Gig review: Rock2Wgtn in Wellington (+pics)
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Wellington's rock spectacle was occasionally memorable, but sometimes terrible, reviewer Simon Sweetman says.
Rock2Wgtn
Where: Westpac Stadium
When: March 22 and 23
The first night of Rock2Wgtn featured three bands that have all drawn heavily from the horror movie genre and cartoon/comic book ideals for their overall look and inspiration.
Headlining the show, Kiss; the business-franchise/band featuring Gene Simmons (bass, vocals) and Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar, vocals) and a better guitarist and drummer wearing the spaceman and cat-man makeup, replacing original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.
The Kiss stage shows were legendary in the 1970s - and the band, now celebrating 35 years, played a set that had faithful members of "the Kiss army" chanting along, arms in the air. Shots of fire and a flashing neon logo in the background all made for a great show.
It is a pity that Kiss songs are close to terrible. Rudimentary riffing and basic rhythms are their stock in trade; the band members' make-up and personas cannot mask the lack of hooks in the songs.
Still, as a show, it was full of spectacle. In Gene Simmons' one-note bass solo, bathed in green lights and coughing up stage blood, he was elevated (barely) by wires. The cheap trick might have been amazing 30 years ago, but now seems sad.
Fans applauded - perhaps for the trip down memory lane?
Current guitarist Tommy Thayer sang Ace Frehley's Shock Me (from 1977's Love Gun), Stanley and Simmons went back to 1974's eponymous debut for 100,000 Years and Firehouse, and from 1976's Rock and Roll Over Simmons gave the rather embarrassing plodder Calling Dr Love.
Alice Cooper would have blown Kiss off the stage, given the chance to headline. The ageing rocker - leading a band of the same name - ran through early 1970s classic hits (No More Mr Nice Guy, Billion Dollar Babies) to his late 1980s comeback (Poison from the Trash album).
In a stage show that featured harmony guitar lines - evoking the classic twin-guitar attack from his mid-70s heyday - and plenty of Cooper's signature horror-show theatre (culminating in a fake hanging) there were constant gems (Only Women Bleed, Elected, School's Out, Welcome to My Nightmare). A class act.
Lordi, from Finland, were the opening night's curtain-raisers. Their monster costumes (a direct nod to the influence of Kiss) were close to hysterical.
The drummer looked like a Gamorrean Guard from Return of the Jedi; the lead singer (known as Mr Lordi) appears to have snapped up John Travolta's Battlefield Earth suit in an eBay bargain.
The band played Dungeons & Dragons-metal songs like Hard Rock Hallelujah (from their third album, The Arockalypse) and fireworks erupted in front of the group.
It was like 1987 all over again (despite the song being written and released in 2006).
The Sunday night headliner was ex-Black Sabbath lead singer/reality-television self-parody Ozzy Osbourne. Metal's legendary prince of darkness hooked the crowd in with solo hits from his back catalogue (Bark At The Moon, Mr Crowley, Crazy Train) and an electrifying mid-set rendition of Sabbath’s War Pigs saw Ozzy peak too soon.
After that the interminable soloing from guitarist Zakk Wylde threatened to ruin the gig and Ozzy closed off with obscure, newer material, encoring with Mama, I'm Coming Home and Paranoid; too little, too late.
Whitesnake possesses a charismatic frontman (David Coverdale). It’s a pity the band's songs are generally awful. Talented musicians made the most of flaccid Iron Maiden-wannabe material.
Fortunately Coverdale did pen Here I Go Again, a positively anthemic experience to participate in with a stadium audience. This was fun.
Poison rocked the crowd early on and nonsense hair-metal ditties from the late 1980s like Unskinny Bop served as decent curtain-raising fodder. The ballad Every Rose Has Its Thorn is a cowboy-classic and Don't Need Nothing But A Good Time, the band's encore, just might have been the mantra for Rock 2 Wgtn.
Unfortunately the good times only arrived sporadically. Nice idea though.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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ummmm ok wtf!! this is the worst review ive ever read. this person obviously has no passion for descent rock music so why did they bother going and what were they expecting. this person needs to get a life because rock 2 wellington was a brilliant concert and was well worth it!
Kinda Dissapointed With how much You Badmouth very Band At The Concert, I Would Give My Left Arm And leg To Go Again. Just To Clarify - Gene Simmons Was Only Suspended That Fraction off The Ground because His Wiring Got Caught On The Scaffolding, Usually He Soars To The Top of The Stadium To Perform That Song. Thought Everything About That Night Was Perfect.
Even though the revewer gave a bad outlook on the concert, for those who enjoy that music and have been a fan of say.. kiss and ozzy ozbourne for most of their lives, this was more than a way to calculate their remaining talent, it was a chance to see their favourite bands live.
Who could ask for more than that, even though they weren't spectacular they still managed to rock wellington, and the fans that they attracted.
I have no idea who wrote thi this trash. Obviously, they have no idea what they went to. Why they sent this fool to review a concert is absurd. He should of stayed home, simply just wasting time sitting on the toilet lid. He wasted my time in reading it.
His review is exactly what it is. Goes down the pipe.
Zakk Wylde threaten to ruin the gig? obviously this was writen by a man who knows nothing of music. Zakk Wylde is a amazingly talented guitarist and the guitar solo showed that. This man writing the review has no eye for talent and is probably not a guitarist himself.
Zakk Wylde threaten to ruin the gig? obviously this was writen by a man who knows nothing of music. Zakk Wylde is a amazingly talented guitarist and the guitar solo showed that. This man writing the review has no eye for talent and is probably not a guitarist himself.
KISS with no Hooks in their songs? Have you ever heard anything by them? Ozzy being Too Little Too Late? What are you on about dude!? And all this about Whitesnake playing "Iron Maiden-wannabe material"
Why write such stupid things that quite frankly could get you bottled over the head at a West Auckland party. You know us Bogans are the only ones who read band reviews so why write such poor, il-detailed, negative things. Your a idiot mate.
Pathetic review. Simon obviously hates Rock music and that fine but why oh why is he then sent to review a rock concert? Next time Kenny G is in town call Simon Sweetman but until then please leave him at home. In my opinion it was 2 awesome nights with no low points at all.
Lordi - Amazing! Great costumes, great songs and awesome energy. I entered not knowing anything about them and walked out a big fan.
Alice Cooper - Easily the best act over the weekend. Shame I couldn't get a t-shirt before they sold out. :-(
Kiss - Well exceeded my expectations. I thought they were great live.
Poison - My all time favourite band didn't disappoint! Incredible energy and they played heaps of their hits. The absolute highlight for me.
Whitesnake - David Coverdale is one of the most charismatic fromtment in rock! Good solid set.
Ozzy - Wicked listening to the Black Sabbath songs and bark at the moon! Zakk Wylde is a guitar God!
And I have to also mention that Sonic Altar were damn good! Lets give these guys some more exposure.
Thanks so much to all the acts please come back to NZ soon! And a HUGE thanks to the poeple that organised the event. Best weekend of my life!
Bring it all on again next year!
Even though the featured bands peaked in the 80's and 90's I was impressed after all these years with their desire and energy to give the crowd a memorable experience.
Sure the bands are ageing rockers, but this reviewer is probably the sort of person who would give a Robbie Williams concert a 10/10. Unlike the crap pop bands of today, these bands actually wrote their own songs and can play musical instruments, with great talent.
Shame on you 'Mr Reviewer' for putting down an ageing 50+ (Ozzy) rocker who has travelled all the way from the USA to Rock - Wellington. Ozzy still has a great voice and will always be a legend, no matter what any half witted reviewer who thinks they know all about the music industry has to say.
If you want the Rock2Wgtn acts to know what you thought about them, I suggest that you hand your review to them in person and stand there until they have read it.
Ah the glory of a reviewer being able to hide behind the internet, knowing they don't have to front for their comments
Bring back Rock2Wgtn again, but perhaps over one night.
Paul Ditchfield, Wellington.
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this reviewer needs to spend less time being cynical and more time listening to the music. had he any notion of what the crowd was feeling he would realise it's not only about the riffs or drum fills but about being part of it, it was retro music, which means slightly more basic riffs. its glam rock, what'd you expect?
mind you,
thats why he's a critic.