George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic – Powerstation

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With over a dozen funksters sharing the stage with him, George Clinton showed the fans at Auckland’s Powerstation exactly how to Tear The Roof Off The Sucker.

I saw George and his P=Funk Allstars a few years ago at the Powerstsation, and while I had a good time, I seem to remember that Clinton himself seemed to be a guest artist at his own show, drifting on and off stage, singing a few lines here and there, but leaving most of the heavy lifting to his band.

That was not the case on this Wednesday night. George, looking very dapper in his suit and wide-brimmed fedora, was there at the beginning of the set and he was there at the end…over two hours later.

In between that time he and his ever-changing band brought the funk to Auckland, playing favourites from the past 40 years along with a few new numbers.

Now reviewing a P-Funk show can be a tricky thing…one song morphs into another, while others are extended into long, funky jams. The number of musicians on stage at any one time usually numbers over 10 and they are difficult to identify…some appearing briefly then disappearing until later in the show, others in costume.

I can say that the show began at 9:15 with Mothership Connection (Star Child) which went on for over ten minutes, while including a bit of Everything Is On The One along the way.

George himself was in good spirits and good voice, encouraging the crowd to wave their arms, sing along and generally get down.

The band consisted of funksters old and new, some of whom were Clinton family members, including several grandchildren.

There were three guitarists and they provided most of the musical highlights for me. One of them, I believe, was veteran P-Funk member DeWayne “Blackbird” McKnight, while another was Garrett Shider, son of the late, great Garry Shider, guitarist with the band during their glory years.

Two of George’s granddaughters performed as the duo Kandy Apple Redd while another rapped her way rather impressively through Something Stank And I Want Some.

At about the two hour mark, the band had just finished Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) and it seemed like the night was winding down.

Wrong.

There was plenty more to come including a killer version of Atomic Dog that included audience members dancing on stage with the band, while Sir Nose showed off his impressive physique with handstands and summersaults.

The band finally left the stage, but the crowd demanded more and they got it. They jammed for another 10 minutes or so, giving the guitarists another opportunity to show off their chops.

Then, Treylewd Clinton (another grandchild, I believe) sealed the deal with a furious rap that sent the fans home smiling. Proof positive that, as long as George Clinton is around, the funk is still alive.

Marty Duda

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Marty Duda
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