Opposite Sex - Space Academy - Christchurch - 22 May 2021

 

Gig time again, with Opposite Sex playing again, after I had seen them for the first time only a couple of months earlier in the year. Supporting their new (and maybe last album) album, "High Drama", which maybe their best to date, and being their third, but with the departure of their original drummer, the three of them are now operating under the guise of Wet Specimen and have even released their first album on Bandcamp. So it may well also be a farewell gig, I guess we'll see. 

So I was slightly confused when Lucy Hunter introduces Wet Specimen as the same band but with a different name, although it becomes slightly clearer after she explains the drummer situation. Still, to my ears in the live situation, the do not sound at all much far removed from Opposite Sex, with Reg doing similar guitar pyrotechnics as he does in Opposite Sex but with different songs. So is it Opposite Sex playing different songs for this set or Wet Specimen playing Opposite Sex songs in the later set this night, perhaps the later. Still, it was a good set and the mix sounded excellent..

After their set, I found friend Craig, who had arrived half way into their set and we chatted between bands before heading forward towards the stage for the next band Night Lunch. 

We both had seen Night Lunch before when they came up from Dunedin to support Earth Tongue in late 2019 and we were both impressed with what we had seen that night. A duo of two Liam's being, Hoffman on drums and Dorf on amplified Diddly Bow. They make an excellent dark industrial doomy sound with a lot of force but irreverent humour and it is impressive the sounds Dorf from his two string Diddly. The small crowd was right into their set and again the sound mix was excellent.

And Finally, Opposite Sex(or is it Wet Specimen?) take the stage and take us through a great set across their entire back cataloge , including the songs that first introduced me to their music and then progressed on to the new tracks, especially, what I think are the three best tracks from the new record, finishing their great set with the Epic "Dick On A Throne, which I managed to capture quite well on video(see Below). A great live band and Reg Norris really gets some chaotic sounds from the shredding he does with his guitar over Lucy's wonderful bass lines. Perhaps my second favourite Dunedin band behind Death And The Maiden. 

Beastwars - Blue Smoke - Christchurch - 15th May 2021

 

 

The mighty Beastwars are touring again, this time as an anniversary celebration of the decade since their first album was released and also celebrating the reissue of aforementioned album.  I saw them last trip in 2019 in support of their fourth and possibly best album and I thought I needed to see them again particularly to get mu hands on a copy of the reissued album but another incentive was the support bands, Earth Tongue and especially Saint Satori.

I was lucky to get tickets as I left it quite late but still I managed just a couple of weeks out from the gig to secure myself one. Saint Satori, a local Christchurch band, had put out their first album last year I think it was and although completely unknown to me at the time, it was recommended by the owner of my local record emporium and one of his staff was the bass player. Turned out it was an inspired recommendation and so I was pretty keen to finally catch them live. A great start to the night.

They were first up just past 9pm to a nearly full house as the crowd was still straggling into the venue. Most of the songs I recognised now of course, after having their record for a time and I was really impressed with the singer as I thought I would judging from the record. Anthea has a powerful voice and can hold some rather long notes and can really belt it out, she is the highlight of the band. Their gothic doomy heavy rock was great and I enjoyed their set. A great start to the night.

Wandered to the back of the venue in the break between bands and found a friend who I new was coming along and we chatted a while until Earth Tongue started up. Stayed at the back of the venue for Earth Tongue's set and I didn't enjoy them as much as the last time I saw them in a smaller venue with a much smaller audience. A duo of drums and guitar and Gussie Larkin gets a LOT of sound out of that guitar as they thunder through several tracks I know from their EP that I have. Really grungy sound and quite far removed from the great Indie Pop that Gussie also fronts called  Mermaidens. In Earth Tongue she gets to release her inner bogan.

Headed  nearer front and center for the start of Beastwars set when they finally hit the stage and managed to stay there for about four or five songs of their thunderous doomy sludgy  metal until I'd had enough of being pushed around by all the bodies jammed so tightly together as happens nearer the stage, after which I headed back and found my friend nearer the center of the venue. They played most of the stuff from their first record of course so I was not actually familiar with what they were playing. Volume was loud but not over distorted, and it was all full on as you'd expect. Towards the end of the set they started playing some stuff off their last record and as I knew this stuff better I enjoyed the last four songs of the evening the most and they are powerful riff monsters. It was interesting they finished their set and although the audience was into it, they weren't overly ecstatic and they did not demand an encore which surprised me.  

I did not make any videos but this one from another gig gives an idea what was witnessed.

Les Baxters Album Release show - Space Academy - Christchurch - 14 May 2021

 

Been a while since I went out to see some live music but I thought It would be good to go check out Les Baxters again for the release party of their eponymous debut LP and probably their only record. The four piece is made up of long serving local musicians some of whom I have seen play in other groups over recent years. The record has been a long time in the making but is is good that it has finally seen the light of day, although I understand the group has actually called it a day as of 2019 and this was a reunion for the record release.

I arrived soon after door open and was pleased to meet Reagan on the door, the man who runs the record label(Cocomuse) that is releasing the Les Baxters record. We chatted a while and I soon moved off to find a drink and leave him to man the door.

The place filled up quickly as the first act took the stage soon after 9pm. This was a solo sound art set from a guy using the moniker IRD. I was unfamiliar with this, but he was familiar to me by sight from having seen him at gigs around town and I think playing in some band or another I have seen( I don't know his name). Anyhow his set was an interesting piece of sound art involving him manipulating an old turntable and various bits of plastic, wood, paper and other miscellaneous items and some electronics as his canvas. It was an enjoyable piece.

Next up was Motte, whom I hadn't seen play since she came back from Wellington last year I believe. For this set, she set up a lot more electronic beats as she played and looped her violin over the top. I am guessing this is all recent compositions and  I understand she has recordings in the bag ready for some future release. She also did some lovely vocals on this set which I enjoyed a lot..

The place was pretty much full for this nights entertainment as Les Baxrters set themselves behind their desk of equipment. This was something like the fourth time I had seen them play and all the other times they had been supporting other acts I had come to see, so this was the first time I had seen them as the main attraction and actually given them my full attention. It was a great set and I finally got a far better appreciation of what they do. The early Cabaret Voltaire influence was very noticeable to me this time, especially in the electronic back beats they used. The organ and Theremin overlaying the backbeat fills out the sound, with other recorded sounds getting inserted and manipulated to make a very interesting sonic pallet. It was the best set I had seem them play helped along with recognition of several of their songs now that I had seen them several times. I look forward to playing their record when it arrives in the post this week.