Gig review: Shihad in Auckland (+pics)

Shihad proved they're still New Zealand's best live rock band during a walloping show at Auckland's Town Hall. Reviewer Chris Schulz checks them out.

Shihad, The Mint Chicks & Lugar Boa
Where: The Town Hall, Auckland
When: Saturday, July 19

You've got to hand it to Shihad - they know how to get a crowd bouncing from the get-go.

By opening with Home Again - the closest thing New Zealand has to an unofficial national anthem - Jon Toogood and the boys created a level of intensity and unity that didn't let up for the duration of the band's 90-minute set.

It came after opening slots from new band Lugar Boa and alternative act The Mint Chicks, who proved they're making up for the loss of a band member by writing better songs - even if it means their live show now consists of entirely new material.

Those new tracks sound fantastic, but it wouldn't have hurt to play Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!, would it?

Playing the hits wasn't a problem for Shihad.

Taking advantage of The Town Hall's superior sound quality, the quartet - Toogood, bassist Karl Kippenberger, drummer Tom Larkin and guitarist Phil Knight - ripped through anthem after blistering anthem for 90 ear-shredding minutes.

Toogood was an energetic fireball as the lanky front man bounced around the stage, jumping on speaker stacks and issuing crowd commands. He found the three-quarters-full Town Hall only too keen to comply.

The crowd sang along every chance they could, whether it was the mind-blowing chant of My Mind's Sedate, the raw firepower of Comfort Me or an acoustic rendition of Run that left chills running down the spine.

As suspected, tracks from recent studio album Beautiful Machine sounded much better live, boosted by the addition of rougher edges. The sheer volume may also have had something to do with it.

Rule the World became a throbbing dance-rock number, The Bible and the Gun was turned into an epic encore, while Chameleon easily slotted between older tracks All the Young Fascists and Pacifier.

But the show highlight belonged to The General Electric's The Metal Song, a track drenched in Knight's riffs that Toogood admitted the band didn't play live much any more. That surely has to change.

They ended with a barrage of classic Shihad riffs, Screwtop and live favourite You Again - songs that are as old as the band. 

Yep, they might be celebrating their 20th anniversary, but when Shihad are showing form like this you wouldn't put it past them making another 20.

*What did you think of the show? Post your comments below.

 

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