It was when Thin White Lines got on stage and cracked into their first track Body & Soul that I knew the evening was going to be an awesome night. Followed up by catchy songs Violence, Chemicals, a nice cover and a torrent of high velocity tracks to finish up the set I struggled to write down anything as I was too busy up the front with ears and eyes fixed on the stage. I’ve had their EP Chemicals for a while and love it, but one of the songs that got stuck in my head from this show was Happiness which had some nice guitar hooks and dynamics, and killer bridge section. Witnessing the endless energy and sweat these guys put into the live performance really does show why this band has been impressing gig goers and gaining larger audiences. Alex, Kurt, Ben and Ryan job well done!

Next up was Written By Wolves. These guys know their stuff. Mike, Davie, Bahador and Karl have created what I think is quite a unique sound. Big sound, big vocals, big harmonies and riffy as f**k is how I’d describe it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing their performances and this time was no exception. The band kicked off with their song Not Afraid to Die. The chorus has great hooks and the guitar / drums sections just bring the attitude out in this song. It’s great. This is a battle cry, I, I, I’m not afraid to die!! One of their new tracks Starlight also caught my attention early on as the guitars churned out some sweet heavy riffs alongside some solid as drums that were cutting through nicely in the mix, topped off by frontman Mike who was hitting every top note with precision, this song had tonnes of energy to it and I’m looking forward to hearing this one more. This band knows how to perform and with the guitar demons Bahador and Davie making great use of the stage up front and Mike taking it to the front rowers it’s great to watch. The rest of the set followed suit with some other big songs. The song Explode which included a token mosh with the audience (get in!) and then quickly we got to another new song Lights which has a strong chorus, is full of great harmonies, has some slick synth blended in and is just a pleasant song to listen to all round. Great performance by the boys so make sure you go check em out if you haven’t already.

And to headline the evening’s event, These Four Walls arrived back from the Gold Coast to settle in at Kings Arms once more. What’s better is they had the one and only Gray Vickers (lead guitarist) back on board. Before the set I caught up with Steve (singer) and asked about what new material they’d been working on and he said there would be some newbies played during the set. I’ve been listening to T4W for years, have both their albums Down Falls an Empire and Living To Write The End, so I was amped to see the performance. The set began with a couple of new tracks Dystopia and Fire Away. No mucking around here, These Four Walls deliver the goodness and although they’re something new they have the chops to back it up and are sounding great. Fire Away has a powerful chorus with strong vocals by Steve and big hooks throughout. Gray’s guitar tone shines through with somehow the perfect level of delay and reverb, I really liked this new one and look forward to hearing it again. Next song up was one of my personal favourites Talons, such a killer track and by this stage everyone was up the front at the ready. The energy, the riffs and the vocal melodies in this song just remind me of why I’ve been a fan of T4W for so long. Sweet December, Passenger and Lay it Out are dished out in style and I noticed some well blended harmonies in the mix with Steve and Elliot on bass. A nice cover of You're The Voice (John Farnham) is helped out by Mike from Written by Wolves. Haven’t seen this covered by a rock band before like this but it was certainly something the audience was happy to sing along to! Now for another one of my favourites, Lilith. Performed just as I remember it on Down Falls an Empire. Fast, catchy and can’t get enough of that riff! Now it’s too much to list every song in the set but rest assured there was a nice mixture of old and new throughout which everyone seemed to really enjoy. Gray’s husky vocal screams and Brad's kung fu combos on the drums in Beautiful were appreciated by a fury of moshing maniacs at the front. Was superb to see! We are told that a third album is currently in progress so really can’t wait to hear this come to fruition and see them back here again soon I hope! Epic night at the Kings, cheers all!

Photos by Matt Henry Photography

• 1
  Head Like A Hole
• 2
  Horror Story
• 3
  Fraser Ross
• 4
  Fur Patrol
• 5
  Michelle Rounds
• 6
  Devilskin
• 7
  L.A.B.
• 8
  Coridian
• 9
  Late to Chelsea
• 10
  The Boondocks

• 
  Casual Healing @ Festival of Lights - Pukekura Park, New Plymouth - 28/12/2024
• 
  Will McClean @ Festival of Lights - Pukekura Park, New Plymouth - 28/12/2024
• 
  Shapeshifter @ Coroglen Tavern, Coroglen - 27/12/2024
• 
  Paige Julia @ Coroglen Tavern, Coroglen - 27/12/2024

• 1
  APT.
  ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
• 2
  DIE WITH A SMILE
  Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
• 3
  BIRDS OF A FEATHER
  Billie Eilish
• 4
  TASTE
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 5
  I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
  Gracie Abrams
• 6
  ESPRESSO
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 7
  SAILOR SONG
  Gigi Perez
• 8
  LOSE CONTROL
  Teddy Swims
• 9
  A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
  Shaboozey
• 10
  GOOD LUCK, BABE!
  Chappell Roan

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