It’s been a hot minute since my last encounter with the Hunter Lounge. Memories of O-Week, indie-pop and rap shows still linger. The venue for students, by students, now cradling a sea of hard-Kiwi-rock fans virtually devoid of coloured attire.

The terrific two-piece, Skinny Hobos opened the night with a lesson of great minimalism requiring great responsibility as they made themselves as large as possible with octave-generators and tight vocal harmonies.

The Merchant of Tirau, Jacked Like The Ripper, the duo stomp through their set in perfect sync, ranging from tight, outrageously chunky riffs, to atmospheric reverb and delay. Impressive loops are worked into the performances, highlighting that with the less personnel, the tighter the band must be.

The crowd chatters away, but the duo is undeterred in their show. It’s one of those instances where you want to see the band in their own headline gig so the respect of the crowd can elevate the performance. Still, the band engages with us, showing their gratitude to be playing a show in Wellington again. “Do you think Peter Jackson’s here tonight?” They joke that they could make convincing orcs in any upcoming Lord of the Rings projects. If I could count the amount of times a Wellington show has prompted a Tolkien callout…

It's clear that the next act is one that a great many in the crowd are here for. The fabled Tadpole take the stage, fronted by a new powerhouse vocalist that is Emma Dilemma. Her stage presence demands connection, not only from the crowd, but with her band, locking eyes with each member as she struts.

Fast Stuff, Better Days, the crowd are elated to hear this throwback to a Kiwi rock band that dominated the late 90's rock scene with their blend of electronica, perfectly poised in the sound of the decade before their disbandment in 2006. Their return has been triumphant, with the reissue of their first two albums reeling in a new wave of fans, myself included. My personal favourite of the night, Blind is a short, yet slightly slower tune by comparison with a killer melody. The vocal performance in the original recording has always dazzled me, and Emma rises to the occasion.

A poignant, torch-lit performance of No Man, DJ Kritikl breaks reminiscent of 90's nu-metal gigs and Kiwi acts like The Headless Chickens and Strawpeople close off a blazing return to the stage for Tadpole after a nearly two-decade hiatus. This is hopefully just the beginning for their re-emergence, and I would encourage any new listeners to dive on in and catch them wherever and whenever possible.

With the lights down again, the unmistakable bass riff of Van Halen’s Runnin' With the Devil blares over the speakers to usher in the headliner of the night. Devilskin pump the crowd to life again with the obligatory Elvis Presley Circle Pit. It’s obvious to see why they are as revered as they are. Jennie Skulander and the ‘Evil Twins’, Tony Vincent and Paul Martin command the stage at every turn. Jennie’s voice enraptures us with her massive melodic chops and blood-curdling death growl; truly one of the greatest vocalists this country has ever produced. The sheer power and diversity of her voice elicits responses of elation and awe from the audience.

After 10 years of powerhouse rock, to say Devilskin are a masterclass within their genre is an understatement. The band from Hamilton have made their mark at home, and on the international rock and metal circuits, performing at some of the most coveted festivals in the world. The rallying anthem of Start A Revolution and the haunting Burning Tree sound just as tight and vibrant as they did in the beginning.

Jennie flips and cartwheels across the stage to just hammer home the standard of showmanship we can expect from the four-piece. They urge us to look after one another and have each other's backs through every day hardships that this music is birthed from. The blistering riffs, face-melting guitar solos, rapid double kicks from Nic Martin’s kit, and bulky, driving bass riffs form a close-knit and hulking wall of rock that paints Jennie’s voice as a resolute light in darkness.

Dedicating pieces to loved ones that could not be present with us for one reason or another demonstrates the presence of the poignancy in their music.

I don’t know what it is about the Hunter Lounge, but it seems that each time I attend a gig here, it’s the crowd that are the weakest link. Whether this be the booing of an all-female opening act for Stormzy, or audience members heckling Aldous Harding to smoke a joint with them, the disrespect always seems present. In this case, I find myself wondering if many of those in attendance here wanted to come and watch a Devilskin show or have a catch-up over beers, yelling at each other over the music. It becomes most obvious in Fade, one of the bands quieter songs, and it seems the chatter shows no sign of letting up. Make no mistake, this appears to be a common occurrence in many gigs I’ve attended in recent years and does make me wonder where people’s priorities lie when experiencing live music. It goes without saying that you should be able to enjoy the show in the way that you see fit, but maybe if you’re actually, you know, watching the show?

A well-received and immensely impressive cover of Heart’s Barracuda brings us back from the encore, breathing new life into one of the most recognizable tunes of all time. As the night comes to an end, a powerful performance of the title track for the album that started it all, We Rise ensures that every member of the crowd is appropriately engaged and pushing the four-piece to their absolute limits. Fists pump to the chants, Jennie flips between her immense head voice and growls like a split personality as the band leave everything on stage, even if the audience didn’t reciprocate the engagement.

I leave the gig assured that Devilskin need to be heard to be believed, and that watching a gig through your phone is certainly not a generational issue as we’re led to believe. While I cannot recommend witnessing them enough, I would urge you to head into a gig that exhibits so much raw energy (and indeed all gigs) with the intention to engage with the performers and be a part of the communal feast of art. Isn’t that, when it comes down to it, really what it’s all about?

Photo Credit: Stella Gardiner Photo
Devilskin Photo Gallery
Tadpole Photo Gallery
Skinny Hobos Photo Gallery

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