Concert Review: Punk-O-Ween, Galatos, 31 October 2020

There’s a blue moon tonight. No stopping the cretins from hopping. The kids are all hopped up and ready to go. A Punk Fest between two elections on Halloween Night in Auckland could well be a Rob Zombie fever dream. From the original Blank Generation (that’s me) to the Millenials. Here to pay respect to that original explosion in history. And to revel in its ever-present Spirit.

This is Year Zero of a different sort. The attack on the human spirit. If Punk galvanised the world before, and it did, then the Spirit again rises here. In Auckland, the only place on the planet to be able to let the light shine through.

Die Gruwel have just detonated as I enter. A new Horrorcore/Slasher punk band from Auckland. Vocalist Tommy Legend is singing. Big guy, scary make-up, a hoarse one-note bellow at the spearpoint of this Barrage band. Very much like a fired-up Motorhead.

Relentless drum attack. Meshed wall of noise from two guitars and bass. Dance the Twist Away and Burn the Witch are song titles I probably mis-heard from the stage.

Music as coming from a sound-wave accelerator, honed to an incandescent white heat. Melody comes coiling out briefly before being annihilated. High tones slice your skull. Rhythm section is more continuous rolling thunder which vibrates the floor and through your spine.

Halfway through the set and out emerges the spirit of Sixties Garage and Frat Rock. Surf guitar riffs. The Shadows of Knight ravaging Gloria.

Man in a Union Jack. Zombies and Vampire Vixens materialise and attempt to pogo. Later on, some slam dancing. Liberating and just on the edge of spilling over. Like the old days.

I could listen to this all night. Not industrial, it is organic. The band locks in the groove and remains tight all the way through.

Morning Horns are older guys who look like they are from my time. Likely a good fun project from times gone by and exhumed tonight and resurrected using power from the ever-present Punk grid. Trev is the lead singer, and they could all be Trevors. Black attire, jeans and singlets. Also here to commemorate a deceased original drummer Tubbs.

They open with Jah War and with this they reveal a signature Clash/ Ska guitar rhythm riff which is present on most of the songs. The Jimmy Chanks Nolen signature guitar from James Brown mutated through Jamaican R’n’B to Skinhead to the Socialist Punks.

The Off Beat accented. The rhythms riffs spring out at all angles. When they are fast as on Overdose Tonight, they sound like early Black Flag.

Warhead and Trev has got a good melodic voice. Reggae feel but the music has space and this is great Power Pop.

I Luff You and Running Riot have riffs racing almost impossibly at 100 miles per hour. Drums and bass become artillery assault.

Your Revolution and Chaos then blend speed and Clash riffs to inciendiary heat. Energising and liberating.

You take the roots further back. Keep on Punking, keep on doing the Jerk. Sixties Frat Rock. Bullets don’t stop flying until the end.

Rebel Truce are real old-timers from the Original Moment of Punk. This is their first live show in forty years! They played around original iconic venues like Zwines. They appear on the legendary Class of ‘81 punk compilation album. Hunt this one out if you can. The original vinyl of 12 tracks. The much-expanded CD version. The best of New Zealand Punk in one document.

Two songs from a recently released seven-inch vinyl of old tapes. The singer sounds like Johnny Rotten’s original bratty snarl. Lively Power Pop thrash. The bass player does it Dee Dee Ramone style. Well-honed, anything superfluous chucked out. The finger to the bloated Corporate Rock of that time.

Sit Down In Front are pretty much high school boys from Gisborne but they are an absolute blast tonight. They are young but they appear schooled in music all the way back to the Beatles and Rolling Geriatrics. They also touch base with current great New Zealand Metal like Devilskin, Alien Weaponry and Shihad.

Lead singer Cory Newman who is wheelchair-bound, also cites an illuminating experience attending a live AC-DC show.

They sound exactly in the middle of old school English Punk and Speed Metal. The drummer is superb, playing at incredible speed and sending out great amounts of energy.

By the fourth song First World Problems, they have reached a Zen level of Barrage Rock.

Ghost Busters Theme gets a workout. The Bass leads, guitars shower hot sparks. The singer does a good bratty John Lydon whine.

What Come Around and they have taken original Punk by the scruff of the neck and given it a good shake out. Shake and Stomp!

Button is also called Trump Sucks. Of course. The attack becomes cathartic. Somehow the drum and bass combine. Video game guns. Too fast for real ones.

A real eye-opener for a grizzled old veteran like myself. Look forward to seeing them again.

Contenders are from Hamilton. They continue on this progression and they appear to be the pinnacle of New Punk. The only woman on stage tonight. Cilla fronts two guitars, bass and drums.

With songs like Septic Lick, Skate Assault, One Flew Over and New Autonomy. They have narrowed the guitars down to a steady drone which never breaks all set. Sound splinters and sparks continually. The drummer plays at such a fast pace he may be on a super amphetamine.

Compressorhead the robot Ramones band need a four-armed drummer. Here they will need double that. Music heading into the multi-armed God realm.

The singer screeches as she leaps around. The band has merged into white hot sound. Sprays of dissonant riffs and textures, like Bryan Gregory from the original Cramps. We’ve come a long way from the Mama Heartbeat of four-on-the-floor Rock’n’Roll.

They get even faster and threaten to melt the walls.

And then it’s all done for this Blue Moon Halloween. Here starts the push back to all the fear and nonsense of this year of Pan, The god of Pandemonium and Pandemic.

Rev Orange Peel

Photos by Rev Orange Peel and Rachel Moidart