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Coldplay - Mt Smart Stadium (Concert Review)

Coldplay – Mt Smart Stadium (Concert Review)

It’s been quite a week and a half for live music here in Auckland…Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Ben Harper and Radiohead…and now the biggest show of the bunch, Coldplay at Mt Smart Stadium. With the technological showcase that Radiohead displayed at The Vector this past Tuesday, I was interested to see how Coldplay’s arena show stacked up against Radiohead’s. Well, for one thing, they started…

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#Coldplay Auckland review #Coldplay Concert Photos #Coldplay Mt Smart #Coldplay NZ concert review

R.I.P. Dennis Edwards (Temptations)

Dennis Edwards, the gritty vocalist who replaced David Ruffin as lead singer of The Temptations, has died at age 74. (more…)

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#13th floor #death #Dennis Edwards #RIP #Temptations

The Stranglers occupy a curious place within the history of music. As self-imposed exiles of the 1970s punk rock scene, they were influenced by the likes of The Doors, Velvet Underground and The Who.

Punk as a genre was meant to blast the old guard into oblivion through a whirlwind of rebellion, anger and energy. While The Stranglers became notorious for their acerbic nature and lyrics bleeding with misanthropy typical of punk, the band was arguably more musically aware, capable and versatile than their compatriots. This has undoubtedly helped their longevity, which has seen them produce 17 top 40 albums.

This calibre of output alone put The Stranglers in good stead to craft a setlist of classic post-punk songs that they delivered to an enraptured crowd at the Auckland Town Hall last night. It’s been forty years since the release of their first two albums Rattus Novegicius and No More Heroes, but you’d never have known it. The four-piece, who have been performing in one way or another for more than forty years, still deliver their set with ferocious energy and conviction, while their weird blend of influences wouldn’t be out of place on the radio today.

The Stranglers have an instantly recognisble and idiosyncratic sound built around the most unlikely of punk instruments- Dave Greenfields swirling flourishing keyboards and Jean-Jacques Burnel’s forceful, pumping bass. The brilliance of The Stranglers is how they twist the melodies, largely thanks to Baz Warne giving the likes of Nice ‘n’ Sleazy and Get A Grip (On Yourself) the requisite bite, melancholy or beautiful weirdness as the song required it.

The Stranglers have always used juxaposition well and this translated on stage. They managed to walk the fine line between being loud and brash yet clean and precise when it counted. Age has worked to Warne’s advantage, only adding to his gravelly punk growl. Make no mistake, their urgent, inventive energy and textured, perfumed melancholy was on full display last night. Combined with the intelligence and playfulness of their lyrics, we were bearing witness to a band that has an originality that has always made them impossible to place.

They promised The Classics and that’s exactly what they delivered. From stepping on stage to the creepy strains of Waltzinblack, to rocketing through Go Buddy Go and No More Heroes, they kept the majority of their set rooted in the 70s and 80s however, it merged well with their later work, especially 15 Steps, a hypnotic, churning rush of a song that captures what The Stranglers do so well as a band.

My one gripe is that they didn’t play Peaches, a personal favourite. And when that’s your one gripe about a show you know you’ve had a great time. The crowd was too busy pogo-ing, downing beers and reliving their youth to probably notice such a minor thing, given that they were in the presence of one of punk’s true originals.

Kate Powell

Click on any image to view a photo gallery of The Stranglers and The Ruts by Michael Flynn:

Michael Flynn Photography

The Stranglers & The Ruts – Auckland Town Hall February 2, 2018 The Stranglers occupy a curious place within the history of music. As self-imposed exiles of the 1970s punk rock scene, they were influenced by the likes of The Doors, Velvet Underground and The Who.

#13th floor #Auckland #concert review #Kate Powell #Michael Flynn #NZ Tour #Photos #Stranglers #The Ruts #Town Hall

Christchurch trio Salad Boys celebrated the release of their second long-player, This Is Glue, with a scorching set at Auckland’s Thirsty Dog.

The evening began with the New Existentialists getting things started. The band, led by George D. Henderson (The Puddle, The Spies), gave it their best shot, but there really wasn’t much of a crowd for them to play to and, to be honest, they may have overstayed their welcome by just a song or two.

The crowd filled out by the time the Salad Boys took the stage, but I was surprised that the place wasn’t packed. This Is Glue has been getting excellent reviews and, as it turns out, their songs sound even better when played live. Perhaps the Stranglers’ show at The Powerstation had something to do with it, or perhaps fans were spending time while they can at The Kings Arms and Golden Dawn. When those two venues close up shop, hopefully crowds will start forming at Thirsty Dog.

Salad Boys are led by guitarist/vocalist Joe Sampson and it is his guitar playing that defines the band’s sound, a sound that owes a huge debt to Flying Nun bands of the 1980s.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with that and Sampson along with bass player Ben Dodd and drummer Ben Woods dove right into the new album, whipping up a fine noise as they opened with three new songs in a row beginning with the chugging rhythm of Blown Away, then right into the punkier Psych Slasher (think Ramones meet The Clean) and then the jangly Under The Bed.

The band paused to catch their collective breath, thanks those in attendance for coming along and then picked a few choice nuggets from their 2015 debut album, Metalmania.

Dream Date was a distinct highlight, giving Sampson an opportunity to show off his chops.

After a couple more new tunes, the trio brought the set to an end with more from Metalmania culminating with No Task Bomber, a performance that found the band really digging in and jamming, resulting in a truly exhilarating set closer.

But they weren’t getting off that easily as an encore was demanded. The band was happy to oblige, playing a request called out by an audience member (unfortunately I couldn’t discern the song title) and then finally wrapping things up with a version of the Modern Lovers’ Old World.

By this time, Sampson had broken strings on several guitars thanks to his inspired playing and there was nothing else to do but head out into the cool of the evening.

Marty Duda

Note: Salad Boys will be performing this afternoon at Southbound Records.

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Rachel Webb:

Salad Boys set list:

Blown Up

Psych Slasher

Under The Bed

Daytime Television

Dream Date

In Heaven

Choking Sick

Better Pickups

I’m A Mountain

My Decay

No Task Bomber

Unknown

Old World

Salad Boys – Thirsty Dog February 2, 2018 Christchurch trio Salad Boys celebrated the release of their second long-player, This Is Glue, with a scorching set at Auckland’s Thirsty Dog.

#13th floor #Auckland #concert review #marty duda #Photos #Rachel Webb #Salad Boys #Thirsty Dog

Steep Canyon Rangers - Out In The Open (Ramseur)

Steep Canyon Rangers – Out In The Open (Ramseur)

After a stint with comedian Steve Martin, American bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers are back to what they do best – beautiful harmonies over heartbreakingly good music. (more…)

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#13th floor #album review #Clayton Barnett #Out In The Open #Steep Canyon Rangers

13th Floor New Song Of the Day: Jocee Tuck - Made To Be

13th Floor New Song Of the Day: Jocee Tuck – Made To Be

Former Bear Cat member Jocee Tuck released her solo album, Mt Dora back in 2016. However, a video clip for the song Made To Be has just been released. (more…)

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#13th floor #Jocee Tuck #Made To Be #Mt Dora #Rodney Fisher

Live in Auckland. Check out the 13th Floor review and a exclusive gallery of photos

https://www.13thfloor.co.nz/wiley-the-studio-january-27-2018/

#wiley #grime #hiphop #concert review #concert photography #13th floor #The 13th Floor NZ

Photo by Shahlin Graves

From her bold, outgoing style to her moody lyrics, 15-year-old Billie Eilish is the personification of the "no fucks given" attitude many 2018 teenagers aspire to. Judging by the audience of "edgy" teenagers at her all ages show last night, she's clearly one of them - and her electrifying performance proved it. Read Grace Milner's review. https://www.13thfloor.co.nz/billie-eilish-the-tuning-fork-30-january-2018/

#billie eilish #concert review #concert photography #13th floor #13th Floor NZ #no fucks #hans.

These American pop-rock heart-throbs were a big deal for a while, with a slew of Top 40 hits back in the late 2000s. We The Kings put on a slick, endearing show at The Kings Arms Tavern last night, but one that tasted of empty calories to our reviewer Cameron Miller. See what he has to say and check out a gallery of photos by Shelley Te Haara.

https://www.13thfloor.co.nz/we-the-kings-kings-arms-january-31-2018/

#concert review #concert photography #we the kings #13th floor #13th Floor NZ

A double bill of two of Auckland’s finest indie acts made The Golden Dawn the place to be on this Thursday night as Emily Edrosa and The Beths delivered outstanding shows. Read Marty Duda's review and browse a gallery of images from Rosie Alana Kestle.

https://www.13thfloor.co.nz/the-beths-emily-edrosa-golden-dawn-february-1-2018/

#concertreview Concertphotos 13thfloor #TheBeths EmilyEdrosa MartyDuda 13thFloor 13thFloorNZ

This was a night for full sleeve tattoos and the singlets to show them, a night for short shorts, jorts and active wear, coupled with a lake of Cat Fish Billy merch, all enveloping a slathering horde of dudebros and their female equivalent.

This was something new for me, not least because the last time I’d subjected myself to the genre “rap-rock”, it was the 1990’s and the ‘artists’ wore red baseball caps, massive shorts with dog chains hanging off the back, DC kicks with no laces, and sported greased-up clit-ticklers on their weak chins. It seems LaBretts and other assorted facial piercings are no longer a staple of the genre though, which made things much easier for the security staff, who were very nice. My friend and I were a little disconcerted at how readily they dismissed the need for us to show any I.D. though. We were prepped to flash our driver licences but we received a good-natured grimace that suggested the only fraud we might commit would be to acquire a Gold Card for an early ride home.

My God, the noise. Walking into the Logan Campbell Centre last night felt like what Cross Fit might be like if you were allowed to drink and smoke, which actually sounds pretty cool. I mean, I’d consider doing that. But not if it meant listening to this. Imagine being stuck in a Subaru Legacy on a hot Auckland day, and the windows and air-con won’t work, and somehow the radio is stuck on Mai FM at an extremely uncomfortable volume, and the five people at the back of the car keep whistling loudly as they wrestle their work-a-day frustrations.

The only breeze you feel is created by the sub-woofer, which isn’t cool, but carries its own intense heat that causes your belly button to sweat. The two-piece DJ act that opened this portal to Hell seemed to exert an awful lot of energy doing not much of anything expect play top 40 fodder to the horde, ‘remixing’ here and there with the aid of a digital turntable and some samples triggered with drumsticks.

Watching them, I was reminded of the Mighty Boosh – especially Vince Noir – and beginning to suspect they’d at least raided his wardrobe: or Noel Feilding had vomited denim, sequins and florescent paint over them before they got on stage. Their display of enthusiasm for other peoples’ work, dressed in leather motorcycle jackets and stovepipe jeans, each tasselled and be-dazzled to within an inch of their lives, struck me as painfully redundant, and vaguely embarrassing, but I am also 100% confident that I am not the target audience, and that I don’t know what I’m talking about, and that this is the shit, man!

Seriously though, the joke, if that’s what this was, stopped being funny when this morning-radio breakfast show of an opening act started fucking with Muddy Waters in their set. I know they’re paying some well-intentioned homage to the South, and the South has something called ‘Blues’ in it, and therefore this ‘track’ should fit, but they made me want to kill myself. I went out for a cigarette, while the heavily moistened horde shouted YEEAAAH! and danced to an insult.

Michael Atha, aka Yelawolf, took to the stage for the first time since 2015, to a roar. An uproarious roar: a fist pumping, vein straining roar that shook only less violently than the woofer. Young Mike is an assured and confident artist, performer, and lyricist, (that last I have on good authority, as I couldn’t understand a word that was being said/sprayed. I must give huge props to my date last night, C_, who as a massive Yelawolf fan was able to fill in the many blind spots on my Yela-dar). Yela has the audience in the palm of his hands the entire night, never letting go and, despite touring a new record, giving them everything they know and love already. The music ranged from Kid-Rock rock without the love for the Orange Ape (“Fuck you Donald Trump!” That always gets the crowd on board), to banjo driven Gabba hard house, or so it seemed. He smashed through tracks Empty Bottles, Devil In My Veins, and Tennesse Love (from Love Story), regaling us with stories of addiction and general Appalachian woebegone-ness, spat out like those old TV advertisements for Micro Machines.

This is why Dre and Mr. Mathers took him onboard, I presume. Creek Water and Pop The Trunk (from Yelawolf Trunk Music), Cat Fish Billy off his first record, Best Friend, and Let’s Roll (from Radio Active) just poured out over the swarming, seething mass of millennial flesh. The crowd was ecstatic, Yelawolf was in his element and the band was, I’m guessing because of the Campbell Centre’s notorious ‘unique’ sound quality, in fine form. Punk (from new album Trial By Fire) was saved for the encore, which is considerate: Yela was giving his fans everything they knew first, and hitting them with the new stuff while they staggered from the familiar blows of thundering, bass-heavy…something. Good call. My date for the night was certainly thrilled to bits with what she saw, and as she is a massive fan, I can say with high confidence that Yelawolf delivered a show that will be remembered for some time. Probably not by me, but that’s ok.

Thom Rutten

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Veronica McLaughlin:

Yelawolf – Logan Campbell Centre December 14, 2017 This was a night for full sleeve tattoos and the singlets to show them, a night for short shorts, jorts and active wear, coupled with a lake of Cat Fish Billy merch, all enveloping a slathering horde of dudebros and their female equivalent.

#13th floor #Auckland #concert review #Logan Campbell Centre #NZ Tour #Photos #Thom Rutten #Veronica McLaughlin #YelaWolf

The Original Wailers, featuring guitarist Al Anderson, performed at Auckland’s Powerstation last night.

13th Floor photographer Ivan Karczewski was there with his camera and has delivered these photos…

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

The Original Wailers – Photo Gallery Powerstation December 14, 2017 The Original Wailers, featuring guitarist Al Anderson, performed at Auckland's Powerstation last night.

Sheryl Crow & Melissa Etheridge - 3 NZ Shows Announced For April 2018

Sheryl Crow & Melissa Etheridge – 3 NZ Shows Announced For April 2018

TEG LIVE is proud to announce two of the most successful female American singer/songwriters, Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge, will perform in a double headlining tour across New Zealand in 2018. Tickets on will go on sale 12.00pm, Monday 18 December through Ticketek and Ticketmaster. (more…)

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13th Floor New Song Of The Day: Lucy Dacus - Night Shift

13th Floor New Song Of The Day: Lucy Dacus – Night Shift

Virginian indie musician Lucy Dacus will release her second album, Historian, Friday, March 2nd. (more…)

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Halsey - Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour

Halsey – Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14; Spark in association with Live Nation and The Edge present Grammy Award®-nominated, multi-platinum alternative pop maverick HALSEY, on her highly anticipated return to Auckland in April 2018. (more…)

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Auckland’s Spark Arena was packed to the rafters as Yusuf, aka Cat Stevens, played the first of two shows on his Peace Train/A Cat’s Attic tour in the City Of Sails.

Despite scheduled to go on stage at 8pm, Stevens was forced to hold off for about 20 minutes due to the length of time it took to get everyone through the front doors as full searches were being conducted upon entry.

But it was well worth the wait as the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens took the audience on a fifty-year musical journey that included his first single, 1966’s I Love My Dog and a song or two from his latest album, The Laughing Apple.

The show was divided into two sets with Cat giving a mostly chronological account of his life and career. To start with, the stage was dressed as a London train station, with band members playing among benches and signs. The band featured musical director Kwame Yeboah, Eric Appapoulay and Glen Scott. The three musicians switched instruments throughout the show, with Eric primarily playing guitar, Glen on bass and Kwame, everything else.

After opening with a brief If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out and then Oh Very Young, Yusuf got down to the storytelling, dwelling on the early part of his career.

In and among his early songs such as First Cut Is The Deepest, Matthew & Son and Here Comes My Baby, Yusuf threw in a few favourites that helped shape his career such as The Everly Brothers’ Bye Bye Love, Curtis Mayfield’s People Get Ready and, most notably, The Beatles’ From Me To You.

Before playing the Beatles tune, the stage transformed into a replica of Cat’s attic, where he played a copy of The Beatles’ version of Twist And Shout on a turntable while dancing around the stage.

After 45 minutes, the set ended and after a brief interval, Cat and bandmembers returned to concentrate on the 1970s.

The highlight of this section of the show was the tunes from 1970’s Tea For The Tillerman. To make those performance even more special, Stevens’ long-time guitarist Alun Davies joined the group to play Where Do The Children Play and Wild World. Although Davies left the stage, he did returned for a crowd-pleasing Father & Son and Peace Train.

Another highlight was when Cat sat at the piano to sing the beautiful Sad Lisa.

Throughout the show, Steven told short, insightful stories about his life, his songs and his career decisions. Stevie Nicks attempted a similar show a few weeks ago, but ended up boring a good portion of the audience with her long, rambling, self-absorbed rants. Cat Stevens understands how to talk to a crowd, how to keep their attention and how to make his between-song banter add even more feeling to the music.

And make no mistake, these are songs that, after all these years, still mean a lot to a lot of people. That feeling was more than evident as Stevens and Davies combined their voices on Father & Son, just as they had done 47 years ago.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery, shot by Michael Flynn at Cat Stevens’ sound check:

Michael Flynn Photography

Yusuf/Cat Stevens set list:

First set

If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out

Oh Very Young

The First Cut Is The Deepest

People Get ready

Moonshadow

I Love My Dog

Here Comes My Baby

Bye Bye Love

Mary And The Little Lamb

From Me To You

Matthew & Son

Big Boss Man

A Bad Night

The Wind

On The Road To Find Out

Second set

(Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard

Changes lV

Miles From Nowhere

Don’t Be Shy

Where Do The Children Play?

Wild World

Rubylove

Sad Lisa

The Hurt

Blackness Of The Night

Here Comes The Sun

See What Love Did To Me

Father And Son

Peace Train

Can’t Keep It In

Tuesday’s Dead

Morning Has Broken

Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Spark Arena December 13, 2017 Auckland’s Spark Arena was packed to the rafters as Yusuf, aka Cat Stevens, played the first of two shows on his Peace Train/A Cat’s Attic tour in the City Of Sails.

R.I.P. Pat DiNizio (Smithereens)

Pat DiNizio, front man for The Smithereens, has died at age 62. (more…)

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