Live Music Reviews

Live Review: Iron Maiden at Horncastle Arena, Christchurch

Iron Maiden Book of Souls tour
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Iron Maiden

w/ The Raven Age

Horncastle Arena, Christchurch

Friday 29 April 2016

I missed out on seeing Iron Maiden in 2009 when they last came because I was at a school camp. Ironically enough it was a camp for my music class. One boy from my class skipped the camp to attend the concert, and I’d argue that he learnt more about music from attending the concert than he would have at the camp. Then again, another boy who came on the camp now tours the world playing music in Broods, so maybe my idea of worthwhile musical education isn’t accurate.

It was some consolation that I managed to see the original Iron Maiden singer, Paul Di’anno, play live when I moved to Wellington the following year. It was a good night, but not enough to make up for missing the full band.

Fast forward five years and I finally got the chance to redeem myself. Iron Maiden were returning to New Zealand to promote their latest album, The Book of Souls, and there was no way I was going to miss them this time around.

The most impressive stage set I had seen until now was Rammstein’s, at Big Day Out 2010. They had big cauldrons, and multiple levels of staging with a heavy, industrial look. This was enhanced by all the pyrotechnics that the band is famous for.

Iron Maidens set up made Rammstein’s look like child’s play. In keeping with their new theme, the stage was decked out like a Mayan temple, with Mayan imagery carved into the walls, jungle vines hanging from the lighting rig, and multiple layers of staging for frontman Bruce Dickinson to run about on. Large backdrops set the scene, while vessels overflowed with dry ice and vases spat fire onstage. Drummer Nicko McBrain could not even be seen behind his enormous drum set, with a larger than life array of cymbals and toms enveloping him. It was as if everything was prepared for a blood sacrifice to be made to the gods of rock.

Dickinson was the most theatrical, running about and yelling like a man half his age. This was especially impressive, considering his recent battle with throat cancer. Not that you could tell, with his operatic voice as epic and impeccable as ever. He donned a number of different costumes throughout the night, decked out in a red coat and waving a British flag during “The Trooper”, swinging a large noose around (and hitting the crash cymbals on the drums with) during “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, and even donning a luchador mask at one stage. The most popular though, was when he rocked an All Blacks shirt with his surname printed on the back, towards the end of the show.

Bonus points for entertainment also go out to guitarist Janick Gers, who never let up his wild stage moves as he played. For the most part he could be found right of stage, doing the splits over a speaker, but he also ran around spinning, swinging and flipping his guitar with abandon.

The set revolved mostly around the most recent album The Book Of Souls, but Maiden kept the older fans happy by playing the “legacy songs”, as Dickinson put it. He laughed at the age variation of the crowd, noting that many of us would not have been born when their song “Children of the Damned” was written.

Of course everyone’s favourite mascot made an appearance. An enormous zombie Eddie the Head walked onstage and started swinging his axe at the band members. He got into a tussle with Dickinson, who managed to tear poor Eddie’s heart out of his chest, before spraying the blood from it over the front rows in the audience.

Eddie managed to come back later, with his head and chest the size of a hot air balloon rising up from the back of stage. An evil goat figure with folded arms arose in the same manner during “Number Of The Beast”, staring out over us mortal beings with disdain.

Iron Maiden more than delivered, with both stunning musicianship and immense stage presence. They’ve been going at it for a long, long time now, and they’ve made sure not to let their quality slip. This has earnt them a loyal fan base, and just to prove it, it seemed as if 90% of the crowd were wearing Iron Maiden merchandise. Finally seeing Maiden live was just as good – if not better -than I expected. Their show was just as long, fantastic and spectacular as their songs. I doubt that I’ll see any other band surpass this kind of quality for a very long time.

Joseph James

Live Review: The Beards at Bodega, Wellington

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The Beards

Bodega, Wellington

Friday 15 April 2016

The Beards are a novelty rock act from Adelaide who sing about facial hair. They are both funny and musically interesting, making them comparable to other bands like Tenacious D and Flight of the Conchords. One difference though, is that The Beards only have one joke, and that joke is that every song is about beards. Only beards. Beards, beards, beards. Somehow they’ve managed to stretch that joke across four albums and 11 years of playing together as a band.

You’ll think that they’re either idiots or geniuses, depending upon your stance on beards. They sure are dedicated to their theme, but the joke could get tired quickly if you’re not into it. I think they do brilliantly to keep the same joke fresh and varied, and there is no denying that they play well and put on an entertaining show.

For their first set they treated us to a “classy” semi-acoustic performance, dressed in formal wear and perched on stools at the front of the stage. It wasn’t full throttle, but this didn’t stop the crowd singing along at full volume. The highlight of this set was “The Beard Accessory Store”, partly because of its rousing nature, and partly because the lyrics were so repetitive that anyone who wasn’t familiar with the band was able to join in the singalong after a few lines. Another treat was a cover of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man”, because obviously if The Beards were to cover any other band, it’d have to be ZZ Top – the band with the two best beards in rock, and to top that: a drummer named Frank Beard.

The second set was more energetic, with the full rock band set up. They may be a comedy act, but the members of the band can still play well. There were vocal harmonies and guitar solos aplenty. Some less conventional instruments like keytar and kazoo made appearances, and even saxophone got added to the mix fairly often.

I saw The Beards play at Bodega last time they played in Wellington, and had wondered if it was just going to be a repeat of last time. Thankfully, the banter between sets seemed spontaneous, unlike last time, which was funny, but clearly rehearsed. They introduced a new segment called “Beard Facts”, complete with a jingle that the band had composed during sound check that day. The band immersed themselves in their onstage personas, using the pseudonyms Johann Beardraven, John Beardman Jr, Nathaniel Beard, Facey McStubblington. They encouraged the audience to stroke their beards, and even invited especially hairy member onstage to be presented with a prize of signed posters of the band (in various stage of undress).

Most of the crowd were in on the joke. I guess anyone who didn’t get it would have left fairly quickly. There were many burly men with fine facial foliage, and some of the girls in attendance had crafted fake beards out of wool, so kudos to them for effort. One man with long dreadlocks had tied them across his face to feign a beard, and a few guys sported some costume style fake beards.

Disappointingly, both the merch guy and the stage hand were clean-shaven. But the band explained themselves: “We couldn’t have bearded men serving us! That wouldn’t be right! But it’s fine to have someone who shaves doing the manual labour!” Members of the crowd kept buying rounds of tequila for the band. When that got to much for them, they gave a shot to their roadie, before promptly “firing” him for drinking on the job.

The Beards are a polarising band. You’ll either think that they are incredibly lame, or incredibly good. I side with the latter opinion. Rousing rock songs, sensational solos, brilliant banter and a funny material all combine to make one hell of an entertaining night. It’s amazing that the band managed to last 11 years when so few people took them serious, and I applaud them for ending on such a high.

Throw away your razor and make sure to go and see The Beards play on their final tour if you get a chance.

 

Set list from the second set

Joseph James

Live Review: Strung Out playing Exile in Oblivion

strungout pears nz tour
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Strung Out playing Exile in Oblivion plus hits

w/ Night Gaunts and PEARS

San Fran, Wellington

Friday 1 April 2016

Strung Out San Fran Wellington (1)

Strung Out. Jake Kiley (L), Jason Cruz (R)

Albany act Night Gaunts started the night off with their upbeat high-pitched ska. They bounced around and got the small crowd grooving along to dub styled offbeat strumming, complemented by saxophone. I’m not sure why I was surprised, but they were far more polished than I expected. Their chirpy happy-go-lucky sound didn’t quite match the tone on the other two bands of the night, but they played well nonetheless.

PEARS have been through a lot on this tour, so we were lucky to even have them. Their bassist had dropped out of the tour mere days before the tour, leaving them scrambling to find players to fill in. Hayden from Night Gaunts obliged for most of their set, with super-smiley Strung Out  bassist Chris Aiken taking over for the last few songs.

Vocalist Zach Quinn had recently bust his fist PUNCHING THE STAGE on the Australian leg of the tour, resulting in pricey hospital bills and leaving him in a wrist brace/cast that you can see in the picture below. I recently broke a few bones in my wrist and I can tell you straight away that there is no way I would have been attempting half the stuff Quinn was doing on stage. He threw himself about with abandon, like violent interpretive dance. He jumped down into the audience and walked around – you know, just because – before climbing back onstage and writhing around on the floor.

PEARS San Fran (8)

PEARS vocalist Zach Quinn, with Jarrett Nathan behind him on drums.

When bands have members like this it always makes for a captivating show. It was so unpredictable. I don’t think the band members themselves even know quite what to expect.Guitarist Brian Pretus played front man, and rather than just rattling off obligatory nonsense to fill time between songs, he actually was worth paying attention to. He told stories, cracked jokes, and had the crowd chanting.

The date actually coincided with the release of the second PEARS album, Green Star, which meant that the band were in good spirits. I guess that this, combined with the show being the last of the tour, meant that the band really wanted to give their all. This was great to watch, with the performance being super high energy and frantic. As chaotic and wild as it seemed, there was still evidence of talent beneath the whirlwind. Quinn and Pretus shared some great vocal harmonies when they weren’t launching about the stage. Pretus displayed great abilities and drummer Jarrett Nathan kept them on their toes with his lightning beats. It looked like loads of punters were already loyal fans of the band and there were singalongs aplenty, especially when PEARS covered The Ramones’ “Judy is a Punk”.

Strung Out San Fran Wellington (3)

Jake Kiley (L), Chris Aiken (R)

As always, when bands play an entire album you know what to expect [examples: Nas performing Illmatic, Jimmy Eat World playing Futures], but also hope to hear handful of hits from other albums as well. Strung Out have been playing a selection of their albums start to finish over this Australasian tour. Last night was Twisted by Design in Auckland, and tonight they played Exile in Oblivion.

After a sound check the band kept us in suspense by playing a handful of old jazz numbers through the public address system, knowing that we were expecting one such song to be the intro to”Analog”, to first track of Exile. When said track finally played everyone cheered, knowing that this signaled the start of a brilliant set to complete an already-great night.

They’re tight, and play rippingly fast. And you can tell that they’re on top of their game. Exile came out 11 years ago, and they were able to play it through without a hitch. And on top of that, they’ve been playing many of their other albums in their entirety at other stops on their tour, showing that they are exceptionally rehearsed. They ripped through Exile, and followed up with half a dozen tracks from the rest of their catalogue.

Sweat dripped and the audience swarmed as fans rocked out and sang along to favourite tunes from one of their most beloved bands. Strung Out reciprocated, clearly appreciative that their fans enable them to play music for a living. Singer Jason Cruz told about how the band got a bit tired and jaded when they were first touring Exile on Warped Tour in 2005, until a crew member had told them to suck it up and take a reality check. This made an impact on them, and it is clear that they make the most of their opportunities and give back to the fans who support them to get where they are now.

This was the last night of the tour, and you could tell the PEARS and Strung Out had built a special camaraderie over the course of their time together. Throughout both sets, band members and crew from side of stage would throw bananas and potato chips at the band playing. During the last song – a cover of “Soulmate” by late No Use For a Name singer Tony Sly – members of PEARS and the crew started stealing away pieces of the drum kit one by one, making drummer Jordan Burns work extra hard as he tried to improvise with less equipment at his disposal. Somehow, by the end of the song the drum kit was scattered around the stage, with Strung Out singer Cruz stuck underneath a pile of the drums.

Strung Out San Fran Wellington (2)

Chris Aiken on bass


Although  we have had punk bands like GBH and The Buzzcocks come recently, it is a rare treat to have more modern international punk acts make their way to Wellington. Thanks to Chicks That Scream for organising shows like these. For me personally, gigs like this one are often key highlights of my year.

Special mention to Jordan Burns’ mother, who passed away three years ago. This show was dedicated to her.

Joseph James

Live review with gallery: Jakob at San Fran, Wellington

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Jakob Wellington Auckland 2016.jpg

Jakob

w/ Titan

San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington

Saturday 12 March 2016

Jeff Boyle (L) Maurice Beckett (R)
Jeff Boyle (L) Jason Johnston (M) Maurice Beckett (R)
Maurice Beckett
Jeff Boyle (L) Jason Johnston (R)
Jeff Boyle (L) Maurice Beckett (R)
Set list

Napier trio Jakob are never anything short of superb, and last night was no exception. I’ve seen them play roughly half a dozen times now, and mostly at this same venue. To be honest, other than the support acts, these shows are rarely any different. But it’s hard to improve a show when it is already so close to perfection.

Guitarist Jeff Boyle hypnotises us as he rocks back and forward, strumming and picking and rolling the volume knob to create swirling waves of sound. The venue vibrates and rib cages rattle as hairy behemoth Maurice Beckett plucks at his bass strings. Drummer Jason Johnston ties in with the throbbing bass lines by smashing tribal rhythms out his kit. He hits with power and control, economic with his movements. Lights bathe the trio in various colours as they cast an enchantment with their musical spells.

Go pros and cameras were on stage filming the entire set, and the merch guy told me that they are expecting new shirt designs in the next few weeks, so I wonder if there will be an exciting announcement to follow?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Jakob are one of the best in the world – essential viewing every single time. I saw them last time they came, co-headlining with Beastwars. I saw them the time before that, touring their new album Sines. I’ve seen them play around half a dozen times now, many times headlining, and other times supporting acts like Tool, Russian Circles and Butterfly Effect. And when the standard of the talent is so high, I don’t see why I would ever stop attending Jakob shows when they come to town.

Joseph James

 

Live Review: Sufjan Stevens at Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

Sufjan Stevens Wellington Michael Fowler Centre
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Sufjan Stevens

w/ Dawn Landes

Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

Monday 7 March 2016

 

The night commenced with Dawn Landes playing her first of three sets. A member of Stevens’ band, Landes previewed some of the talent that would follow by starting us off on her own material. She had a great voice, and proved adept on many different stringed instruments, chiefly guitar and piano. The highlight of the set was her song “Bodyguard”, which proved livelier than many of her other sweet sleepy songs.

A short break between acts allowed me to marvel at the Michael Fowler Centre. In these fickle times, more and more venues are closing, which isn’t helped by many building being deemed earthquake risks. This makes me question why the Michael Fowler Centre is underutilised as a live music venue, with its striking wooden panelling and great acoustics. It was certainly the perfect venue for this show.

Sufjan Stevens and his band put on one of the most impressive stage shows that I’ve seen in a while. The lights were brilliant, thoughtfully planned out to synchronise with parts of the set. From dazzling spotlights, to coloured beams, to the use of two disco balls, they really added to the mood, made obvious from the stage fog and smoke from the incense sticks onstage. Behind the band were 12 vertical screens, showing images of stunning scenery and clips of Stevens’ home videos from his childhood.

The set drew predominantly from Stevens’ most recent album Carrie and Lowell, save for two songs near the end that clearly didn’t fit in with the rest. It was a sombre affair, the album being named after Stevens’ parents, with a strong focus on death and mortality. His mother had more than her fair share of mental issues, and had died of cancer in 2012. At one point Stevens appeared to be overwhelmed by revisiting such a personal topics, drawing a sharp breath at the end of one song and covering his face.

The musicians were all incredible, all accomplished on a number of instruments. Most members ended up playing piano, synth, mandolin, ukulele throughout the course of the night, and most songs featured the most gorgeous three part harmonies. It was a lovely marriage of old and new, full of juxtaposition. Chimes and incense sat next to bright lights and Tron-like neon tape, and muddy distorted synthesisers let loose before tender piano breaks and recorder tunes.

Following a short break, the band returned for a second unplugged set, with all five band members crowding around one microphone. This was a more jovial affair, with the musicians showing a less professional, but more accessible side of them. Most of them had changed into brighter clothing backstage, and they appeared more relaxed. One funny moments involved a banjo string snapping whilst being tuned, prompting Stevens to forget the lyrics to his own song. Stevens hadn’t even talked to the crowd beforehand, but now was happy to talk banter and share some thoughts. He told some stories about his upbringing, being one of six children, with a gazillion pets. These stories brought levity to the until-then somewhat depressing tale of his parents.

From the mesmerising first set of Carrie and Lowell, to the lighter, stripped back second set of hits, Stevens’ and his band kept us spellbound. There was no shortage of talent, and the visuals complemented the music perfectly. They inevitably ended with their hit song “Chicago”, leaving everyone humming the refrain well into the night.

Sufjan Stevens Wellington setlist

Joseph James