My secret you'll forever be

Unearth were coming to Auckland and they were putting on a big show for metal fans. They had multiple local bands opening up for them and they were bringing melodic death metal band, The Black Dahlia Murder over with them as well. I hadn't seen any of the local bands before but they were all quite impressive, except one band that was really horrible. Awaiting The Storm were the first act to play and they were very young but extremely good for their age. The Dauntless and Mark Of Man played brilliant sets that really got me hooked on their music. It was an awesome couple of hours of NZ metal but now it was time for the international acts to take the stage. I had heard a little about The Black Dahlia Murder before this show but I had never really been exposed to them before. There seemed to be endless amounts of people wearing beautifully illustrated and coloured BDM t shirts though, so they must have been good to have such a cult following. As the night went on, I would discover that they were more than good, they were FUCKING AMAZING! The Black Dahlia Murder took the stage and blew my fucking mind. They were thrashing heavy metal music at a blistering pace but there was an underlying melody created by some inspired guitar riffs. The lyrics were complex and morbidly fascinating, while the atmosphere of the band was so playful and fun. Lead vocalist, Trevor Strnd was a demonic puppet master as he psyched up the audience and pumped his fist in the air. They were so quirky and had such a party attitude, but their music was genius and fucking exciting. I fell in love with this band that night and I have been obsessed with them ever since. After their set I was hugely satisfied but to my utter delight, Unearth were about to take the stage. They played another hour of brilliant metal to the point where they were thrashing so hard, Drummer Derek Kerswill broke his drumstick during Endless (which he then threw to me). It was a heavy night filled with amazing bands and life changing discoveries.

Unearth & The Black Dahlia Murder. 29/05/2010. Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand.

The Black Dahlia Murder set list

Running schedule w/ Unearth guitar pick

Extract the venom, spit it over the shoulder

Shihad are one of the most successful bands to emerge from New Zealand, I was lucky enough to get to witness them take home the Legacy award at the NZ Music Awards in 2010. Earlier in the year, Shihad were touring the country in honour of 2 of their best albums, Killjoy and The General Electric. I would've loved to have gone and seen them both but being a poor art student, I had to decide which one I was going to attend. In the end it was obvious, I was going to see The General Electric album being played in its entirety. The show was sold out and local shredders, Heavy Metal Ninjas opened the night with an impressive display of guitar manipulation. The NZ audience was now ready for Shihad and they delivered with interest, kicking off the show with My Minds Sedate. They transitioned straight into The General Electric (the song) and the atmosphere was buzzing. New Zealand loves when Shihad plays and Shihad love putting on one hell of a show for us. The rest of the album was played with the usual intensity that Shihad have always brought to the stage and lead vocalist/guitarist Jon Toogood was at his best, rocking out like a true skinny white guy. The encore was filled with lesser known tracks from earlier albums and Jon even climbed the sound system at one point. It was a great night that NZ fans can always expect from one of our greatest rock groups ever.

Shihad. 07/08/2010. Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Shihad - Jon Toogood

Over New Years, I headed down to Waihi to see Shihad play another show. This time they were playing as part of a summer festival that was travelling around New Zealand over the holidays. I live in Auckland, so it was a pretty decent drive down to see them, but that would never stop me from seeing a band I loved. To add to the allure, one of my favourite NZ bands were playing in support, Christchurch duo Cairo Knife Fight, along with Chart Topping Indie Pop group, The Naked & Famous. I drove down there in the morning and spent the day on the beach and walking around the cliffs, until I headed off to the venue, Waihi Beach Hotel. A big stage had been built outside the Hotel and I was able to grab a spot in the front row, just to the right of the centre. Cairo Knife Fight opened the show to a rather calm crowd but by the time they were done playing, the audience was alive and thriving. I've seen CKF many times and they always manage to win every single person in the audience over by the end of their set. The Naked & Famous played a good set, their style of alternative pop music got everybody moving and really appealed to the younger people in the audience. Finally, Shihad took the stage and the place just erupted. Unlike earlier in the year when I had seen them, they were playing a set list of their greatest hits and it was an amazing display. Starting with the new and haunting Final Year that lead straight into heavier hits My Minds Sedate and The General Electric. They worked their way through their history playing older songs, like Semi-Normal and Run with newer songs, like Engage and Lead Or Follow. Ending the show with massive hits Comfort Me and Sleepeater, the atmosphere was absolutely electric. They came back for an encore where they played their 2 most well known songs ever, Home Again and Pacifier. The show was well worth the trip down to Waihi and I even managed to see the band afterwards and get them to sign my set list.

Shihad w/ The Naked & Famous + Cairo Knife Fight. 03/01/2011. Waihi Beach Hotel, Waihi, New Zealand.

Before I blow this life to hell

Alter Bridge was the first band I ever saw live and they have had a special place in my heart since I was young. Myles Kennedy is one of my all time favourite vocalists and hearing that he was teaming up with Slash for a world tour was amazing news. Slash and Myles announced they would be playing 1 show in New Zealand and it was going to be at the G-TARanaki festival in New Plymouth. Even though G-TARanaki is NZ's only international guitar festival, it was still a surprise that one of the biggest concerts all year was going to be in such a small town. The location wasn't going to stop me though, I got my ticket and booked a motel so I could drive down there and spend the weekend at the festival. There was a big line-up of musicians including local bands Shotgun Alley and In Dread Response. Vinnie Moore and Jennifer Batten were the next 2 artists to showcase thier talents. Cover group Hail! put on a great show with heaps of familiar songs and then it was time for the main event. Slash came out at about 10PM and played for around an hour and a half. With the hugely talented Myles Kennedy on vocals, they played songs from Slash's last 2 solo albums, some of Guns 'n' Roses biggest hits and even an Alter Bridge song. Getting to hear songs like Paradise City and Sweet Child O' Mine was an amzing experience, they were the songs I grew up with and now I get to hear them with a far superior vocalist. After their epic performance, Slash performed in a midnight jam session with a few of the other musicians, including Uli Jon Roth. They just played a bunch of cover songs, including Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin) and Sunshine Of Your Love (Cream) but they put a unique spin on them all. The whole night was really amazing and truly a once in a lifetime event. The next day I was even lucky enough to meet Slash and Myles as they were heading off to the airport, it was a fucking brilliant experience. I wasn't able to get many pictures and they arn't great quality, but here is the best:

Slash w/ Myles Kennedy. 14/08/2010. TSB Stadium, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Slash w/ Myles Kennedy - TSB Stadium

Slash & Uli Jon Roth

Slash - Midnight Jam

Me & Myles Kennedy with my wristband that was signed by Slash (although it looks like 'Slush')

 

I hear footsteps in the dark when you hijack my heart

This is the short story of how I got my very first set list, which was the start of the fairly impressive collection that is continuing to expand. I was seeing Ladyhawke, the year was 2009 and the day was Halloween, a holiday that isn't really celebrated in New Zealand but it is still an excuse for normal people to do weird and freaky things. At this point in my life, I hadn't been to many concerts. The only musicians I had seen live were Alter Bridge, Disturbed, Iron Maiden and Eric Clapton (a pretty sweet list actually) but I was young and quite unfamiliar with the concert environment. That was all about to change on Halloween night though, I was breaking in some new shoes so my feet were killing me by the time we got to the venue. We got there after the doors had opened and ventured inside to see how many people had got there before us. A lot of people were inside the Powerstation but for some reason, there was not a single person on the floor in front of the stage. The audience was crowded together and pressed up against the walls, like there was an invisible barrier stopping them from getting too close to the stage. I guess every single person in the venue was just 'too cool' to be the first one on the floor. Being different is something that has never stopped me in the past so I just pushed my way through the cowardly crowd and walked out into the big, open space that was the stage floor. I walked straight up to the barrier and sat down against it, front row and centre. I was probably the 500th person to get to the venue but I had no problem getting front row, and it was my first time front row so I was pretty excited. It wasn't long after I claimed my spot that other people noticed and followed like sheep. I guess now that I was the 'uncool' one who was eager to get front row, it was okay for all them to move towards the stage without hurting their 'street cred'. A local band called Over The Atlantic opened and they sounded so much better live than they did on CD, there music was just so much more dynamic. Ladyhawke and her band came out next and they were all dressed like skeletons. It gave a very cool effect to their whole set, and the microphone stand wrapped in fairy lights helped too. I think it was her first headlining show in NZ since her debut album hit the charts, so it must have been a pretty big deal to her. The show went really well and she played her entire album with a couple of covers at the end. She seemed so adorable every time she shyly tanked the audience after a song, and she was even cuter when she confused some of the lyrics to My Delirium and looked so embarrassed, but she recovered really smoothly and it was a great song to end the night on. I was given the set list by one of the sound techs after the show and I had a really special item to remember the night by. That night is what began my obsession with doing whatever is necessary to get front row and grab a set list after the show. So here it is, my first set list:

Ladyhawke. 31/10/2009. The Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

As we fall into sequence

This years Big Day Out really lived up to its name. I took the train and arrived at the venue around 10 o'clock, I had to make sure I was there early because one of my favourite bands were playing in the opening slot. Street Chant took the stage at 10:30AM which is exactly when I got through the gates and ran to the barrier, so I could rock out to my favourite NZ band. They played a great set and I even made 3 news that night as one of the crazys who was rocking out first thing in the morning. I stayed at the Green/Converse stage for a while after that but I was only interested in every second band. That didn't bother me too much though because it meant I got to stay against the barrier on the Converse stage and just wait for the bands to come to me (while I tried to pretend I couldn't hear the awful bands playing on the Green stage. Next band to play was Die! Die! Die! and they had a really extreme set with a lot of crazy fan participation. Later, the Greenhornes played and I'm not a huge fan of theirs but I am a giant Dead Weather fan, so there is no way I could pass up seeing little Jack. During that time, I missed seeing Drab Doo-Riffs on the Lilyworld stage, but I will see them plently more around Auckland in the future, so it is okay. I made my first trip to the main stages after that, Airbourne were playing their hearts out and Joel O'Keeffe climbed the stage structure to thrash his guitar high above the ground. I headed over to the Boiler Room next to see CSS, they played a really fun and energetic show. For the rest of the afternoon, I was running between stages seeing the likes of Lupe Fiasco and Wolfmother, until it was time to go see one of the main events (in my opinion), Crystal Castles. The only problem was that Alice was in a leg cast, so their performance wasn't the best it could've been. They still played some of my favourite songs but they cut their set short in the end, I am just hoping that they will come back to NZ one day so I can see a proper show filled with Alice insanity. Shihad were playing their General Electric album on the main stage and they are always a classic NZ BDO band. I started moving away before Shihad were finished though because I wanted to get a really good spot for the next band, Iggy and the Stooges. Despite only playing at 7PM, Iggy was the highlight of the night. His set was an example that the raw power of rock and roll never dies. It started to rain during his set and I got completely soaked but I didn't care at the time. I ran over to the Green Stage in an attempt to keep warm, I got there just in time to catch the end of local band, The Naked & Famous. Sia played right after and it was such an awesome show. She was dressed in this big box with stripes painted in it and then her body was painting in the same stripes, so she looked like a chameleon trying to blend in with her background. Her performance was very sweet and adorable, especially considering it was happening while Rammstein were playing on the main stage. It was now very dark and I was extremely wet and cold, but there was still one band to see. I headed over to the main stage to witness Tool, but I was thoroughly underwhelmed. Not much happened and they didn't even play my favourite song, Parabola. At this point, I was freezing cold so I started to make my way out of the venue and towards the trains, where I could find some warmth and dry clothes when I got home. I don't have any photos from the later bands, but here are some of the best of the earlier bands:

Big Day Out 2011. 21/01/2011. Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand

Street Chant

Die! Die! Die!

The Greenhornes

Airbourne

Wolfmother

Shihad

Top Ten - The Best Minor Characters (Live Action)

I can become quite obsessed with certain television shows and this can lead me to over think a lot of the characters and story lines. The best thing about this is that once you start to really obsess about a show, you discover just how great some of the more subtle elements of the show are. This list is dedicated to the minor characters of television, they are unbelievably necessary to every show and without them, failure would be imminent. Their contribution can be just a single episode or maybe a small recurring role, but the one thing they all have in common is the massive impact they have on the series. So these are my 10 favourite minor characters from the TV shows I watch:

10.     Bernadette Rostenkowski (The Big Bang Theory)

Spontaneously cautious of deadly microbiology, she is too good for Howard but I hope they stay together so that she will continue to be on the show and hang out with Amy & Penny.

9.     Cerie (30 Rock)

Her naiveté gives off a charming innocence. She is at her best when interacting with Liz and assuming she is married with children.

8.   Sunday (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

She was only ever in 1 episode but it had a lasting effect on me. The Freshman is one of my favourite episodes and Buffy is really challenged by her power and attitude - S04E01.

7.     Heather (Mr. Sunshine)

Everyone thinks that she is crazy and they are probably right, but her 'unusual' quirks are what make her so cute, especially when around Ben Donovan.

6.   Margaret Hooper (The West Wing)

She works as Leo's assistant and never graduated to a main character, but she was a constant delight during all seven seasons and her quotes would often upstage the rest of the cast.

5.   Louise Grant (Gilmore Girls)

Originally one of Paris's minions but she was always a lot smarter than she seemed. Her sassy attitude and sharp wit helped separate her from Madeline.

4.   Sally Sparrow (Doctor Who)

Only appeared in 1 episode of the show, but it is maybe the best one they made during the David Tennant era. The Weeping Angels are still one of the scariest things I have ever seen - S03E10.

3.     Julie Powers (Scott Pilgrim)

The ultimate bitch, and that is why I love her. Her involvement in the movie is rather limited but her contribution to the comic series is immense.

2.     Seymour (Burn Notice)

He started off as a crazy gun dealer but as Michael dealt with him more, he really became one of the gang. Only a couple of appearances but they are all genius. Matt Nix needs to bring him back.

1.   Dean Pelton (Community)

Even though the Dean was recently recognized for his contribution to the show and included in the opening title sequence, I still feel he should make this list because of his awesome contribution to Community. He is at his best when flirting with Jeff and his animated movie is such a fucking brilliant tag, it rivals the Spanish rap of season 1.

Ask me to write a song about your country in twenty minutes

I missed getting to see Amanda Palmer last time she was in New Zealand because The Dead Weather were playing on the same night, and there was no way in hell I wasn't seeing that. So when she announced a new tour in 2011 to support her new album Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, I knew this was my chance to go see her live (and nothing clashed with her this time!). She was in NZ when the massive earthquake hit Christchurch, just 1 day before her performance in Auckland. Luckily she was able to get here alright (though, slightly late) and perform for her loving fans. She brought Jason Webley as her supporting act, he is the other half of Evelyn & Evelyn and a bad ass piano accordionist. I'd never heard of Jason before but I was so impressed with his vocals and his performance that I went to see his solo show the next night as well. The song that really caught my attention was Dance While The Sky Crashes Down, which I managed to record a bit of (I also talk about it more in a previous post). Amanda arrived in the craziest way possible, as usual, by starting the show outside with her ukulele. She made her way inside and walked over the bar, then got crowd surfed to the stage. She was dressed like a slutty Geisha and was throwing glitter and stars into the audience. Her set consisted of her playing a lot of her solo work and even some Dresden Dolls material too. The highlight of the night for everyone was when she played New Zealand, a song she had written about our little country. Jason Webley joined her on stage later in the show and they performed together, doing some stuff from Evelyn & Evelyn. They played well past their estimated end time and would've played all night if they could. It was a brilliant and extremely audience-friendly show.

Amanda Palmer w/ Jason Webley. 23/02/2011. Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand.

Jason Webley

Jason Webley

Jason Webley - Dance While The Sky Crashes Down

Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer - Sex Changes

Amanda Palmer - New Zealand

Evelyn & Evelyn

Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley - Evelyn & Evelyn

Me & Jason Webley

Me & Amanda Palmer

Jason Webley. 24/02/2011. Thirsty Dog Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand.

Jason Webley

Jason Webley - Dance While The Sky Crashes Down

Just for a second I thought I remembered you

I first started listening to Gary Numan/Tubeway Army in 2010 after The Dead Weather releases a cover version of Are Friends Electric? I absolutely loved that song and that led me to start listening to the artist who created the original. Even though I am not a die-hard fan, I still really enjoy all of his music so when Gary Numan announced a solo show in New Zealand in 2011, I just had to go. There was no opening band, so Gary Numan just came straight out on the stage and started playing. the tour was in celebration of the re-release of his 1979 album, The Pleasure Principle. He played through the entire album to begin with, the stage looked amazing with all the colourful lights flashing in the mist. The second half of the show was dedicated to his successful back-catalogue and all the other hits from his career. The live sound production was some of the best I have ever heard, it enhanced all the crazy robotic keyboards and the machine-like guitars to the point where they sounded better than on the album. The whole live performance had a real dynamism and impact that can not be found on CD or MP3. The show ended with the original Are Friends Electric? and it was the perfect end to a really outstanding night.

Gary Numan. 21/05/2011. ASB Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.

Gary Numan - Are Friends Electric?

He shoots you dead and he eats your head

I was shocked to find out that Blondie were going to be touring NZ in late 2010, seeing as how I was only born in the 90's, I never imagined I would be able to see Debbie Harry perform live. Don't count the years though, because Blondie teamed up with The Pretenders and they brought their talents down to New Zealand. Deborah Harry may be 65 and Chrissie Hynde is 59, but that didn't stop these 2 pop veterans from joining forces and bringings the good old days back to town. Debroah Harry came on the stage wearing a bright blue tutu and gave an amazing performance, from the old classics like One Way Or Another and Hangin' On The Telephone to the newer songs, like Maria. She eventually ripped off the tulle and really started to rock out with some shimmying and glimpses of the old days in CBGB's. An extended version of Rapture really showcased the talents of her young band, including drummer Clem Burke and shredding guitarist Tommy Kessler. They performed an encore of Heart Of Glass and the whole audience joined her to sing it. The Pretenders were a little more energetic , as they played all of their hits from over the years but Blondie was my stand-out favourite of the night. The audience was mainly old people (which was to be expected) but that meant there was a very sombre attitude and noone was really dancing, but I wasn't going to let some boring oldies stop me from having a great time.

Blondie w/ The Pretenders. 16/12/2010. Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.

The Pretenders

Blondie

Blondie

Blondie - X-Offender

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

We are the undead

The greatest thing about this night was not the music that was played or when I got to meet Liam Cormier after the show, but it was something that happened at the very beginning of the night. When I first arrived at Kings Arms Tavern it was still relatively empty, no band had taken the stage yet but one brave explorer had found its way onto the stage. This curious adventurer was an everyday, domestic cat that had found its way inside the bar and was sniffing around the drumkit and guitars. It didn't seem too worried about all the people in the tavern and when it came time for the first band to play, noone was sure what to do about the stage cat. Eventually the cat was lured off the stage and the first band could start, but in my opinion, stage cat was the first act to go on that night. It was my first time seeing every band that played that night, Oilbarrons were the first band to go on (after stage cat) and they were an explosion of brutal metal crossed with punk. Their short songs would barely last a minute, but they thrashed their instruments enough during their set for a lifetime. Leeches were next to go on, they are Angelo Munro's (formerly of The Bleeders) new band and they were awesome! I've raved about how could they are in the past (my New Zealand Music Month post) and this was my first time being blown away by them. Great original songs and a badass cover of Sing Sing Death House by The Distillers. Snakes Of Iron were the last NZ band to go on, they were pretty good but fairly unmemorable. Cancer Bats played a huge set, the Canadian rockers put on one hell of a performance. There was too much energy and movement to get any good photos during the night, but I did manage to get some good videos and after meeting Liam and the band after the show, I got a running schedule signed by the Cancer Bats and some of Leeches.

Cancer Bats w/ Leeches. 14/09/2010. Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand.

Leeches - Never Forget

Leeches - Sing Sing Death House (The Distillers cover)

Cancer Bats - Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand. 14/09/2010

Cancer Bats - Sabotage (Beastie Boys cover)

Me and Liam Cormier (Cancer Bats)

Signed by Cancer Bats & Leeches

They like the way I be leanin'

I'm not really a U2 fan at all but when they decided to bring their entire 360 degrees tour to New Zealand, it was hard to avoid the hype. The country was buzzing with the news that U2 were actually going to bring their whole stage show all the way down here, but I remained rather neutral about the matter. That is, until it was announced that supporting U2 on their tour would be Jay-Z. I've been a fan of his ever since he released the cross-over album with Linkin Park, and now I was torn between wanting to go to the show and not having enough money to buy an expensive U2 ticket. So when it was announced that there would be extremely cheap tickets sold for the show, approx $40, i was keen as. Surprisingly, the cheap tickets actually gave me a really good view of the show, and the stage was so big that it is hard to miss anything. Jay-Z opened when the sun was still up and most of the older U2 fans sitting around me had no idea who the hell he was, but that was to be expected. Jay-Z played a great set with all his hits, including H To The Izzo, 99 Problems, Big Pimpin' and Dirt Off Your Shoulder. He played a few off of his new album as well, with Empire State Of Mind and On To The Next One sounding even better live than on CD, and Run This Town always sounds amazing. U2 played a massive set and everyone seemed to love it. I only recognized a couple of songs, like Beautiful Day, Vertigo and Sunday Bloody Sunday but despite my ignorance, I still really enjoyed the performance. They put on a good show (but it was maybe a little long) and the alien-like stage was perpetually fascinating.

U2 w/ Jay-Z. 26/11/2010. Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z - 99 Problems

U2 - Bono

U2 - Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. 26/11/2010