ARTICLES

Gig Review - Shihad 'Killjoy' live

05 August 2010

Author: Shaun Chait

Shihad 'Killjoy' live
San Fran Bathhouse, July 31, 2010

With friendships dating all the way back to high school and a basically unchanged line up during the bands full 21 years, Shihad are – in terms of career if not sound - NZ's version of U2. They are our most successful and highly regarded rock band, enjoying a similarly unrivaled status here as Ireland's finest do there. Seven studio albums of beauty and brutality, perfect pop and pummeling power have cemented their position as kingpins of NZ music. Their live shows are anticipated with the same bare faced, unbridled excitement as the child at the dairy awaiting his two dollar mixture. And they have given us at least two of the albums of our generation – albums that stand amongst the greats from any country or music genre in most music fan's collections.

So is is fitting then that to celebrate their 21st, Shihad are firing a two gun salute – a one-two punch of 'Killjoy' and 'The General Electric', played start to finish all these years after they were created, over two nights in NZ's main cities. Saturday past saw them arrive in their hometown to perform 'Killjoy', 1995's seminal masterpiece that confirmed them as serious heavy hitters and had everyone from Metallica to Faith No More touting them for greatness. Support on the night came from Cairo Knife Fight, an act containing Aaron Tokana, formally of Weta. Weta were an act that in typical Shihad fashion of always trumpeting fellow bands from their scene and city, benefited from the inclusion of a track as a b-side on the Yr Head Is A Rock single (a single that featured only one Shihad track – the other four coming from fellow Wellington bands). The Shihad generosity displayed to their brothers in arms has always known no limits. Their contribution to other bands careers, giving them a leg up with support slots, studio help, namedropping in interviews and friendship, has played a huge part in bringing many of those bands to wider attention.

Shihad arrive on stage and there's no second guessing what the set list will contain tonight. So it's straight into You Again and Gimme Gimme. The band sounds monstrous, as if they've just released this album and have been playing these songs constantly for the past six months. It's incredible to hear Jon Toogood saying “we played this song live for the first time two nights ago in Christchurch” before launching into For What You Burn. Such is the tightness, band solidarity and power of the performance you'd think either they'd been touring this album, or that you were back in the mid Nineties. Jon Toogood has always been the ultimate frontman and brings his usual swagger and charm, encompassing rock poses and hoisting himself onto fan's shoulders/hands/whatever during an emotive and shimmering Deb's Night Out – the song a poignent counterpoint to the heavy as hell throb of the night. Karl Kippenberger is actually looking younger as the years go by - the groove merchant on the right guiding the beautiful machine while unassuming genius Phil Knight at stage left rips, spits and fires up all manner of licks and riffs. Mr Tom Larkin is a mechanical beast. He always amazes with what a powerhouse of a drummer he is, whilst making it look as if he's making a cuppa. 'Killjoy' is a great metal album, and still sounds a heavy riffy monster. In this live environment where Shihad have always excelled, it sounds mammoth, relevant and fresh. “It's weird, we'd like to change the set list around a bit but tonight we can't” says Toogood before continuing on through Bitter and Silvercup. With album finished and a fired up crowd chanting for more, Shihad arrive back on stage. What now – 'Killjoy' b-sides? “Well there's only one place to go from here, and thats backwards”, announces Toogood to howls of delight. And then they launch into a blistering Screwtop, before finishing with a teaser of It off the 'Devolve EP'.

The good news for fans as Shihad set themselves for the release of studio album eight in September, is the band look and sound fresh, energised and ready to deliver. Bring on 'The General Electric' tonight...