Chain and the Gang
16th March 2017
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand
Review and Photography by Sarah Kidd.
Tonight’s the night. Its crime rock kids. And we are all about to be enlightened by the prime mover himself. Chain & The Gang are in town and ready to educate. As lead vocalist Ian Svenonius himself says “Be careful…there’s no telling what might happen if you put it in your ear”
But before we are blessed with the presence of the man once voted the ‘sassiest boy in America’, Auckland’s own The Echo Ohs are here with their ‘psych-spaghetti surf sounds’ to kick this night into action. With long blonde hair and Doc boots vocalist Yolanda Fagan leads the trio with understated attitude and a bass guitar. The heavily musical tracks throb inside you, melting away the outside world and envelope you in pure unadulterated ‘death-folk beats’. Guy Forks on guitar and Emlyn Williams on drums round out the sound; Fagan informing us that the “hot topics for Rock n Roll songs are: affairs of the heart, drugs and aliens”. Favourite track of the set has to be ‘Black like your Heart’ (which is also apparently how Forks likes his coffee ladies and gentlemen). This mainly instrumental track stomps through the air and kicks you in the face; punctuated periodically with the single line “Black like your Heart” howled with teeth by Fagan.
A break occurs.
The crowd is layered upon itself, moving as one, patiently waiting for the master of ceremonies to grace us with his gift. Anna Nasty, white shoes glowing, suit sparkling, leans against the beam in the middle of the stage and strums her bass, purveying the audience with steady eyes…we catch our breath in anticipation. Svenonius steps forth, silver suited; he grabs the microphone and places a foot upon the speaker. And so it begins.
This is not music for the “victims of Ikea”; it is pulsing, thought provoking. It is music made for the discerning few, “watch out … it might hurt your feelings”. The gang accompanying Svenonius (including New Zealand’s own Fiona Campbell on drums) appear disaffected by the cries of the crowd. They play with purpose, constructing the foundations upon which Svenonius lays his words bare, inviting us to soak them up.
‘Devitalize’ perfectly sums up the state of Auckland, Svenonius declaring that he came here for the real estate market alone…yeah right man. As he moves across the stage, he climbs the speaker stands, and pushes himself into the throes of the crowd. He jumps and kicks – the microphone often fully inside his mouth as he shrieks. ‘Mums the Word’ liquefies into a crowd led chorus of the word ‘mama’, repeatedly being murmured over and over as Svenonius immerses himself within the front rows, quietly conversing with all.
‘What is a Dollar’ asks the question…
A short break – an encore; a divine experience.
Were you there at Whammy! Bar to witness this crime rock happening? Or have you seen Chain and the Gang live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Echo Oh’s Setlist:
- Hot Pockets
- Anna Ant
- Aliens
- Fool Each Other
- The Cooler
- Wild Weeds
- Black Like Your Heart
- Up The River
- You Don’t Mind
- Rubber Glue
Chain And The Gang Setlist:
- See Progress
- Why Not?
- Certain Kinds Of Trash
- Devitalize
- Free Will
- Mum’s The Word
- Reparations
- Logic Of The Night
- What Is A Dollar
- Detroit Music