New Candys – Whammy Bar: July 26, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)
Italian underground act New Candys have a reputation that precedes them, built upon extensive world-wide touring and five albums under their belt.
Formed in 2008 in Venice by singer/songwriter/guitarist Fernando Nuti and bassist/synth player Dario Lucchesi, they have been visiting Australia since 2018, and internationally played with such acts as The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols as well as receiving praise from the likes of Simone Marie Butler (Primal Scream). Finally these psychedelic post-punks have made their first foray to Aotearoa, a three date tour, a sold out tour in fact!
Community Treatment Order
I’d tried hard over the last few months to avoid seeing CTO, but damn it, they managed to get themselves tagged into one of the hottest tickets in the July calendar. Seriously though, through sickness, show clashes and procrastination, I’d failed to check these guys out, until now. A five piece, they share their bassist with Warm Leather, have featured in a 95bFM Fancy New Band show, and have been methodically playing around Tāmaki Makaurau sharing their heavily influenced by Fontaines DC, Nick Cave and Joy Division take on post-punk.
CTO truly are a focussed, modernist take on post-punk, a heavily energized singer (and bandmates) full of attitude, are proficient in creating a bass driven groove atop inordinately able drum rhythms. In fact, the drummer, resplendent in his Auckland Football Club shirt is enigmatic to view, his precision, maths-rock like style create a solid base for the bands songs. Meanwhile the two guitarists, differing in style (dress and playing) compliment each other deftly, and all the while the vocalist, with his dapper mannerism, holds court in an almost gothic form. I should’ve tried harder to see them earlier.
TOOMS
Duo Dorian Noval (drums, vocals) and Nich Cunningham (bass, vocals) have been performing as TOOMS since 2018, musically, TOOMS oscillate between the two onstage, attention switching in song and between songs. There is a sense of (punk) brutalism in their music, and the FLIPPER t-shirt Nich is wearing is a live giveaway as a part of their musical influences. I am pleased when they play my favourite TOOMS song, the one about puppies (still don’t know its title, but Nich usually introduces it as a song about puppies) Not sure if they played Not In Love With The Times, but it’s a great song off their 202 album Fake Teeth.
New Candys
It’s packed in Whammy now, not as bad as when Brant Bjork played in this room many years ago, and as the band set up, noticeably there are just three of them, it seems bassist/synth player Dario Lucchesi is not with the band tonight, so a stripped back version is in the offing. There is anticipation, the references to The Jesus & Mary Chain and the like has brought in a wide range of punters, age-wise, though 30s/40s/50s seem to dominate stage front. Fernando Nuti (guitar/vocals) is joined by Emanuele Zanardo (lead guitar/bvs) and Francesco Giacomin (drums/sampler) both in the band since 2023.
These Venezians start loud, as a wall of sound penetrates the gaps between people, even minus their bassist, their two guitars, drums and sampler are ferocious, perhaps a bass sample is also in the air? There is little dialogue coming from Fernando, like many other brooding acts, it seems the music is the connective missive. From the go, the audience is spellbound. The delivery of fiery psychedelia and post-punk is unrelenting through the next 60 minutes, and those trapped within Whammy’s awful sightlines, are at least able to feed off the eerie introspective tones, being crafted onstage.
There is a brief interlude as Fernando shares the how and why that led to New Candys finally making it to Aotearoa, in faltering English, reading from his phone, it seems it was Ralph and Miranda who are/were our unsung heroes. Attempting to single out specific songs is challenging, as the night blurs in waves our orchestral psych punk, though I do recognise many from my Spotify-in-car sessions in the lead up to tonight. Truly New Candys have well-captivated the crowd tonight, here’s hoping a return visit is being plotted, pleadingly to happen next door in Double Whammy.
Simon Coffey
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Brenna Jo Gotje:
