Dead Kennedys – Powerstation: September 16, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)
Punk Rock Royalty: England have The Sex Pistols and The Damned, Aotearoa had Suburban Reptiles and Toy Love, Australia The Saints and Radio Birdman, meanwhile North America has/had Dead Kennedys and The Ramones.
Like most of their contemporaries, Dead Kennedys’ history is signposted by dates, formed in 1978, played two infamous shows at Tamaki Makuarau’s Mainstreet (RIP) in 1983, split asunder in 1986, reformed without their original singer in 2001, returned to Aotearoa in 2018, lost their (almost) original drummer in 2022, and back again in Aotearoa in 2025.
The original line of Jello Biafra, East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride and Ted lasted three years, until DH Peligro took over the reins on drums. This was the version that created Aotearoa history in 1983, read the article by Andrew Boak (of No Tag) on the Audio Culture website for a good yarn about those shows.
Tonight, as time has marched, The Dead Kennedys are currently vocalist Skip Greer (since 2008) East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride and since 2023 Steve Wilson on drums. I saw Dead Kennedys in 2018, the show pre buzz dominated by the absence of Jello, though the fact they had returned after 35 years at all almost cancelled the misanthropicism, the blazing show that night, the chance to hear punk classics, put to bed all the fears of many.
Death Chemist
Tamaki Makaurau based, a four piece, (who recently overcame an instagram ban) defy genre-boxing. Describing themselves as a rock band, their theatric entry on stage, their dress, and vocalist manner had me thinking “Are They Twisted Sister?” My next thought was “What the fuck is the bassist wearing?”
In a set of mightily delivered songs, that crossed genres: each song drew upon a significant genre, Heavy Metal, Hardcore, Rock, Rap and Thrash. The four dominated the stage, and ruptured in playing on a big stage, with a great sound across bass and drums, shredding guitar mahi, and a vocalist singer, attempting at times across various styles.
Death Chemist’s songs revealed passionate narratives. Fuck Your Ideology, while impassioned, never uncovered which ideology was being fucked with, whilst Prostitutes Don’t Have Underpants, with it’s crowd participation prelude just skirted being puerile humour. The band’s passion, and delivery was never in doubt, and the extra mile gone with the Victorian ravenesque figure, that brought more theatric to the night, was indeed a memorable facet for the crowd, particularly as he reappeared in stilts for their last song. Genius-play Death Chemist.
Dead Kennedys
Unlike 2018, tonight’s show hasn’t sold out, it is a po Ratu (Tuesday night) and we are in the midst of a constructed cost of living crisis. But man, the merchandise flew out of the booth all night. The four walk on stage to Latin soft jazz sound bed, a crowd made up mainly of their contemporaries, or just ahead in years, but with a smattering of the young, enthused to see such a legendary band. With immediacy, Dead Kennedys launch into Forward To Death.
With four albums under their belts, and no new material released since 1986’s Bedtime For Democracy, predicting the songs on offer tonight was not rocket-science, or brain-surgery. And in fact, as the night progressed it became apparent that the DK’s were playing exactly the same set as they had in 2018. But there is no problem, as the group led, curated by Skip, thundered through all expectations in the carefully crafted setlist that almost alternated fan favourites with (slightly) lesser known compositions.
Once again East Bay Ray and Klaus Flouride wowed with classic rifts that teased, enraptured and flooded the room with memories. While on drums, Wilson (who had played in DH Peligro’s side band Peligro) justifiably eulogised his friend in the lead up to Nazi Punks Fuck Off, and brought his own style and energy to all the songs In the same way Skip has made being the singer in the band, his own since taking up such challenging reins. As the band’s frontperson,, Skip capered around, along the stage with a huge energy and enthusiasm of a man half his age, comfortably boosting, teasing the crowd. Inference and humour preluded many songs, though the disco dance party walk-on and off, was theatre at its best before Moon Over Marin.
In the end, Dead Kennedys 2018, managed to overcome the Jello – East Bay Ray rift, but this 2025 version differed a little from the (unavoidable) loss of DH Peligro, as every drummer marches to their own beat. For the initiated, tonight’s show was a reflective window into past glories. For those, the uninitiated, the chance to hear such punk classics as Kill the Poor, Too Drunk To Fuck, and Holiday in Cambodia, the night was pure taonga (gold).
Simon Coffey
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Den:
Dead Kennedys:
Death Chemist:
Dead Kennedys Setlist
Forward to Death
Winnebago Warrior
Police Truck
Buzzbomb
Let’s Lynch the Landlord
Jock-O-Rama
Kill the Poor
MP3 Get Off the Web
Too Drunk to Fuck
Moon Over Marin
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
California Über Alles
Encore 1
Bleed for Me
Viva Las Vegas
Holiday in Cambodia
Encore 2
Chemical Warfare
