Pluto - Stick it to the scum!
15 Apr 2007 // A review by Nico
Hell yeah! finally I can say it. I saw Pluto. It was amazing. You missed it?! Best gig ever. Kind of a feeling of de ja vu except this time I’m the one at the gig and everyone else neglected to come. Well not everyone, just the scum who rubbed it in my face when I missed them at Arc (okay so I dig you really).
Anyway, here’s my story. After five hours of mind-numbingly stupefying work stocking yoghurts and other chilled goods I drank 3 lifts to get my energy up to crazy level and ended up dancing pretty much non-stop from 9.30—12.00. Yum.
A neat little opening act, Motorcade started the night off and yeah it was sweet, there was room enough to dance, but not so much room that you felt like a ponce, although their music did begin to sound a bit samey after awhile. Despite this I preferred their set in a way, Pluto was jam-packed which is generally a good thing, however somehow a couple of drunk, overweight Uni drop-outs/ pseudo-subject students got into the gig (apparently they still don’t have a minimum intelligence requirement at these things) and wouldn’t get out of my bloody way, proceeding to strangle me in the process. But still, even they couldn’t tarnish the Pluto experience completely. A memorable lead guitarist and the even-more-attractive-in-person Milan lead this gig from good to really memorable and although I’m sure they’ve played many of these songs time and time again (e.g. Dance Stamina) there was really nothing stale about their performance.
I hope next time the opportunity arises you’ll follow my lead and stick it to the scum. I guess there’s only two things left to say really; Pluto are nifty and damn! that was 30 bucks well spent. Thanks very much and goodnight.
About Pluto
Pluto began life near the end of the 20th century as a duo in London, England, and over the next few years morphed into a fully fledged band whilst recording their first album in Auckland, New Zealand. They signed to indie label Antenna and released Red Light Syndrome to critical acclaim in 2001.
Pluto's first appearance with the full lineup was opening for Neil Finn in 2001. It was a gig that brought them out of the shadows and one they initially turned down due to being double booked. Tim recalls, “I got a call from Neil’s tour manager asking if we wanted to open for him at the Hastings Opera House. I turned them down as we had a tiny little gig in Auckland booked already. I called Milan to tell him the bad news and he gently asked me “wtf did you do that for?” I called back and we took the gig. Mike Hall had just joined a few days prior. The band was complete. We were on our way.”
After signing to major label EMI, Pluto released their second album, Pipeline Under the Ocean (2005), achieving double platinum on the RIANZ albums chart and with lead single Long White Cross won the 2006 Tui award for Best Song. Single Dance Stamina took out the B-net award for best song.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Pluto