I, and a whole load of fans, have been waiting for this gig for way too long. The reason it is called “Third Time Lucky” is that the original gig, with a slightly different support line-up, was due to take place last September but thanks to Covid it was canned. Then it was rearranged for February and yet again the wonderful gift which is Covid just kept on giving and the show had to be cancelled, so here we are at last at the third time of asking. The line-up is immense, and I have already seen all these bands play this year apart from openers Stacked, and I knew what everyone was capable of, and it was going to be a hell of a night. 

We were also blessed with MNZ royalty in Auckland, with head honcho Lisa and her husband Adam (who is the person behind the tech of the site) flying up from Palmy North for the show so Harry, Dani, Steve Bone, Roger and myself met up with them for lunch and a tour of Big Fan. I then headed off to the venue to get set up, and when the doors opened, I was joined by Adam, Lisa, Steve Shyu, Ginny, Ben, Chris, and Andrew, plus Kris and Gideon were both playing, so quite a MNZ gathering – popular opinion is that the correct grouping convention is a “murder” of MNZ (like crows!). 

First up was melodic hardcore band Stacked who comprise Tyler Jamieson (vocals), Leaf Wright (guitar), Benji Perez (guitar), Alasdair Miller (drums), and Connor McNab (bass). Mikey had approached SFRQ and asked them to recommend a young band to open the night and this was who they came back with and having seen them in the soundcheck I knew it was going to be fun. At the unearthly hour of 5:00 on a Saturday afternoon they kicked off Decadence, and immediately the place seemed very different indeed. Alasdair appears to be on a mission to destroy Karl’s kit before he can play, as he hits really hard and is all over the place with loads of fills. Then added to that are Leaf and Benji who are both doing much more than one would expect from a hardcore band, adding definite mathcore elements at times, providing complex and complicated elements which are then matched by Connor. During the soundcheck Tyler had been vocally gruff but rather restrained in his movements so I was pleased to see that for the gig itself he dispensed with the microphone stand and was providing the energy on the stage while the rest concentrated on playing.  

Their songs contain multiple sections and different types of attack which keep them interesting, with a good use of dynamics. They certainly do not act their age, and there is no wonder that they have been gaining a lot of support. Also, I was impressed to note they had three different types of tee shirts for sale. Tonight, was all about timing, with every band having a strict set and changeover limit so they were pushing through their six-song set. They ended with Atlas, which had dropped as a single only the previous day, and a song which Red (Finger Tight) had been raving over, and I could see why as this is one where Alasdair really comes to the fore, driving the high-octane number forward. In fact, they had played everything so quickly that they were finishing early so they decided to throw in one more to end their set, Shelter, where they really showed off how technical they can be. More people came in to see them during the set but Stacked were always going to suffer from being in so very early, but I am sure we are going to seeing and hearing a lot more from them. 

Next up were Venom Dolls, who by the end of the year will be the band I have seen play most often in 2022. With Jessica Frank (vocals, bass) still overseas on her European jaunt, Carawai Gao (lead guitar) and Summah Auvae (drums) were again joined by Arlo Frances (bass) and Bridie Campbell (vocals) to play as a quartet. It is the second time I have seen them play Tuning Fork this year, the fourth or fifth time in total, and they just keep getting better every time, and as soon as they launched into Fucked Up the crowd started moving forward. Whereas Arlo used to be self-conscious on bass they are now full of confidence, providing a monstrous sound for Carawai to play against, while Summah is still one of the happiest drummers around, keeping it pumping and having fun. Bridie is also coming into her own as frontwoman, as while she has always been a great singer she is now starting to dominate more, so consequently the band are really cooking and Mary Sue had people dancing. The more reflective Don’t Wanna Be allows the band to really slow it down, with the first verse being a delicate ballad, until it isn’t and they kick in again. It finishes as a ballad, with Carawai providing harmonies, and it shows a very different side to the band indeed. 

This provides strong contrast to I Remember, which makes the quicker tempo and more shouty punk approach seem even more vibrant and is over way too soon. One of the most bass-heavy originals is Obsessed, and they had it in a good place in the set as the next song was their cover of Electric Wizard’s

Funeraloparis, which I have heard them play a few times now. Seem strange for a punk band to play doom, but in their hands, it is a great idea and works very well indeed. Arlo’s bass takes on a deep Chris Squire/Geezer Butler tone, Summah locks in, Carawai noodles over the top before she switches to filthy distorted riffs, and then it is on. Bridie’s vocals take on a very different element indeed, and we are thrown back to the dawn of doom, as if the band have been influenced by the classics such as Black Widow. Venom Dolls are gigging very heavily indeed, and if you have yet to come across them then you need to make the effort as they are tight, and always a great band.  

There is something about Pull Down The Sun which is both enigmatic and very, very heavy. They do have an unusual line-up in Koert Wegman (guitar, vocals), Jason Healey (guitar), and Stefan Bourke (drums) with backing tracks, but the intensity they provide is unreal. It is progressive, dramatic, and so very different indeed. Talking to Koert beforehand he told me he was concerned that they might be the heaviest band on the bill tonight, which I never saw as an issue anyway, but their approach is different to the other heavy bands. While they do have a groove in a similar fashion to some of Shepherds Reign, they are a trio with purpose and real presence. They started with Aka, where Jason showed as always that his dreads are a lethal weapon (no wonder Koert stays distant from him) and then we were into the brutality which is Whare Ra. Before the gig we also had a long chat about a mutual friend who is suffering at present but is now in the right place to get the assistance he needs, and we send aroha to him, kia kaha.  

Third band in, and the crowd had grown considerably, and we were now at the much more reasonable time of, um, 6:25!? Metal this complex should not be blasted out this early, but the guys were not slowing down – with shortened set times we were getting heavily distilled music as everyone was picking the best songs to make an impact in a limited time. These guys have not been up to Auckland much, but there were plenty of fans in the audience, with a very positive reaction to the announcement of the next song Of Valleys and Mountains. Their music takes me to a different place, as it feels like an onslaught of sound as opposed to individual songs, as if we are existing in a plane away from normality. Each band was paranoid they were playing for too long (in fact we were slightly ahead of schedule at this point), so the question was asked of the sound desk if there was time for one more to which they were told there was, so they blasted into Utu, taking Tuning Fork to a different level. These guys have such an immense technical approach to their metal progressive sound which makes them a delight to hear each time. I am already looking forward to seeing them when they next hit Auckland and if you have yet to hear their album then you need to do so.

Now it was time for Coridian and having seen virtually all their gigs last year I had only managed to catch them once this, so was definitely looking forward to seeing the boys. With three guys who literally grew up together playing their instruments, Kris Raven (drums), Mike Raven (guitar) and Nick Raven (bass) combining one of the finest singers and frontmen in the business, Dity Maharaj, they are always a great live band. They kicked off with Algorithm and immediately Kris was all over the kit, driving the intensity, Nick was keeping it solid allowing Mike to riff and noodle as the needs arises (he always reminds me of Scott Ian in the way he plants himself on the stage and attacks the guitar) and then in the middle is the ball of energy which is Dity. I was surprised to find there were a few people here who had not previously seen Coridian, as there really is no excuse to be missing out on one of the finest bands we have in Auckland. Next up was the new single, due out in a few weeks, State of Mind, which has quite a staccato approach in the verse, becoming more powerful in the chorus. These guys play alternative rock/metal, yet there are loads of different styles in their approach which always makes them such a wonderful band to hear as the music is packed full of contrast and dynamics. 

Kris and Nick drive the music forward, yet at the same time provide a platform which means Mike can shift what he is doing from riffs and chords with direct attack to something which is more singular in its approach, and then there is Dity. Not only is he one of the finest singers in the business, but he is also a dynamic frontman who always brings the audience with him and in Rite of Passage he had the crowd singing along with him to provide the harmonies. Their last single had a guest vocalist, and tonight is probably one of the very few times it is ever going to be performed in this format, but Mikey was up onstage for Rakshasa, a performance the Wolfpack had been waiting for ever since it was released. This is a duet with both guys taking lead, and providing support for the other, and it was epic, and still only just past 7:00! The contrast between the two singers is stark, with Mikey ending up in the pit getting the crowd even more energised. Coridian were just getting into their stride, with Seed II allowing them to set the groove and build the intensity while Blind Faith allowed them to switch it up. Dity’s breath control is incredible, and with an incredibly tight band alongside who add nuances, complexity, and plenty of punch, they consistently deliver. They finished with Seed, and again lifted it up a notch, getting the crowd to react and bounce with them. The album will be out in the early part of next year, I can’t wait.  

It takes a lot to follow a band like that, and probably the best way is to do something slightly different, and that is what we were going to get with the mighty Ekko Park, who are of course Joe Walsh (guitar), Jessie Booth (guitar, backing vocals), Bryan Bell (bass), and Nick Douch (drums). It was the second time I had seen them in a relatively short period, and I was so looking forward to it. Nick hits the kit incredibly hard, often lifting his sticks above his head (as well as providing more complex fills), while Bryan provides a wonderfully solid bassline, with Jessie and Joe mixing up the guitar styles, all to provide a party vibe. They kicked off with Validation, and the groove was on, everyone reacting to what was taking place onstage and before we had chance to take a breath, they were into the belter which is Breakdown. This is the insane opener from their latest EP, UnMute (currently my #1 EP of the year) and has a vibe which means everyone has to move. Darling Baby had Joe and Jessie swapping lead vocals, and where the bands before had been providing intensity, Ekko Park were bringing the fun. They are such a happy band, with the tightness which only comes from constant touring, and combined with an electric approach which means one can literally see the sparks coming off them as they blast through one pop punk rock belter after another.

Today’s My Day is yet another great example of what makes these guys one of the best bands to see in concert as they are a blast from beginning to end and Joe has the relaxed style which only comes from time served. They also had a different approach in that instead of cramming in as many songs as they could within the allotted time, a major part of their performance is Joe interacting with the crowd and talking to them, so that is exactly what they did, giving the feeling of a band who brimming with confidence, knowing just what they bring. Phase Her is another new number, which starts somewhat delicately with loads of space, but it does not stay that way with Nick and Bryan coming more to the fore. Joe pointed out that he and Bryan had played The Tuning Fork before the first band were even born, and then we were into Tea & Toast, which is a real bouncer driven by the bass.  

Now we had False Embrace, also from the EP, and I was having just so much fun! These guys are always great to watch as there are so many hooks in their songs that it is just impossible to listen to their music without a massive smile, and that they are also having so much enjoyment only adds to it. The longer the night was going on the longer the sets for each band, and I am so glad Ekko Park had 45 minutes as I did not want this to end, even though I knew what was coming afterwards. All Eyes On Me was the opener from their 2020 album (time for a new one guys) Horizon, and is the blaster one would expect in that position, but Joe slowed it down to allow him to thank every band on the bill today, and when they cranked it back on they stopped on a dime. Then Joe told everyone if they did not know the next song they should sort their shit out, and we were into Pretty Vacant, and the band lifted it a notch, as if it had not been intense enough before. There was only way to follow that, with the pummelling Uh Oh, with Joe getting a youngster in the audience to count them in (how cool is that?) and then way too soon it was over, with Joe ending up in the audience playing his guitar next to the kid. Phew! 

The backing track started, and we were being taken to the land of Samoa. The boys, (Filivaa James (vocals, keyboards, pake), Oliver Leupolu (guitar), Gideon Voon (guitar), Joseph Oti-George (bass guitar), Shaymen Rameka (drums)) were stood on the stage, waiting, waiting, and then the call went out and the mighty Shepherds Reign were in the house with Aiga. If there were people in the venue who had not previously been paying any attention, they now had no choice as the mighty Samoan metal merchants were here with the groove. Recently signed to an international deal, they bring their island roots and styles then mix that with metal in way unlike any other. I mean, do you know any other metal bands where the lead singer plays a pake (traditional wooden drum)? Mind you, at other times Fili plays a keytar and I am hard pressed to think of any other metal bands where that happens either. 

Shaymen is at the heart of everything they do, setting the rhythm and style, often with a tribal beat and his partner in crime, Joseph, is locked in tight so they often sound as one. Then stage left and right we have Gideon and Oliver, providing an intense partnership where they swap lead roles easily, allowing each to shine, always providing complexity and complicated arrangements while at centre stage there is Filivaa, the ringmaster who is in total control by sheer force of will. The second number was Ua Massa, and I looked over the audience and spotted Red (Finger Tight) so transported by what he was hearing that he was bending right over in time with the music, and this from someone who had never seen or heard them before tonight. They are a mighty metallic unstoppable force of nature, with Fili creating a call to arms. 

The use of a keytar to provide piano allows the band to switch styles and put some lightness into the sound, which allows them to create contrast and dynamics so that when they come back it is even more intense, darker, and so much heavier. Joseph has a presence onstage which is hard to define, he is the rock, an immovable object which allows the music to crash against him while he provides the solidity to allow that to take place. Although the music is passionate and heavy, the groove it contains ensures that it is never too much and gets the audience to move as opposed to them feeling assaulted. It is not the style of music which will generate a huge mosh just because everything they do is tempered and while it contains an edge it is in a very different fashion to others. Most of their songs are sung in Samoan, but The World Bleeds was released as a single and is probably one of their most commercial songs, while at the same time it still belts. This was the first time tonight that we saw Gideon and Oliver share the same space as they swapped lead roles, which had the crowd raising a might cheer. As the song progresses, Fili cries to the skies and the song becomes poignant and passionate, and then the hammer is down, and we are off yet again on a wild ride. Fili then stood centre stage, calling the troops to order, and they ended with Le Manu, and if there was anyone here who had not been moving prior to this, that changed now as they put their hearts on their sleeve, their clear passion there for all to see. That meant there was just one band left...

Whatever came before was no preparation for anyone who had not seen the mighty Written By Wolves, but they were just about to learn exactly what that meant. The lights were flashing on and off, and then four musicians were smashing into drums. Mikey asked the crowd how everyone was doing, Davie and Bahador got their guitars at the ready and we were off. Give ‘em Hell allowed the band to show they mean business with the presence and attack that only happens when these guys are in town. Oli was standing on the keyboards, Karl was bashing around the kit, B and Davie had their guitars in the air, Mikey was screaming and egging on the crowd, and this was only the first song! The last few times I have seen these guys I have totally lost the plot at some point and tonight I was determined to be more professional, but somehow, I did not think that was going to happen. WBW are the band I turn to when I need something to cheer me up, when I need to shout lyrics at the top of my voice, and tonight they were playing for more than an hour in front of a large crowd. 

Second song, Let It Burn, had the crowd singing along, and although there had been many bands here today there was no doubt the Wolfpack were here in force. Mikey was in fine voice, with a scream going into falsetto which was stupidly high. Now it was time for everyone to bounce, including the band, and we were into the slightly (just) more restrained Tell Me What You’re Running From? Mikey was a teenage sensation, being runner-up in NZ Idol in 2004, half his lifetime ago, and knows just how to get a crowd to do what he wants, and tonight they were his. He got everyone down on the floor while he stood in the pit, getting everyone to wait until he gave the signal. The band had been waiting for this gig for so long, and tonight they were all bringing it, big time.

I knew the next three songs were going to be immense, packed full of energy, and if the audience thought they had been having fun until now, they had no idea they were just about to be slammed into next week. The first of the trio was their version of Linkin Park’s Papercut, and I was joining in with the words, just as I was in the car yesterday, with Oli joining Karl on drums, Bahador and Davey chunking the riffs, and Mikey singing like a man possessed. The groove on this was immense, and Bahador was swinging his guitar around like a madman. Then we had the monster which is Oh No!, with Oli now up on the top of the side stack, singing and getting the crowd riled up even more, if that were even possible. From this we went into the opener of The Collab Project, Better Luck Next Time, which was another belter which had everyone singing along, although no-one was able to hit the notes of Mikey. He was singing easily the best I had ever heard him, so I can only put it down to being inspired by the people in front of him, plus having such great sound that he was really able to hear what was going on.

Now it was time for a brand-new song (there is an album soon), their cover of Time (After Time), which may start slowly with plenty of space in the arrangement (which allows for a reset) for both audience and band, but they soon ramp it up with Mikey easily shifting into falsetto again as well as belting when the time was right. The lights were put onto the audience, and everyone joined in on the chorus with their arms in the air, swaying from side to side. Bahador took centre stage for a short but perfectly formed guitar break and then we were off again, and this song looks set to join the list of covers which the band have very much made their own. Then it was time for the band to again start on the drums, with Mikey now in the audience watching them, and every time I see the guys do this, I am reminded of Japanese drum troop Kodo. They finished, the lights went off, and Mikey told them they could do better than that, so they kept going and with Oli again back on top of the keyboards, and Mikey in the audience, they were off into Not Afraid To Die and we all jumped. Their intensity was so very different to what had gone before, yet somehow was on steroids, and when they segued straight into Follow Me, it ramped up even more. Karl was a continual powerhouse at the back, Oli was playing keyboards, singing, playing percussion, and climbing everything in sight, Davey was riffing hard and providing backing vocals while Bahador was relishing the part of guitar god, while Mikey was on fire, hitting notes which were crazy.

They slowed it down somewhat with the next one, the mighty Secrets, which is all about mental health and Mikey prefaced it with saying that people must not keep it all wrapped inside, “the best secrets are the ones you don’t keep”, with him back in the pit encouraging people to join in. I then had it pointed out to me that the drummer was the most beautiful boy in the building, mind you it was from his partner who may be just slightly biased… Then we were into To Tell You The Truth (13 million views on YouTube) with the crowd still in full voice, jumping along with band who were putting so much energy into the performance. This was followed by Elastic Heart (10 million views), with the band crunching it out as if they had just come onto the stage, not like we were coming towards the end of the set, and the audience were with then all the way with Mikey still screaming, and everyone joining in. 

Mikey then said he had been asked by a youngster if they were going to play a Metallica song, and who are they to disappoint a youngster? Mikey then grabbed the lad onto the stage for an experience he is never going to forget, with the guys blasting out Master of Puppets, Mikey kneeling next to the boy, so he wasn’t overawed by what was happening. Oli by now was hanging off some side stanchions holding up the lighting rig, and by the time he got back to the stage Mikey was bringing more children up. He had them all jumping up and down while Bahador smashed the solo, Davey provide support, Oli provided some synths over the top and Karl was still beating up the kit – had it not had enough punishment today already?

Mikey asked if there were any more kids in the audience and invited them all up onto the stage – it was the first time they had played an all ages gig, and it was special. They ended with a song they play rarely, Genius, the announcement was greeted with shouts from the crowd, and then for one last time we were off. Everyone was jumping, singing, and the party atmosphere was on, with more kids on stage than band members. 

Finally, that was it, that was the end. A gig which was supposed to happen more than 12 months earlier had taken place and finished on time. Many of these bands are now taking a break until the New Year, although I am seeing Venom Dolls again in a few weeks, and it will be interesting to see what happens to them in 2023. Hopefully it will be the first normal year since 2019, I know WBW, Shepherds Reign and Coridian all have albums due (and hopefully others as well, are you listening Joe?) so it could be the year for rock and metal from Aotearoa making a much larger impact on the world stage. All these guys deserve it.

Photo Credit: Chris Morgan / Morgan Creative
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