Uniform, AW, PWits & Cola – Old Folks Association Hall: September 20, 2025
Billed as a no label / no venue arvo show to celebrate the release of Uniform’s Joan St High Tide 7”. Uniform were joined by PWits, AW and finally Cola.
It’s daylight, Sunny, 2pm kick off in Newton, just off Karangahape Road, cool building, the walk down is marred by an unending wall of Wayne Brown Mayoral posters. It’s koha, so I put a green one in the very empty teapot, admire the array of merch, and decline the fruit cake and iced tea. It was very chilled inside, a few familiar faces (I’ve bumped into Andrew and Kim from AW outside earlier and chatted already) There is an array of art posters strewn upon the floor behind the seats, and down the corridor, adjacent to the privy, a studio space to admire art. I visited both this afternoon.
PWits
PWits, are a long-term project, sometimes solo, sometimes collaborative by Benedict Quilter. Today he was alone. But not forsaken, we, the collective we, are not sure when he, the storyteller began, in a hall so chilled, seemingly the small gathering ephemerality accepted his dominance and attention is shown.
With guitar and tools (a dinner knife of old), including an actual toolbox. He manipulated electric guitar, creating ambience in waves, gently, subliminally, with focus and a sense of determination. A touch so gentle, a noise so oceanic, soothing. Like sleeping to nature’s beckoning.
The mysterious un-working speaker mystery is solved… it is not plugged in.
Cola
A project of coolies/Cutss persona Sjionel Timu, actually a two piece, she’s joined by Tina Pihema on drums. First words of response were: punk Indie droning vocals, melodic Not adverse to comparisons to Bikini Kill and Thee Headcounts. No rest for the audience as songs come fast with occasional finessing in between. Shattered are expectations of noise annoys, truly the tag of punk noise vindicated for today’s showing. Riffs flow from a delicious deep red Rickenbacker, as yellow drums reverberate from undecorated. It is a short show, punkish and to the point.
Ducklingmonster, whom I gather is today’s curator, press play on the old-school tape deck, and more OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) plays, thankfully it’s their early stuff, Messages never sounded so good.
AW the newish project of Die! Die! Die! Member Andrew Wilson, whom wowed at Cupid Bar in August last year. Gentle start, bass is broad and big, contrasting the jangle of guitar, meanwhile Kim Martinengo’s drums keep the song movin’, straight into a raucous indie punk song, with a catchy hook. Full of melody and surprise.
There is the punk rock sound. Fast, loud, driven, counterfactual, still a catchy riff, and a funkish bass line. Youthful exuberance refined. The song of the set is Caught, released as a digital single late last year. has such an early Television/Go4/mclusky ethos to it, a live favourite for sure loud and you can dance to it. Post-punk-poetry. Did I mention the infectious bass playing? There’s more. Go see them. Album out soon-ish on Flying Nun
Uniform
We, and they, switch ends of the room. Uniform are an art collective and improvised sound collective based around the duo of Tina Pihema and Ducklingmonster (Beth Dawson) using guitar and magical boxes, including the beloved tape deck.
Noise is purposefully streaming from both, though a simplex drum machine provides form to the music at times. There’s a method to the running order this afternoon, and the confinement of the performances into a two hour slot is wondrous. Uniform allow the audience to fade off into their own-Ness, while they provide a soundtrack that hinges and unhinges. All done by 3.58pm.
Simon Coffey
Click on any image to view more photos:
