more from him at some point in the future.

I haven’t even touched on their set. It was great. Many friends had come together for the farewell, and you could feel a nice energy in the room. A mix of hope and support, celebrating a band that we were proud to be friends with, albeit tinged with a bittersweet sadness.

Sam Austin has a really understated power in his presence, standing strong with a wide stance, holding his big bass guitar and delivering thunderous tones. As a drummer, I always love seeing Levi play. He’s a metal drummer in gazillion bands and I love seeing how he tastefully incorporates his metal chops into a style that doesn’t always ask for it. He has a deft ability to push the music in creative ways.

And then we have Sam Butler. The sonic wizard. distance has always been his project. He looked the part, his long curls hiding his face as he did his best shoegaze impression. But now and again you’d get a peek at his smile. He’s humble and a bit shy on stage. He made a few slip ups pressing the wrong buttons on his pedal board, and he sheepishly confessed that he’d made a terrible error choosing to take his shoes off and play in his socks [see prior entry for Valhalla floor: very sticky and gross]. But we all know that he’s incredible and we love him and his band and all the great contributions they’ve made to the music community as a band and as individuals.

It was fantastic. New lighting that I hadn’t seen at Valhalla before helped set the mood. Kelda from Serpent Dream jumped up onstage to add violin to one song, just as Toby has added sax at distance gigs in the past. The new songs are awesome and the older tracks wrapped themselves with warm familiarity. An end of an era for sure.

Tickets for distance’s final show in Christchurch next Saturday, with FVKVSHIMA, Ragweed and No Broadcast: https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/96239/Distance-Final-Show—w/-Fvkvshima,-Ragweed-and-No-Broadcast.utr

 

distance links: https://lnk.bio/distancenz

 

Words and photos by Joseph James 

Live Review: The Flatliners at Valhalla, Wellington

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The Flatliners
w/ Departure Party, No Sector and Dimestore Skanks
Valhalla, Wellington
Thursday 27 February 2025

Departure Party started the night off with his one-man folk punk crusade. His vocals reminded me a lot of Laura Jane Grace from Against Me!, especially the Heart Burns record I have, which is more of a solo affair. Heartfelt, impassioned punk vocals sung/shouted over acoustic guitar. Half way through the set he decided that he didn’t want to be onstage, and stepped down into the audience to continue without microphones. He consulted his notebook for a few moments before belting out his final few tunes under a single spotlight. It was a cool moment to create better intimacy, like when King Brothers had done the same thing at Valhalla a few weeks ago.

Next we had No Sector, the most hectic band of the night. Punk is a varied genre at the best of times. What do the Sex Pistols, Ramones and Clash have in common, sonically? Out of the four bands on the bill tonight, No Sector best fit my perception of what punk sounds like, with breakneck speeds and frantic venomous vocals. Later in the night Flatliners singer Chris Cresswell mentioned that he was surprised to see his old friend Leo in the band, who he’d worked alongside at his very first job and hadn’t seen in about a decade.

Dimestore Skanks always bring the party, and tonight was no exception. All seven members brought plenty of energy, skanking and shouting and generally having a blast. Dimestore have been a staple for many years now, and it was more than evident that they are well seasoned performers. They’d joke about being out of breath and unpracticed and in need of a break, but they sounded fantastic and had everyone dancing throughout their fantastic set.

Canadian punk rockers The Flatliners formed in 2002. This is their first time coming to New Zealand. That said, Cresswell also sings in Hot Water Music, who played here a few weeks ago. They’d been touring along with Hot Water Music in Australia, but I’d heard that seeing how this was their first time coming here, they wanted to come under their own banner to make up for the wait. They’d just played in Hamilton and Auckland, with Wellington being the last night of a long tour.

People were pumped for this show. Valhalla was packed. Looking around, it was mostly guys from late 30s to mid 40s, hairy in face and not so much in scalp. And a decent smattering of Canadians as well. It was mostly what I term the “Chicks That Scream” crowd – named after the promoters who usually bring the Fat Wreck style punk bands to New Zealand year after year. We saw people with shirts emblazoned with bands like Lagwagon, Strung Out, Hot Water Music, NOFX, Menzingers and the like.

The pit was heaving, swollen with sweaty bodies. A few songs in a woman edged past me to enter the fray. I was surprised – she was about armpit height and and entering a space of unspeakable smells and sensations. But she was a trooper, and remained there for the rest of the night, dutifully belting out every lyric along with the band. It was still funny seeing her physically recoil with disgust every time she got slammed into the back of particularly sweaty shirtless guy in front of her. 

The band was lapping it up, welcoming the chaos. Cresswell glistened the entire time, dripping wet like a salamander. He kept calling for the venue to put the heaters on, laughing at how all the bodies jammed into the venue had turned the space into a sauna. I enjoyed his disarming banter, trying to stoke a rivalry between Wellington and Auckland, or encouraging us to grunt “Ooh!” at him throughout the night, to follow our heart. Jon Darbey on bass had a king-teir beard absolutely deserving of remark. Drummer Paul Ramirez had positioned his cymbals comically high, but his playing could not be questioned, transitioning from no-nonsense beats to lighting-fast fills in a flash. And Scott Brigham brought the riffs.

There was plenty of crowd surfing and carry on like that. One punter stormed the stage to hijack a mic and give a speech, publicly thanking the band for coming all this way. It was sweet at first, but got old quickly. You could see the band were too polite (see: Canadian) to kick him off the stage. But they resumed soon enough anyway.

The Flatliners played fourteen songs, drawing more heavily from most recent album, New Ruin, and 2013’s Dead Language, but they touched on material from early in their career too, aware that most people in the audience had never had the opportunities to see those songs played live. Brigham asked everyone to shout requests all at once, obviously a bit. But I think they did stop and alter the planned set list slightly to accommodate. 

The band acknowledged that it was late, and it was a school night. But they thanked us for making the night special. I know that every band always says they love the audience, wherever they play. But you also know that Canadians are genuine and nice people, so this carried weight. They stayed back after their set to hand out picks, drumsticks, setlists, sign merch and so on, which was really nice to see in this era of bands charging the earth for VIP meet and great packages.

Thanks so much, turn on the heaters, see you again in another 23 years. Ooh!

 

Written by Joseph James

Thanks to Sticky Fingaz Tour Management