She drinks like a chimney and smokes like a fish

This is the show I had been waiting for since early August, the Drab Doo-Riffs release party for their new EP 'A Fistful Of Doo-Riffs'. I got this EP at the Liam Finn show on August 3rd but it wasn't out until Sept 9th officially, so I had to bide my time until the release show to truly celebrate its magnificence. DDR were playing at the Winchester in Auckland City, which is a perfect venue for them and they had some quality opening bands including Allan Pitt playing the saw (seriously, it was amazing) and the instrumentalists Hollow Grinders. The Drab Doo-Riffs took to the stage which was decorated with guitar pinatas and a banner with a severed dolls leg painted on it. They started off the show with their theme from A Fistful Of Doo-Riffs played by the toughest trumpet player I have ever seen and from then on out, it was just a tornado of Doo-Riff. Opening with some older material really helped get the crowd into it and then they unleashed some of their new songs like Lunatic Fringe and I'm Depressed. The set list was filled with new and old songs, which is a wonderful thing to experience. The Drab Doo-Riffs now have enough material to entertain all night and that can only be a good thing. DDR writes new music so quickly that they were playing new songs, like Do The Cat and Fantastic Voyage, that weren't even on the new EP (that is how new they were). The Drab Doo-Riffs live shows are the best in the country with Karl Steven and Caiohme McFehin bringing perpetual energy and twitchy dancing to ever show. It was a great night of madness and the best NZ show I have seen all year. I even came away with lots of goodies, including a t-shirt, 10" vinyl, 3D poster, stickers and a lungful of glitter.

The Drab Doo-Riffs. 09/09/2011. The Winchester, Auckland, New Zealand.

The Drab Doo-Riffs w/ Tim on trumpet

Lucy & Karl

The Drab Doo-Riffs w/ Tim on trumpet - Motorscoot Scoot

Karl, Caiohme & M. F. Joyce

The Drab Doo-Riffs - Ill Equipped

DO THE CAT!

The Drab Doo-Riffs Set List

Try hard not to argue the obvious

Everything was coming in 2's with 2 of my favourite New Zealand artists playing 2 nights in a row. Liam Finn and The Drab Doo-Riffs are electric live bands and brilliant musicians, so this was an unmissable event. The first night started off extremely well, with The Drab Doo-Riffs unveiling their new EP, A Fistful Of Doo-Riffs (which wasn't even in stores yet) and playing all of their new songs. The new material was a little rough, but it was the first time some of those songs had ever been played live so it was really a privilege to experience that. Karl Steven and Caiohme McFehin were spastically (yet somehow gracefully) throwing themselves around as usual and being a die-hard DDR fan myself, I was happily dancing my heart out along with them, even on their new songs which I was experiencing for the first time. Liam Finn was the main event, touring in support of his new album FOMO and he lived up to his reputation. A huge musical performance backed by a lovable personality, his guitar was vibrant, his drums were dynamic and his vocals resonated from behind that signature beard. Liam's set list fluctuated between his 2 albums, while he switched between instruments flawlessly and his backing band was magnificently complimentary. The bearded one loves to end with a big finish, howling the vocals for Lead Balloon while the encore took a much more mellow approach, eventually settling down to just Liam and E.J. performing an intimate song. The second night was a lot of the same, The Drab Doo-Riffs were feeling a lot more comfortable with their new material and really let loose in the Kings Arms, while Liam suffered some slight technical problems that would've been problematic, but Liam covered for it with an impromptu jam session. The set lists for both bands changed slightly on the second night, but mainly just shuffling songs. It was a fantastic night and an absolute blessing that I got to experience it twice in a row.

Liam Finn w/ The Drab Doo-Riffs. 03/08/11. Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand.

The Drab Doo-Riffs - I'm Depressed

The Drab Doo-Riffs - Pour Vous

The Drab Doo-Riffs Set List

Liam Finn - Gather To The Chapel

Liam Finn Set List

Liam Finn w/ The Drab Doo-Riffs. 04/08/11. Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand.

The Drab Doo-Riffs - Lunatic Fringe

The Drab Doo-Riffs Set List

Liam Finn - Better To Be

Liam Finn - Lead Balloon

Liam Finn Setlist

Exoskeletal junction at the railroad delayed

Big Day Out 2010 in Auckland city started off with a 3-way clash between some of my favourite New Zealand bands to this day, they were The Drab Doo-Riffs, Cairo Knife Fight and Popstrangers. They were all playing different stages at 11AM when the doors opened, and even though I am happy for those bands because they get to play BDO, I would hate to have to choose between them. The day got easier after that, I saw Temper Trap and Passion Pit on the Green/Converse stages then I headed over to the main stage to join the Mastodon moshpit. After that I went straight to the NZ stage where I saw Tainted, who were possibly one of the best acts I saw that day. They had really amazing energy and the security guards kept spraying us with a hose, which was felt absolutely magical after spending all day in the sun. Kasabian was rather uneventful and I spent the next few hours checking out the other bands around, like The Horrors, Ladyhawke, The Veils and The Decemberists. I saw Peaches the night before at her sideshow, so I didn't go see her again that day but I missed seeing Devendra Banhart and Dead Prez which I am quite gutted about. As the evening went on, I headed up to the stands of the main stage to watch the head lining acts. Dizzee Rascal isn't really my thing, but watching the crowd all jump in unison was kind of amazing, then Lily Allen played her set but her sound quality was rather poor. The Mars Volta were my favourite band to play that night, but I didn't get a great view of them performing. It was dark by now and Muse were taking the stage for the final show of the night. They brought their crazy laser display down here with them and put on a brilliant performance. Their setlist was fantastic and the entire night was a real spectacle. I didn't take many photos during the day because everything ended up blurry, but these are the ones that turned out alright:

Big Day Out. 15/01/2010. Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand.

Tainted

Dizzee Rascal

Lily Allen

The Mars Volta

Muse

Made me a shadow in the shape of wonder

For the first time after the expansion of the band and their new album, Congratulations, MGMT were playing a show in Auckland. originally they were playing at the Logan Campbell Centre but for some reason, they changed it to The Powerstation which was great for me because that is one of my favourite venues. I was actually feeling a bit of deja-vu because exactly 1 year before, I went through the same thing with the Dead Weather, they announced a show at the Logan Campbell Centre on March 17th and then changed it to The Powerstation at the last minute. It was a little freaky that the exact same thing was happening on the same day but I would never compare the 2 events too closely (The Dead Weather are just too amazing for comparison). 2 of my favourite New Zealand bands were opening for MGMT, they were Popstrangers and The Drab Doo-riffs. It was my first time seeing Popstrangers since their drummer change, I loved their old drummer Elliot but the new guy seemed to do really well too (it will never be the same, but I can move past this). The Drab Doo-riffs were electric as always and really got everybody in the mood. Then MGMT played and it was a pretty fantastic show, they all seemed like they were having a lot of fun, which can be really contagious and the lighting was extremely psychedelic. The set list they played was phenomenal and I managed to get my hands on it afterwards (someone else tried to grab it too and it just ripped, but I got the majority of it while this poor other stranger only got a corner). I'm not the biggest MGMT fan in the world and they will never compare to The Dead Weather, but it was a really great show and a fascinating musical experience.

MGMT w/ The Drab Doo-riffs + Popstrangers. 17/03/2011. The Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand

Popstrangers - Jimmy Mac + Adam Page

Popstrangers - Joel Flyger

The Drab Doo-riffs - Karl Steven + Caiohme Macfehin

The Drab Doo-Riffs - Broke It Up

MGMT - Andrew VanWyngarden

MGMT - Benjamin Goldwasser + Andrew VanWyngarden

MGMT - Of Moons, Birds & Monsters

MGMT - Electric Feel

MGMT setlist 2011

The sparkle in your eyes, keeps me alive

Love was one of the first albums I loved in its entirety, so when I found out that not only were The Cult coming to New Zealand for a show but that they were going to play every song off Love, I was ecstatic. I had never been to the Trusts Stadium in West Auckland before, it was really just a converted netball stadium, but that didn't matter to me. The opening band was new to me and led by the former frontman of Supergroove, Karl Steven. It was my first time seeing The Drab Doo-Riffs live and I have been in love with their music ever since (check them out in my New Zealand Music Month post). After DDR's were finished their high energy set of alternative/surf/punk amazingness, it was time for The Cult to play. The British goth rockers played Love in its entirety, and it was one of the most amazing things ever. Ian Astbury looked like a motorcycle gang member and was throwing tamberines into the audience all night, Billy Duffy was brilliant on his guitar, especially during the intro of Phoenix. They closed their set with a collection of their greatest hits, including Wildflower and Love Removal Machine. Overall, it was pretty good first experience with Trusts Stadium.

The Cult w/ The Drab Doo-Riffs. 03/05/2010. Trusts Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand.

The Drab Doo-Riffs - Trouble

The Cult - Billy Duffy

The Cult - Ian Astbury

The Cult - Billy Duffy

The Cult - Nirvana

New Zealand Music Month 2011

This is a dedication to all the great New Zealand bands out there today in honour of New Zealand music month 2011. Even though the comedy gala has overshadowed kiwi music in the month of may in NZ, I still think NZMM should be properly appreciated, so here are 4 amazing bands that everyone in the world should know about...




STREET CHANT

These guys are a heavy pop trio from Auckland, New Zealand formed in 2007 that sound like bubble gum with the liquid centre, and getting punched in the face. The band consists of Emily Littler (vocals/guitar), Billie Rogers (bass/vocals) and Alex Brown (drums). Their debut album Means is the best record to come out of NZ in 2010 and they have played some amazing shows including Big Day Out '11 and the We Means Kudos tour with Surf City and The Transistors. I was first introduced to their music when they opened for The Dead Weather in March 2010 and have been addicted ever since. Their live show is a unique and energetic experience with elements of the grunge/punk 'fuck shit up' attitude, they are truly the best band around these days.

Best Songs: Scream Walk, Less Chat More Sewing, Blister, Yr Philosophy.

POPSTRANGERS

This band is the trigger that started my obsession with New Zealand music. An Auckland trio consisting of Joel Flyger (Vocals, Guitar), Adam Page (Bass) and Elliot Rawson (Drums), they exploded onto the scene in 2009 with their unique combination of grunge, punk and noise. Their debut self-titled EP was flawless with every track just as brilliant as the next. I first saw them when they opened for Peaches at the Transmission Room and then a day later at Big Day Out '10, with one of their most notable shows being opening for MGMT in 2011. After the success of their first EP, they began work on their next record with new drummer, Jimmy Mac and in 2010 they released Happy Accidents which was another fucking brilliant EP. These guys would be the second best band around these days.

Best songs: 1000, Take It To The Grave, Happy Accidents, Arrest Your Body

THE DRAB DOO-RIFFS

An Auckland-based bluesy, surf punk five piece fronted by Karl Steven (Lead Vocals/Harmonica and former member of Supergroove). They are a band that is just focused on being themselves and having fun, with other members including Caoimhe Macfehin (co-lead vocals and percussion), Marcus Joyce (Bass), Mikey Sperring (Drums) and Lucy Stewart (guitars). The true essence of this band can be found at their live shows where their spastic and crazy energy is on display. They are committed to making lots of music, choosing to release their music on EPs because they are small and fast and playing as many live gigs as possible, including opening for The Cult in 2010 and MGMT in 2011. The DD-R's are a band that wants to be Spock and releases music as fast as a mongoose – what more could you ask for?

Best Songs: Hot Tanya, Ill Equipped, Broke It Up, Gold Coin

LEECHES

An Auckland-based hardcore punk band featuring members from many other NZ bands including The Bleeders. Forming in 2010, they have been playing shows and gaining momentum with the release of their self-titled EP in 2011. The band is made up of Angelo Munro (Vocals), Sam Crocker (Bass/Vocals), Ian King (Guitar/Vocals), Dan Brenndorfer (Guitar/Vocals) and Rob O-Conner (Drums). As all the members have come from other successful NZ bands, there was no hesitation when they erupted on the scene and they found their rhythm very quickly. Some of their more notable shows included opening for Cancer Bats at The Kings Arms and playing No Sleep Til Auckland in 2010 along with 10 other legendary bands.

Best Songs: Damnation, Never Forget, Already Dead

Check Out New Zealand Music Month 2011 - Part II