01/11/2025

The Saints ‘73-’78 – Powerstation: October 31, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)

Guitarist Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay of original Aussie punks The Saints team up with Mick Harvey (Bad Seeds) and Mark Arm (Mudhoney) to blast though the band’s first three albums on Halloween night in Auckland.

And my first question is…where is everyone?

This show should have sold out within minutes. Instead the Powerstation’s upstairs is closed off and when opening act, The Bloodbags take the stage at 8:30, the trio almost outnumbers the audience.

Bloodbags

I had just caught Bloodbags guitarist/vocalist Andrew Tolley’s other band, Warm Leather a week prior at Whammy.

The sound wasn’t much different…both were very good with Tolley’s low-slung, left-handed guitar playing ringing out into the Powerstation main room that was slowly, but surely filling up.

They certainly set the tone for the evening.

The Saints ‘73-’78

By the time the headliners came on, the crowd was less embarrassing…yes, all the cool kids were there, but where was everyone else…cowering in their homes, afraid of the 4-year-old treat or treaters invading their neighbourhood?

The set started with This Perfect Day, from Eternally Yours and took off from there.

Mark Arm is the vocalist. He doesn’t attempt to replicate the late Chris Bailey’s distinctive whine but adds his own sneer to the mix.

Mick Harvey is stage left, playing guitar…for the most part…and supporting Ed Kuepper’s lead.

Not that he needs much support.

Kuepper looks every bit his 69 years, but he still sounds like a punk, his thrashing chords ripping through songs like No Time, Lost And Found and Story Of Love.

The band…also featuring Peter Oxley on bass, tore through three songs before Kuepper stopped to say hi and introduce Every Day’s A Holiday as “the new national anthem of New Zealand”.

Kuepper is a man of few words, so stage chatter was at a minimum. The irascible guitarist revealed his no nonsense attitude when introducing the band.

“On the bass we have…”(long pause) “I hate being interuppted so we’re gonna skip him (Oxeley), both of them (Oxley and Harvey)”

Speaking of the band, a three piece horn section was on board to bring out the best of some of those Prehistoric Sounds from the second and third albums.

Kuepper’s use of horns was a bone of contention within the band at the time, causing him to leave The Saints in ’78 and start The Laughing Clowns the following year.

Overall, the set started out a little listless but then took on energy about halfway through…

After The Chameleon, Kuepper spoke…”Thank you…that’s the second last song on the third album”.

The seemingly random comment was enough to light a fire under Arm (see what I did there?) and his vocal on No, Your Product took things to the next level.

Run Down was driven by a harmonica player (Bram?)

And Messin’ With The Kid was a highlight…until I’m Stranded…of course.

“Hangin’ round in alley, hangin’ round in bars, just looking for some fun”…almost 50 years later and things haven’t changed much…we’re all just a bit older.

The encore featured Private Affair, a tune from Eternally Yours that Kuepper claimed was, “the first time on stage since about 1975”.

Lucky us…or I should say, clever us…the fans who did show up and show support to a band that made a big difference.

Sir Bob Geldof himself has said it, so it must be true…Rock music in the seventies was changed by three bands: The Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The Saints“.

Thank you one and all.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Chris Zwaagdyk:

The Saints: