Jay Clarkson opened her supporting performance to The Bats with Farewell to the Highlands, her contribution to the second Zelle Records compilation of mostly southern NZ musicians’ interpreting Robbie Burns poetry. It was just her and Alan Haig for this gentle beginning to what would become a rollicking night.

The pair were joined by the rest of The Containers for She Disappears with 150 people in the upstairs bar at The Cook at a semi educated guess. As Clarkson's set progressed, the space between punters and performers became narrow as the bar filled to a near capacity 242 punters and people jostled for vantage points. To say Jay Clarkson is on song is both a terrible pun, and a complete tautology, however, she and The Containers are on form, and about to record an EP. 

The Bats began with Afternoon in Bed, then into 9 Days, which Paul Keen told us was recorded 30 years ago in Wellington. Simpleton followed shortly after, before they launched into a brand-new song.

There was a wide age demographic at this gig, from a pair of young women who are in love with each other as much as the music, to the bloke taking pix next to me, who's in his 60's. Boogieman, has them boogieing. The Cook became a sea of smiling faces on bouncing or nodding heads.

Smoking Her Wings had Alan Starrat as a guest on viola, which added to a velvet underground feel to the song. Comparisons aside, it’s just a fucking great song, with more hooks than a long line trawler.

Up-tempo number Rock and Pillars, followed, Bob Scott told us it’s “named after a set of large hills or small mountains at the edge of the Taieri plain”, south of Dunedin. A song which followed shortly afterwards, Over the Rooftops, reminded me of a conversation I had with Bob when he and David Kilgour landed in NYC the day before 9/11. Needless to say, I found it chilling.

When The Bats began the intro to Block of Wood, the older members of the crowd let out appreciative ‘woo hoos’. The song still sounds as fresh as it did around 30 years ago. 

Another new song called Hold on To Your Eyes, which Bob said was "awaiting a better title". Title aside, it’s still a damn good song, and has Malcolm Grant on drums working his butt off with its quick tempo and frequent buzz rolls.

Two Lines had Alan Starrat back with an accordion, which given the on-stage volume made the quiet acoustic instrument a tough assignment, even for a sound engineer as skilled as Tex Houston.

And with that the band left the stage, to a chorus of ‘more, more, more’ and stomping which was unrelenting until it became cheers of appreciation as the band returned. Special guest Alastair Galbraith joined them for the encore, Paul Keen paid tribute to Galbraith, saying “Alastair helped us out 30 years ago.” 

Then final song of the night is Made Up in Blue which has the return of the smiling nodding people, and even some old school pogoing. It was the perfect way to finish a set that seemed to be more than an hour long, but conversely was over way too soon.

Thanks for flying in Bats.

_{Review written by Darryl Baser}

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