24/05/2025

Voom – Double Whammy: May 23, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)

Double Whammy was the place to be on this Friday night in May as New Zealand Music Month marches on to the sounds of Voom.

Voom has been around in one form r another for over 30 year with Buzz Moller being the one constant. That said, the current lineup has been relatively stable for almost 20 years and now they finally have a new album, Something Good Is Happening, to show for the tenacity.

Jim Nothing

First up is Jim Nothing, who are just finishing their set when I arrive and I am both thrilled (at how good they sound) and bummed (that I missed so much music). Jim is James Sullivan and the band he has assembled sounds like classic Flying Nun jangle-rock updated for the 21^st century. I’ll be checking out their album, Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn and hoping to catch them again, soon.

Voom

Voom shuffles on to the stage at about 9:30. The sold out crowd is ready and so is Buzz. In person, he comes across as the archetypal 90s Kiwi rocker…unassuming, shambolic and humble.

“It’s nice to be able to see you”, he says, peering out into the room. “Thank you for coming out of your houses, buying a ticket and standing here in real life.

Apparently, Buzz and the band were offered a chance to live stream the show, but they thought better of it, keeping it local and communal.

The set itself almost creeps up on us with Beautiful Day, from the 2006 album, Hello, Are You There? Leading the way. But there are plenty of new tunes from Something Good Is Happening including Magic, We Don’t Care and Trouble, early in the set.

The band is…I wouldn’t all them tight, rather intuitive…and they are Murray Fisher on guitar, Nick Buckton, bass and drummer Josh Sorenson.

A tambourine player is added to Trouble…he reappears again later.

The first half of the 75 minute set feels a bit tenuous…Buzz is briefly distracted my the noise coming from the adjacent Whammy Bar show…”It’s like playing in a practice room”, but eventually they find their groove and Jimmy’s Boner along with Martin Phillips take things to the next level.

“This is my band!” Buzz announces both proudly and triumphantly as they turn up the heat with No Real Reality and Beth.

Relax sounds awesome…heads are bobbing and many are singing along.

They play one cover…a well-chosen Neil Young tune…Cinnamon Girl…and fans make their way closer to the stage.

Everybody’s rockin’ and Isn’t That Good closes the set.

Of course there is an encore…one more song from the new album and a couple of old favourites…I Want My Baby and B Your Boy.

Buzz and the boys are beaming and so is everyone in the audience.

After 30+ years, it seems Voom has finally found their footing.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Den

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