Live Review: Shihad at Trafalgar Centre, Nelson

Shihad

LOUD FOREVER final tour

w/ Con Carne, Mim Jensen

Trafalgar Centre, Nelson

Friday 7 February 2025

I still remember the first time I saw Shihad play.

I’d missed out a few times when I was younger, because the venues were R18. I recall Shihad and The Datsuns played a double bill at Riwaka Hotel, just out of Nelson. My dad went with his mate Mo, but I couldn’t go because I was underage. The injustice!

So I jumped at the chance when Shihad played the inaugural Homegrown festival in Wellington. Many Wellingtonians I’ve spoken to lamented this new festival, saying it replaced the vastly superior X*Air, but I was hyped. There were a bunch of bands that I wanted to see, and under 18s could go. From memory, the ticket price was roughly $60. A small group of us – four schoolfriends – took the ferry across to Wellington for the weekend.

Shihad were the headliners for the rock stage. They had just released their album Beautiful Machine. I had preordered it and been sent a comically oversized XL t-shirt with the album that looked like a tent on my runty teenage frame. But I wore it with great excitement, and finally I managed to see Shihad for the first time. They made a hell of an impression.

I made a point of seeing Shihad every time I could from then on. I moved to Wellington after highschool, which made this easier. A handful of times at Homegrown – the lineup never appeared to change much. I managed to see them twice at Riwaka during Christmas breaks – which made me feel redeemed somehow, seeing how I missed opportunities to see bands play there when I was younger. I even wrote a review that Rip It Up Magazine posted on their website, which was a big deal for me. I saw them open for AC/DC. I even saw them play at their old highschool.

The gigs that felt most special are when they played their albums Killjoy and The General Electric in full at San Francisco Bathhouse. I also saw them play TGE the following year at Big Day Out festival (probably my highlight of the day – I was pretty soggy and exhausted by the time Tool came on), and they played their debut album Churn at the Auckland Town Hall in 2023. I think I’d seen them play 20 times before tonight. The only bands I’ve seen play more times are ones I’ve toured with.

I’ve always featured them pretty prominently on this site. The first album reviews I wrote when I started Will Not Fade were of a maybeshewill record and Shihad’s FVEY. I also reviewed their most recent, Old Gods, and have written about gigs I’ve seen them play a handful of times.

Late last year Shihad announced their final tour. Touring requires a lot of time away from their families and priorities had shifted over the years. They’d barely played in support of their latest album and had decided to call it a day, rather than half-arsing it. I had noted that they’d slowed down and weren’t playing as frequently, but that was a reality for many bands because of the pandemic, so the news came as a shock.

Money has been tight recently, but I’ll be damned if I’m missing their final tour. I decided the Wellington show was not the appropriate send off. Homegrown is sponsored by alcohol companies and it’s always plagued by annoying drunks who are legless not long after midday. There are annoying drunks at most gigs, but when an event like a festival lasts longer than a standard gig, things can get a lot messier. Outdoor stages can be fickle in terms of acoustics. It seemed like a disservice to their hometown fans, choosing to end things at a festival. I want to see the band do their own thing, unconstrained by festival slots. And I think most people would agree. Festivals are cool for seeing a variety of acts and can be good value in that sense, but if you care about a band, you’d prefer to see them play a stand-alone show.

Napier was an attractive option – with one of my favourite bands Jakob opening. But I opted for Nelson. This way I could make the most of Waitangi Day and spend some time with my family.

I probably hadn’t been in the Trafalgar Centre for close on 15 years, but upon entering I was taken back to Smokefree Rockquest. I remember playing on that same stage with my friends in sixth form, and how it was such an amazing experience playing to so many people in a huge space with a big PA. The space felt pretty amazing tonight too. They’d installed temporary carpeting and curtains and brought some bleachers in at the rear. The sound was better than I’d anticipated (Dad had told me that last time Shihad played Trafalgar Centre they’d played the Victory Room because it offered better acoustics than the main hall), and the lighting was fantastic. The room felt full but not too cramped.

In the past, Shihad have often had Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” play just before coming onstage. I was surprised that this wasn’t the case tonight, with some kind of fanfare playing instead. They gave a wave before launching into the blistering “Tear Down Those Names”, from their latest album Old Gods.

This is the final tour, so the band knew they had to cover the bases. They worked through their catalogue in reverse order, playing at least a few songs from every album. They’ve been doing this for years now so I’ve come to expect it and it made the setlist somewhat predictable, but there were some treats thrown in there.

Shihad are rooted in metal and rock, so we could rely on them to deliver some songs with mean riffs. From “You Again” to “Empty Shell”, they always bring the energy. “Alive” felt a bit messy but they kept it together.

I wasn’t in the best frame of mind when I reviewed Old Gods, and probably came across jaded and defeatist when looking at the state of affairs they were tackling in the subject matter. But somehow things just feel more and more dire with time, and I appreciate seeing that these men in their 50’s are still using their platform to unify their fans and stand up against injustices. They still have that fire in their bellies and brought the ferocity with songs such as “My Mind’s Sedate” and “Think You’re So Free”. It was weird seeing a National Party MP standing in front of me singing the lyrics ‘when do you think we’ll wake up?’ to a song that was written about how his government was selling our country down the river.

But they’ve written a lot of songs in an array of styles over their 36 year career, so it wasn’t all piss and vinegar. We had some some tender moments, like “Pacifier” and “Feel The Fire”, and some fun pop numbers like “One Will Hear The Other”. I’d never previously noticed guitarist Phil Knight playing synth on songs like “Ignite” and “Deb’s Night Out”.

I remember that Beautiful Machine era, the band went through a image rebrand of sorts, getting haircuts, wearing button-up black shirts and looking more clean cut than in the past. They’ve stuck to this look for the most part, but bassist Karl Kippenberger and frontman Jon Toogood both had long hair and facial hair again. Toogood laughed about how surprising it was that he could still grow long hair like that, at 53 years old.

One of the things that make Shihad stand out as a live band is that they’ve written songs specifically to be played live. They worked out the tempos that people want to move to, the choruses that people want to sing to. I highly recommend the Studio Stories podcast, especially the two episodes that explore Shihad’s process of writing and recording The General Electric. (There’s also an episode about Killjoy). They would have written the “Sleepeater” bassline for people to bounce along to, and “Pacifier” would have been written to entice people to hold lighters in the air for the ballad (or phone lights, in this modern era).

They played a few tracks from the Pacifier record. It was maligned at the time because of its commercial nature and because Shihad had changed their name to appeal to the American market. But I always loves the album and those songs stand strong. Toogood noted that “Everything” sounded fantastic. His comment sounded tinged with regret that they’d never given that song the attention it deserved, and the realisation that they won’t have the opportunity to remedy that now that the band is coming to an end. Toogood also revealed that drummer Tom Larkin had written the riff to “Semi-Normal”, from the same album.

I mentioned that Shihad sets have become a bit predictable. They’ll almost always play the expected hits. But now and again they’ll throw in a deeper cut to keep the diehards happy, like the aformentioned “Everything”. Shihad fans can be extremely loyal and I expect many will be travelling to multiple final gigs, so the band have tried to mix up the sets somewhat. Toogood mentioned that they’d played eight songs in Nelson that they hadn’t played elsewhere on the farewell tour.

“Ghost from the Past” sounded fantastic – a song I hadn’t heard them play much. I could see that some people were fizzing about “Empty Shell” as well.

They finished their set with a blistering version of “Screwtop” from their first album, Churn, and then we were left wondering what would come next. A cut from Devolve, their first EP? “Home Again” was a given. “Run” was likely. I expected “Cheap As” – Toogood always mentioned how it was his favourite Shihad riff when they played it.

As expected, for the encore they came back with the anthemic “Run”. It sounded huge. This was followed by an even bigger singalong: a cover of Split Enz’s “I Got You”. I hadn’t actually thought of that one because it’s not on a Shihad album. They played another Churn track, “Derail” before ending with the obligatory “Home Again”. There was no other way to end it. It’s the alternative national anthem, alongside Dobbyn’s “Loyal”. Shihad have many, many jewels in their repertoire, but “Home Again” is the defining Shihad song.

I’m sad that Shihad are calling it a day. There’s a reason I’ve made a point of seeing them play so many times over the years: because they’re bloody good. And even though I’ve come to know what to expect for the most part, their shows always feel vital. Every time I hear them sing ‘Doesn’t it feel good just to be alive?’ from their song “The General Electric” I have to appreciate how true that line feels in the moment. They’ve chosen to end on a high, and I respect their decision. They did a damn fine job of summing up their career tonight, and I’m glad that I was there to help say farewell.

Joseph James

Will Not Fade’s 2024 In Review

It’s always fun to look back over the past year, to celebrate memories worth cherishing, and reflect on things.

I kicked off the year on a great note, seeing Princess Chelsea play a postponed gig in support of her recent record, the Taite Music Prize album Everything is Going to be Alright. I love how Chelsea’s music is so fresh and unapologetic, but is seeing commercial success and acclaim at the same time. It stands as one of the best gigs of the year for me. One of the photos I took that night was featured in FromThePit later in May.

Princess Chelsea at Meow

Later that month I saw Foo Fighters play, who had been one of my favourite bands when I was a teenager. They were significantly better than last time I’d seen them. Taylor Hawkins was a huge influence on me as a drummer and it is sad that he is no longer with us, but Josh Freese proved himself to be a suitable replacement. I’d stopped caring about Foo Fighters years ago, but I figured I may as well catch a gig in Wellington – seeing how I wouldn’t have the additional expenses that come with travelling – and I’m glad I did. Stadium concerts can be incredibly fun spectacles, or can feel souless with the loss of intimacy, but this was a great night out.

March is always a busy month for music in Wellington, with Cubadupa, Homegrown, Newtown Festival all being big festival fixtures that we look forwards to.

Shepard’s Reign at Cubadupa

May was my highlight though, flying to Europe to reunite with my good friends in Ranges, who played three dates in the UK along with FORT and Din of Celestial Birds, and then dunk!festival in Belgium. It was such a blast to see my friends again after six long years. You can read about it in my tour blog.

Other than Ranges, my standout bands at dunk! were Maserati and sleepmakeswaves. I made a point of trying to get to a bunch of gigs in Europe, and succeeded on that front, catching acts such as Tenacious D, Olivia Rodrigo, Danny Brown, Cancer Bats and NOFX.

sleepmakeswaves dunk!festival by Will Not Fade

sleepmakeswaves at dunk!festival

I had loads of fun helping Planet Hunter film their music video for “Valleys”, and spent time with them in the studio as they recorded their next album with James Goldsmith. Recently they played Sanctuary Sounds festival, which was a great weekend away. I wasn’t there, but they also supported Sparta when they came to Wellington in May, which is a cool achievement.

Local emo Happy Valley said farewell with an EP and tour. They have been hugely important for the music scene, helping to provide venues and run gigs for new bands. I’m sad to see them go but they’ve left a great legacy. Some individuals in the local hardcore scene have come together to form Start Today Crew, who run all ages shows at Thistle Hall once a month and are doing amazing work.

I was honoured when Michael Hollywood asked if I could contribute photos to a Audioculture profile of Vorn that he was writing. Vorn and I go way back. I’ve taken photos of a bunch of his bands this year, including the Vorn album release show for The Late Album in April, Crash Bandihoot, and a recent weekend when Wellington Sea Shanty Society played at Breaker Bay Hall.

Wellington Sea Shanty Society at Breaker Bay Hall (Vorn on accordion)

We have a new venue in Wellington called Meownui. I see the name being problematic – being so similar to Meow. I’m just waiting for the stories of people showing up to the wrong venue and getting confused. I only attended one gig there before it was fully finished, but I can see it being a great asset to the live music scene. It is wide and shallow with a mezzanine floor, so I imagine you’ll feel close to the stage from wherever you choose to stand, despite the 1000 person capacity. Auckland also combined two smaller venues into the larger Double Whammy, but I haven’t been so cannot comment on that.

The Beths were supposed to play at Meownui but it wasn’t ready yet so they played at Massey University Great Hall. They’re such great songwriters and basically tour non-stop so they’re very good at what they do.

Dartz have been some of the winners of 2024. Their album release show at San Fran was fantastic, as was their surprise set at Newtown Festival that weekend. Dangerous Day to be a Cold One reached #1 on the charts and the band toured in Europe and Australia.

Dartz at Newtown Fest

Dressed in Wax are back with a new lineup and released a new EP. Their EP release at Moon was fantastic.

Amy Shark has long been one of my favourite artists. I’ve had her new album Sunday Sadness on steady repeat and went to Auckland for her first NZ show in many years. It was a long drive up to Auckland for the show, but well worth it.

I’ve long championed Adoneye as one of my favourite local bands. I was pleased to see them win the National Battle of the Bands this year, and hope that they can capitalise on this success and get their name out there for.

Adoneye at Newtown Sports Bar

Japanese math-rockers Toe released a new EP, and also came to Wellington. I couldn’t believe that one of my bucket list bands had come here. It was incredible. The sheer muscianship and passion that shone through made for a captivating show.

Two big disappointments were Blink-182 and Tenacious D. My sister and I bought tickets to see Blink-182 play in Christchurch years ago. They played Auckland, but cancelled their Christchurch date without any official explanation, leaving me out of pocket for flights I didn’t end up using and disappointing many fans. The silver lining to staying in Wellington that weekend is that I managed to see Mogwai, Dartz’s sold out album release show, and Newtown Festival.

I actually did see Tenacious D in Paris in May. I didn’t write a review because I was was busy on holiday, and figured that I could just cover them when they play in Wellington later in the year. Paris was an extremely fun night, especially sitting in an enormous, packed-out arena with thousands of other fans who all know the lore behind such a ridiculous band. The skits and theatrics are still funny.

I was excited to see them play again in Wellington, but the band pulled the plug a few nights before. Kyle Gas had his birthday during their Australian leg. He made an insensitive comment alluding to the recent assassination attempt on Trump for his birthday wish. This got a bit of attention online and suddenly right-wingers were jumping on it, calling for the band to be cancelled and deported. I see this as a major over-reaction to a throwaway comment from a member of a band that have built their entire career on inappropriate and juvenile jokes, but someone made the call, the remaining tour dates were cancelled, and it looks like the band is finished. Jack Black continues to have a lucrative career, voice acting in big budget Hollywood animation films.

I haven’t been listening to loads of new music this year. One of my favourites releases that I haven’t mentioned yet was a collection of songs Into It. Over It. compiled and put out under the name Interesting Decisions.

FVKVSHIMA at Cubadupa

And FVKVSHIMA have dropped a few singles. I was pleased to be part of their first release, “Kuato”.

2025

February is going to be busy for me. I’m flying to Nelson to see Shihad – one of my favourites – play on their farewell tour. Then God is an Astronaut, Hot Water Music and King Brothers are all playing in the same week. If you like crazy rock music I urge you not to sleep on King Brothers. I saw them back in 2018 and and it was absolutely incredible.

I’m also looking forward to seeing Supergroove. I was a bit too young to have been around when they were a thing, but I saw them at the second Homegrown festival when I was a teen and it was amazingly fun, so I’m jumped at the opportunity to see them play again.

I’m excited for a debut EP, Tilt, from Taylah, who has also been working with Fly My Pretties lately. She is incredibly talented and I’m very excited to see her doing so well.

Taylah at San Fran

And in the world of post-rock, I know we have new music in the works from Astodan, distance, Jakob and potentially Spook The Horses (they played a few new tracks when opening for The Ocean).

I’m going to try to get to Indianapolis for Post. Festival in July. I was in awe of their lineup this year and felt mad FOMO. They’ve announced seven bands already and I’m so hyped that Pillars are back and playing their incredible album Cavum.

Words and photos by Joseph James

Will Not Fade’s 2023 In Review

Time for the annual wrap up. It’s always interesting to look back at the year and reflect on the highlights, and how things have changed.

It’s pretty wild that the covid pandemic seems so long ago now. International bands can tour here again, we don’t have restrictions for gatherings, life goes on. For the most part this is a good thing, but the local music scene was really flourishing for a while, and it feels a lot harder to book gigs now that we have to compete with bands from overseas again for use of venues.

Not that I’m complaining. I saw some incredible bands this year from both Aotearoa and abroad, and that’s how it should be.

I’ll start with bands I saw overseas. I’ve loved Gyroscope ever since I discovered them as a teenager. They’d played in NZ a few times but I was too young to go at the time. They’ve sat firmly on my bucket list of bands to see for a long time now. So when they announced that they were playing Breed Obsession – the album I loved so much – in full, I was sold. I made the trip to Melbourne and it was everything I’d hoped for. Honestly, so, so good. “Snakeskin” was an obvious highlight – featuring an appearance from original drummer Rob Nassif. “Australia” was a big singalong moment. And surprisingly enough, album closer “Time” went hard. Usually it’s very soft, but for an album comprised mostly of ballads, the set was pretty heavy. I went to the matinee show the following day as well, which was just as great again. Bodyjar also played their blistering punk rock which was a lot of fun, but my trip was about Gyroscope and it was well worth it. It was also nice to finally meet fellow music writer Gilbert Potts in Melbourne.

I managed to see Frank Turner play twice this year. The first time was a last minute solo event after Counting Crows cancelled their gig (Turner was the support act), and the second time was the first leg of his international tour promoting his most recent album. He has long been one of my favourite artists so you can imagine how pleased I was to see him play twice.

Melodic hardcore band La Dispute played a packed out show at Meow, reminding me of Zeal – the local youth venue I’d last seen them play at. Their intensely poetic brand of hardcore always hits hard, and I doubt anyone walked away unmoved after witnessing their delivery of “King Park”.

Guitar Wolf and Otoboke Beaver brought their brands of crazy Japanese rock and roll. It was my fourth time seeing Guitar Wolf, and the third time I’ve been part of a human pyramid onstage at one of their gigs. Otoboke Beaver was just as wild in their own way, in a heaving sold out show, screaming their heads off as they played frantically in their brightly coloured dresses.

Highly Suspect were blown away at their demand from NZ fans, selling out venues to the point that they kept having to upgrade to places with larger capacities. It was fun to be in a big arena rock show, enjoying the bluesy rock of a larger scale band.

Looking at NZ bands, I’d managed to catch the ever-awesome Shihad twice. They headlined the rock stage at Homegrown festival, and also played their debut album Churn in full in Auckland a few weeks ago at the bFM radio station fundraiser. They namedropped Jaz Coleman who had produced Churn and I almost wet myself, thinking that they were going to play a Killing Joke cover with Coleman on vocals. It’s not implausible – Coleman does live in Auckland. But it didn’t happen – they were paying tribute to KJ guitarist Georgie Walker who had passed away recently.

The other highlight of the Save The B night was Princess Chelsea. There were so many musicians onstage, it was hard to know where to look. We had someone playing the gigantic organ at the rear, a harp, multiple guitars, bass drums, glockenspiel, and almost everyone contributed to vocals. It was so layered that the music was borderline doom, and it was awesome. Princess Chelsea is playing Meow in Wellington in a few months and I’m super keen to attend and see what the band is like in a radically different setting.

I saw Lorde play at TSB Arena. I’ve never been much of a fan, but I was curious. She’s one of the biggest names in music, and I wanted to see what that looks like in a live setting. The stage set was interesting and Lorde has clearly rehearsed over and over. But ultimately I was pretty bored. There were lots of musicians onstage, but we heard a lot more backing track than live instrumentation, and the music just isn’t played in a way that the musos could put much energy into their performances either.

My favourite local band of the year is Crying Club. They play infectiously fun emo/pop-punk. I’ve had their single “Munchies” playing on repeat, and they put on a great show.

Similar to Crying Club, Cherry Punch play furious punk music that I’d liken to The Runaways crossed with Motorhead. Everyone in the band brings something unique to the experience and they’ve been playing a lot, so I can see them building a profile quickly. I was fortunate to play in a band that toured with them earlier in the year and it was so fun being able to see them play so much.

Bulletbelt released their album Burn It Up, which made it to the no1 position on the music charts, which is a great achievement for any band, let alone a band that plays a less mainstream genre like metal. I really enjoyed the album release show that they played at Valhalla and was pretty chuffed to see that one of the photos I’d taken of the band is on the record sleeve on their vinyl pressing.

Bulletbelt promo pic

It was really cool to see my friend Vorn seeing some big successes this year, including international tours with Crash Bandihoot, The Wellington Sea Shanty Society, and releasing a great new album with his own eponymous band. All of these bands are fantastic and I love seeing them doing well.

I tagged along with Planet Hunter on a mini tour up north for Kaitaia Metal Fest. It was such a great time. Planet Hunter are amazing musicians and great guys so it was really fun to spend a few days with them in the van and see them play new material each night. I wrote a tour blog, but here’s an account of the Metal Fest from event organiser Frankie O’Malley featuring a few of my photos link.

Lastly, I’d like top draw your attention to a new Wellington metal band, FVKVSHIMA. They’re incredibly technical and groovy, drawing upon influences like Killing Joke and Meshuggah. Keep an eye out for their upcoming debut single, “Quato”

It was fun to be part of FromThePit again. Special thanks to Maeve O’Connell for organising the Wellington night at Bats Theatre, as well as the FTP team who work hard to organise, collate, and arrange sponsors and showing opportunities every year. It’s a real blast being part of a community of creative people who want to celebrate the arts and the talented photographers involved in the music scene. I spent some time in in the record store Reel Groovy a few weeks ago when I was in Auckland and it was cool to see some of these amazing photographs still on display at the top of the escalator.

Looking forward to 2024, I’ve got some exciting times lined up.

I’m going to some big arena gigs like Foo Fighters, Blink 182, possibly Iron Maiden. And I’m glad to see some post-rock bands like Mogwai and Russian Circles coming. And I’m super pumped to see Aussie punks Private Function are coming to NZ as well. They’re incredible. Don’t sleep on that tour if you like punk music.

I’m looking at possible heading back to Europe in May for dunk!fest. Watch this space…

Thanks to all my readers, near and far. I’ve been putting my energy towards other things like photography, booking gigs, drumming in bands etc.. but it’s always humbling to see that people take the time to read my ramblings when I share my thoughts on the music that I’m so passionate about.

Joseph’s top song of 2023

Taylah: Okay

I actually prefer this version recorded at Taylah’s flat over the studio version, but both are excellent

Joseph’s top album of 2023

Winter Dust: Unisono

Album Review: Shihad – Old Gods

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 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

Live Review: Shihad at Shed 6, Wellington

Shihad 30th Anniversary Tour

w/ Villainy and Beastwars

Shed 6, Wellington

Saturday 20 October 2018

The first thing I noticed as I entered the room was the middle-aged men dancing at the front. I teach toddlers for a living, but not even three-year-olds rocking out to the Frozen soundtrack could match the levels of uninhibited dancing I saw during Villainy’s set.

I mean, these guys were really giving it their all. There’s something truly wondrous about seeing man with grey hair prancing around playing air guitar and enjoying themselves so much. In fact, a good portion of the crowd were lapping up Villainy’s show.

I’ve never paid much attention to Villainy. I know I’ve seen them play a bunch of times but I couldn’t say when. Sad to hear from a music reviewer, I know, but I’ve always dismissed them as one of the many generic radio-rock bands that New Zealand pumps out. But they played well, and maybe I need to reconsider my opinion on them. The final song was a real crowd pleaser, with a melody lifted from Weezer’s “Buddy Holly”.

Hearing Beastwars announced as a support slot was a great surprise. I thought that the show they played at San Fran in July was the last Wellington show planned for some time, if not for good. Beastwars went on hiatus a while back after releasing their last album for a variety of reasons: infighting during the recording process, frontman Matt Hyde battling cancer, and drummer Nathan Hickey emigrating to Europe. They’d only ever planned on releasing a trilogy of albums, so with their planned output completed, there was no guarantee that the band would continue. But thankfully they are back – or at least for this Shihad tour and a few upcoming dates in Oz.

As always, watching Beastwars play was an immersive experience. Hearing the distinctive chugging of “Damn The Sky” (my favourite Beastwars song) made me cry out in joy as they started their set, and they didn’t relent with their offerings until finished. In some ways, they’re New Zealand’s answer to Killing Joke. They draw you in with oppressive riffs and primal drumming, creating a captivating ritual. Hyde summons up God-knows-what and uses the process to purge himself of demons.

As great as it was to see Beastwars unleash the riff again, they were no match for Shihad. This tour marks 30 years since Shihad formed as teenagers, and their experience shows. They’re seasoned veterans of the stage who have refined their art of rocking to perfection.

30 years to hone their abilities. Tom Larkin, as always, is a monster behind the kit. He always sounds amazing, whether whipping out thrash-metal blast beats or just holding down a groove. His backing vocals were more noticeable than usual tonight, as he sung into his gooseneck microphone. Karl Kippenberger helps with the groove, always looking effortlessly cool. And Phil Knight lets his playing do the talking, bringing the riffs and the solos.

Shihad have nine studio albums out now. I can think of a few times that I’ve seen them play a set spanning their whole career,picking a track or two from each record, and playing through them chronologically. It’s a smart move, ensuing that they please fans old and new.

This time they’ve taken the same idea and reversed it. They commenced with “Think You’re So Free”, from latest album FVEY, and worked their way backwards, playing a song or two from each record. “Think You’re So Free” is venomous and powerful, as is “FVEY” – both tracks a commentary on society, and protest against the then-government and world powers who control our lives.

Love Is The New Hate’s “Alive” felt slightly jarring after the throbbing dance-beat of “Sleepeater” and poppiness of “One Will Hear The Other”, but “All The Young Fascists” signaled that we were approaching Shihad’s golden era that balanced commercial appeal with a heavier rock edge.

I saw Jon Toogood front The Adults at Meow recently, and it was obvious how at home he feels on stage these days. He acted slightly different in this context though. The Adults show felt more intimate and relaxed, whereas here he seemed more professional. That is, if you could consider someone encouraging the crowd to shout swear words “professional”. You can never tell if an artist is just paying lip service or not when they say how great the audience is, but I would suggest that he was genuinely touched at seeing a sold-out venue full of die-hard fans in his hometown.

He gave a special shout-out to a young boy sat upon his Dad’s shoulders and wearing an AC/DC shirt. “This is the future of rock and roll!” Toogood announced, “Kid, one day you’re going to be up here doing my job. Just don’t become a fuckin’ DJ!”

Pacifier was a contentious time for the band, when they changed their name in an attempt to break into the American market. Some people hate it, but it has some great tracks on it. The two that got played tonight were “Comfort Me”, and the anthemic “Run”

Next up was The General Electric. TGE came out 20 years ago, so Shihad have just remastered it and released it on vinyl for the first time. To celebrate, they played about a third of the record.

I’ve seen Shihad play all of TGE live on two occasions (at San Fran in 2010, and at Big Day Out the following year) and, tell you what – this time was just as great. The band went backstage for a breather while Toogood serenaded us with the synth-ballad “Brightest Star”, before coming back in force with the furious “My Mind’s Sedate”.

If you’ve ever seen the band play “The General Electric” and “Wait and See”, then you’ll understand with songs from this album always dominate Shihad sets. They’re energetic, dynamic. They make you want to move and jump about. Clearly Toogood got swept up in the excitement too, finishing “Wait and See” with a stage dive, before accidentally dropping his microphone, and sheepishly waiting while a tech fetched it back for him from under the drum riser.

Toogood encouraged everyone to pull out their phones and lighters to wave them in the air for the classic ballad “Pacifier”. The stage lights dimmed, unneeded due to the glow emitted from the hundreds of screens.

The self-titled album – referred to as The Fish Album by some, gave us “Home Again” – one of the bands most enduring songs – and “La La Land”. Killjoy offered the immersive synth drenched “Deb’s Night Out”, and the vitriolic accusing “You Again”.

Which brings us to the début album Churn. The industrial-meets-speed-metal record that first came out back in 1994. “Factory” is an intricate song filled with malice. I imagine that they rehearsed this one a lot, because it would be incredibly unforgiving if they weren’t absolutely in sync with each other.

Yesterday Shihad played in Christchurch, and put up a poll on Facebook so the fans could vote on which song they wanted to hear for an encore [it was “Bitter”]. Tonight the band chose to play “Cheap As” – Toogood’s favourite riff, he revealed. It was a neat way to highlight the band’s evolution, playing the first track from their début album, and then the last song from their latest album. Both are crushingly heavy, abrasive and politically charged. And in between those two songs we had ballads and anthems, tastes of pop and metal, synth-backed dance tunes, somber love songs, and hard hitting rock numbers.

30 years. Nine albums. A sold-out hometown show. It’s one hell of a legacy, but it’s not even close to over. Shihad have been one of my favourite bands since I was a teenager, and they reaffirm why I love them so much every time I see them play.

Joseph James