Mountaineater - Live @ The San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington - 11/10/13
Mountaineater always put on a good show, and when it’s their album release tour, you know it’s going to be bigger than ever; but not content with just a massive show, this time round they partnered with Wellington heavyweights The Nudge.
Kicking off sometime after 10pm, the Nudge were a much different beast from last time I saw them, at their own album release show last year. Then, they seemed very much about the gimmick, dressing in animal costumes, selling their own pies from a pie warmer near the bar, and playing a much poppier, funkier version of their music.
2013’s version was more psychedelic blues band than the dance friendly band I saw last year. And that was a good thing; they spent a lot more time exploring the sound and really rocking out into extended jams that never felt like self-indulgence or showing off. This was a band that seems to have found the ideal niche for all band members, and feels comfortable within their sound.
The crowd seemed to thin a bit before Mountaineater, but that didn’t seem to bother the band. Right from the first note they unleashed a wave of noise upon us (it’s easy to see why one of their last gigs in Wellington resulted in noise control being called). This is rock at its finest, performed by a band truly at their peak.
They smashed, and wrestled, and stormed their way through a selection of older tracks, and newer ones, playing from their new album, and every moment of it was awe-inspiring; from the relentless pounding of the drums, the deep rumble of the bass and the tortured notes wrenched from frontman Tristan Dingeman’s guitar; even the frequent outbursts of feedback lent another layer to the sound (although at one point most of the crowd seemed to be wondering if it would stop, Tristan himself questioning whether the sound was inside his head).
New single Lord of Sumo was a particular highlight, sounding rawer and more intense live than it does on the album, but still upbeat enough to get the crowd moving – no easy feat for a band in Wellington.
This is a band I don’t think I could tire of seeing. Every show is an event and a unique experience, and every time I see them they blow my mind, last Friday being no exception.
About Mountaineater
When a new Dunedin three piece made their live debut near the end of 2008, one thing was obvious - for Tristan Dingemans, front man of the formidable band HDU, lightening had struck twice. This was no former glory with backing band situation; this was a band, which was instantly capable of creating its own moments of puretranscendency. In short, Dingemans has an excellent shit filter, and proved he wasn't gonna step out until he had something great. And ladies and gentleman, with Chris Livingston (drums) and Anaru Ngata (bass and guitar), that is Mountaineater.
Few bands manage to take the intangibility of experiencing a natural landscape and transform it into sound, but those that do are absolutely momentous. Yes, with this brooding and heavy mix of sonic landscapes and visceral, bludgeoning rock, you can't ignore the pedigree. Yet Mountaineater is a further step down the pathof tension filled catharsis, as immediately inviting as they are unrelenting.
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