19 Mar 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Devilskin - Gig Review: Devilskin @ Altitude, Hamilton

14 Sep 2018 // A review by butch181

Two hours before the doors officially opened, fans were lining up outside of Hamilton’s Altitude Bar. Some already waiting for the 8pm doors opening, but most there for the VIP experience; getting into the venue early and receiving VIP lanyards, posters and a meet and greet with the band. The GA punters patiently lined up outside in the bitter wind as they awaited their chance to enter. Eventually, 8pm came around and the doors opened to a flood of fans that headed straight for the merchandise stand before moving upstairs to the front of stage.

The medium size stage looked packed with equipment, having two full drum kits and several other drum additions, alongside a great gathering of amps and lighting equipment. The crowd quickly noticed the large right-angled diamonds attached to the lighting rigs, and the gas cylinders to the side of stage. Needless to say, anticipation was high.

First act for the night came from Auckland rock four-piece Coridian. A staple of North Island rock tours in the last year, they are consistently expanding their fan base with every performance. Kicking off the final weekend of the 2018 Devilskin NZ Tour, they jumped straight into Nonetheless. Exhibiting the energy that they have become known for, vocalist Dity Maharaj was jumping and kicking his way around the stage, having no issue with the cramped space that they were working with. Vocal melodies on point, Dity hit the high notes and held the long notes superbly, and the audience ate it all up. Nearly a full year since the release of their last EP Caldera, Coridian have been working on new material and half of their set consisted of these newer tracks. Dunes, Better Off, Good For Nothing, and Seed Pt 2. The new tracks showcasing a boost in confidence in the musicians, especially in the case of drummer Kris Raven, with some vibrant drum rolls in Dunes, and some high impact tom work in Good For Nothing.

With the exception of guitarist Mike Raven accidentally unplugging himself during a track, the set went off without a hitch, and a multitude of people that were strangers to Coridian were converted to fans before my eyes. Even with the tracks already released, it’s encouraging to hear changes to the tracks and additional embellishments in the guitar riffs and such. Coridian are always looking to improve; it’s one of the characteristics of the band that will take them far if they persist.

Written By Wolves were the final supporting act for the night, and as someone that has seen their act multiple times, there were two concerns. Firstly, Written By Wolves aren’t necessarily the heaviest band, generally situated more towards the electronic side of the rock spectrum. Secondly, Written By Wolves have always had rather flamboyant lighting displays and other highly visual aspects to their sets, which would likely be missing as they are not the headline act. That being said, the crowd were in a great mood, and more than happy to give the benefit of the doubt to any band that is deemed appropriate enough to join Devilskin for the entirety of the tour.

As the lights faded to black, Davie Wong, Bahador Borhani, Karl Woodhams, and Oli Lyons took up their positions on stage and started their dueling drums intro. Always an impressive spectacle to watch, they work in unison and create a technically intricate display that has a strong impact on the audience. As vocalist Michael Murphy enters the stage and starts ripping into Not Afraid To Die, a female portion of the crowd at the front of stage erupted into squeals and screams as he leaned over to get close to the audience. One of the most lively bands in New Zealand at the moment, Written By Wolves are not content to pogo dance themselves, they spend their whole set trying to get the crowd joining in, and from while initially hesitant, by the end of their 2018 single Follow Me, much of the crowd is head banging, jumping up and down, and clapping along.

Behind the drum kit was the large central diamond screen with “written by wolves” emblazoned across it, but the remaining 4 small screens remained dark, and the gas cannons stayed silent throughout the set. Even without their usual visual aids, they performed a high-energy set that had many metalheads moving to the rhythm. Their set consisted of eight songs (same as the first act Coridian), and they played a selection of new, old and covers, pulling out their mini-track tribute to Chester Bennington with One Step Closer, and pulling out their new single Oxygen. A solid performance that has no negative aspects worth writing home about. The visual aspects were not needed for a great performance, and they proved their adaptability to the audience, choosing to end their set with a cover song to bridge their set and Devilskin’s. Not by ending with their biggest hit as most bands would do, instead choosing to play Metallica’s Master Of Puppets. Not surprisingly, the crowd went nuts, and were nearly out-singing Michael on the mic.

After a changeover of gear, Devilskin took to the stage and let slip the dogs of war. The bass reverberated through the venue as Paul Martin brandished his bass at the front of stage, Nic Martin stood arms outstretched, silhouetted against the screen behind him, and Nail Vincent stood stoically opposing Martin on the other side of the stage. The crowd erupted into cheers as vocalist Jennie Skulander took to the stage and started to sing Limbs. Starting their 17-song set, the band looked rested and eager, and Jennie showed no signs of and signs of sickness that was plaguing her pre-tour.

The crowd jostled and attempted to create mosh pits with every song, with the central portion spinning around during Elvis Presley Circle Pit. All five of the screens that surrounded the stage would switch from image to image, cycling footage, and logos. Very effective at creating a visually interesting show, since the venue lacked any form of front lighting. The imagery was well-coordinated with such examples are displaying the Street Team logo during Voices, the “Little Devils” Street Team anthem. Performing a mix of hits from both We Rise and Be Like The River albums, as well as showcasing a few new tracks. A crowd favourite of the new tracks would be the latest single Endo, which has a strong Mars Volta/At The Drive-In influence.

Jennie’s vocal performances are improving with each consequent tour, holding notes for ever-increasing lengths of time, and hitting higher and high notes expanding her range. Throughout the set, the energy never dissipated; while the crowd slowed and rested during the slower tracks like Fade, they got straight back into it in the next track. The excitement and vitality never dropped, and even increased as they came towards the latter end of the set, rarking up with Dirt and Start A Revolution. The lights dimmed, and the band didn’t even get a chance to leave the stage before the crowd began chanting for an encore, and is to be expected, Devilskin obliged. Cranking out an additional 3 tracks in the encore, they performed arguably their most popular radio-unfriendly tracks Vessel and Violation, before closing the night off with Little Pills and a “selfie” with the crowd.


Review written by Alex Moulton.
Photos courtesy of Alex Moulton and Chris Morgan.

 

About Devilskin

Devilskin formed in June 2010 in Hamilton New Zealand and features the spectacular Jennie Skulander on lead vocals. Her powerful and compelling voice and alluring stage presence sets her apart from any vocalist New Zealand has put up so far. With an unerring gift for melody, Jennie's incredible voice sweeps from whisper to roar, rips with power, drips with melody and captivates with sincerity.

Jennie previously fronted Rotorua band Slipping Tongue garnering a swathe of fans with their videos, EPs and album. Slipping Tongue also impressed many when they opened for Coheed & Cambria in 2008.

On lead guitar is Nail from the popular Waikato band Chuganaut who won the NZ Battle of the Bands and the World Battle Of The Bands in 2004. Played BDO in 2005 and opened for Iron Maiden at Mt Smart stadium in 2009. Chuganaut has played numerous national tours and released several singles, EP’s, videos and an album. Nail's searing guitar work and high energy performance bring real intensity to the live show. Nail also performs with Beckoned.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Devilskin

Releases

Red
Year: 2020
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
Be Like The River
Year: 2016
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
We Rise
Year: 2014
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
Live At The Powerstation
Year: 2014
Type: DVD

Other Reviews By butch181

Lola Sola - Single Review: Tripping
04 Dec 2019 // by butch181
This latest single from Lola Sola, Tripping, is pure simplicity; simple enough to allow nothing to draw your attention away from the vocals. With very little instrumentation beyond a guitar (which doubles as the tracks percussive element), there is nothing complicated about it, and it creates a slow and weary ambience.
Read More...
Rubine - Album Review: Secret Danger
04 Nov 2019 // by butch181
Rubine hail from North Island’s Hamilton and Tauranga, which is ideal placement, as some New Zealand’s best classic rock sounds tend to originate from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regions. The five-piece consist of Tana Tapri on lead vocals, Afzer Zameer on the drums, Dennis Ben on guitar, and Keith McGlade and Stefan Doll on the bass and guitar respectively, as well backing vocals.
Read More...
Gig Review: Sevendust w/ City of Souls @ Powerstation, Auckland - 23/04/2019
24 Apr 2019 // by butch181
A decidedly reserved Tuesday night in Auckland and people were quietly piling into the Powerstation and grabbing some drinks at the bar. The upper balcony area was closed, so the fans were amassing downstairs around the inner perimeter of the venue.
Read More...
Sonic Altar - Album Review: Under A Dying Sun
27 Mar 2019 // by butch181
In this digital age, it’s not often that you get a full length record anymore. Everything is short and sweet just to get content out there before fans forget your band even exists.
Read More...
Levi Lights On Project - Single Review: Mirror Man
17 Mar 2019 // by butch181
Levi is a musical amalgamation that would in most cases be categorised as folk, thanks to the groups' uncommon mix of instruments consisting of a saxophone, cello, and cajón, and a lack of a drum kit or electric instruments. That being said, Mirror Man has something unique.
Read More...
The Gemini Effect - Single Review: Little Mouse
17 Mar 2019 // by butch181
Little Mouse is the first single from Bad Alien, the upcoming sophomore album of three-piece alt-rock act The Gemini Effect. With some nice consistent snare work, the track jumps right off the bat with a great organic sense of rhythm that has you bobbing your head and tapping your foot along with the beat, accentuated by some gritty power chords.
Read More...
Mermaidens - Single Review: You Maintain The Stain
17 Mar 2019 // by butch181
The latest release from Wellington trio Mermaidens is a straight up middle finger to the powers that control the world and throws away the mainstream formula of verse/chorus patterns, instead, forming a self-righteous maelstrom of sonic environments.  With no warning given, You Maintain The Stain gets straight into cold, apathetic vocals alongside a pluggy bassline, until the guitar jumps in with an uncomfortable level of discord that sows the seeds of uneasiness in the pit of your stomach as if every instrument is performing a different song.
Read More...
Paper Cranes - Album Review: Voices
19 Dec 2018 // by butch181
Due for release January 18, 2019, Voices is the second full-length album from Indie Folk duo Paper Cranes. While comprised of ten tracks, the album has a short overall runtime of just over 35 minutes.
Read More...
View All Articles By butch181

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
    Ariana Grande
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
  • END OF BEGINNING
    Djo
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TEXAS HOLD 'EM
    Beyonce
  • PRAISE JAH IN THE MOONLIGHT
    YG Marley
  • STICK SEASON
    Noah Kahan
  • CARNIVAL
    Kanye West And Ty Dolla $ign
  • SATURN
    SZA
  • LOVIN ON ME
    Jack Harlow
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem