Matthew Bannister & The Changing Same – Workshop 26: January 10, 2026 (13th Floor Concert Review)
The garage is rocking in Blockhouse Bay as Matthew Bannister and his Changing Same band travel up from Hamilton to play a set of old and new favourites.
Bannister, of course, is a musician, songwriter, journalist and academic. His most notable musical contribution is as a founding member of Sneaky Feelings, formed in 1980 and one of the very first Flying Nun acts.
These days Sneaky Feelings is an on-again/off-again proposition. His most recent solo album is the very excellent The Dark Backward, released last year on Powertool Records.
Consisting of 15, new, original songs, The Dark Backward is “an album about time”. And if you want to know more about it…please watch this 13th Floor MusicTalk Interview with Matthew Bannister.
Tonight’s show is at someplace called “Workshop 26”, a venue I am unfamiliar with located in the Auckland suburb of Blockhouse Bay.
I park on the very residential street, wondering if I’m in the right place, but then hear music coming from a building a few meters down.
Workshop 26 turns out to be a reconditioned garage (or two, judging by its size) and the music I’m hearing is being made by The Fuzzies, the trio featuring Powertool Records’ Andrew Maitai on drums along with Niki Maera (bass & vocals) and Kelly Michael (guitar & vocals).
The sound is classic jangle rock and the audience, numbering about 30 or 40, leans to the senior side…so I fit right in.
I take a seat in the rear and note that the sound in the room is very good…kudos to the guy behind the mixing desk, who may be the youngest in the room.
The Fuzzies wrap up their very enjoyable set and we wait as The Changing Same set up. I meet a few folks who tell me they met me back in 2017 or 2007…I have no reason to doubt them and no memory of anything they are telling me about…welcome to my world.
We hear a few notes being tested on the keyboard and there is Matthew Bannister sitting behind the electronic piano, starting the set solo with In The Beginning from The Dark Backward.
It seems to be Matthew’s first time at Workshop 26 as well.
“What a cool venue!” he notes, asking, “What’s your secret? How do you keep the neighbours from complaining?”
There were no complaints and the band did play at a good level.
On guitar was John Maydon, behind the drum kit we could see Bruce Dennis and I think that is Matthew’s song, Albert on bass…although we never get formal introductions…so I could be wrong.
Both John and Dennis got a chance to shine, each singing a song of their own, but the focus was on Matthew Bannister and his legacy.
Highlights of the hour-long set included What’s So Good About The 60s and Floating In The River Of Time…both from The Dark Backward…along with I’m Listening To Merle Haggard Singing She Thinks I Still Care, an old chestnut written by his Sneaky Feelings band-mate David Pine and recorded by his other band, Death Ray Cafe.
Sun Is Shining inspired most of the women in the audience to get up and dance…none of the fellas were having a bar of it.
No matter, a good time was had by all and the set closed with a couple of favourites…The Remains Of The Day went went over very well, thanks, in part, to some fine guitar playing by John. And then Matthew was back behind his keyboard, on his own, for set-closer Husband House, the Sneaky Feelings hit single from 1985.
I couldn’t help but be amused that…here we are, on a Saturday night, in the suburbs, in a garage, hearing live music and almost everyone involved with this event was 50+ years old. It could have been an inspiration to the kids…if there had been any in attendance…but it did inspire this old punk rocker to know that age is no reason to stop having fun.
Marty Duda
Matthew Bannister setlist:
- In The Beginning
- Secret Of The Century
- Blockhouse Bay
- History Train
- I’m Listening To Merle Haggard Singing She Thinks I Still Care
- Floating In The River Of Time
- What’s So Good About The 60s?
- John’s Song
- Sick Of It All
- Living In A Bubble
- Best Is Yet To Come
- Bruce’s Song
- Sun Is Shining
- 2016 Blues
- The Remains Of The Day
- Husband House
