Demon Energy Rock The Park 2017
11th February 2017
Grey Lynn Park, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Mark Derricutt.
It doesn’t matter who you are, your age, your race, your economic status; music is the one thing, an entity if you like, that can bring and each and every one of us together. So with thanks to the Auckland City Council and in collaboration with The Rock radio station and Demon Energy Drinks, Rock the Park once again brought Auckland the goods on a beautifully hot and sunny Saturday afternoon in Grey Lynn Park.
This was a family friendly event, with a giant amusement ride for the kids, a frozen slushy truck (as well as the kiwi favourite of Mr. Whippy) featured alongside several other varied food trucks for the more discerning adult. The area was BYO alcohol for the day (almost unheard of now with the liquor bans) and people were encouraged to bring picnics. The Rock had even organised a few drift cars to be on display as well as some of the boys from the Auckland Blues to do some signings! And that’s before we have even got to the music!
Kicking off the day is Bakers Eddy from Wellington, a young and upcoming band; they have a definite pop-punk vibe about them reminiscent of bands such as The Hives. The four piece (which features two brothers) are high energy, with songs like ‘Something Outside’ getting many of the audience up on their feet and to the front of the stage. Lead singer and guitarist Ciarann Babbington used all available stage space and impressed with his quirky style. Bakers Eddy took out the Battle of the Bands competition in 2015 after coming third the year prior. The prize which included a European tour along with recording time and a global radio promotion campaign has helped propel Baker’s Eddy into the limelight. Check out their latest single ‘Big Man’ doing the rounds now.
Fresh from their support slot of the epic Bring Me The Horizon the night before at The Logan Campbell Centre, City of Souls took the stage in their trademark matching black ensembles. Front man Richie Simpson, always an imposing figure, took to the mic and said hello to the audience before launching into several of their now well-known tracks. “You know it’s a party when your family turns up” Richie quips after pointing out that his sister as well as a couple of other family members are present. Their cover of the Joy Division track ‘Love will Tear Us Apart’ was great to hear live, and enthralled many of the older members of the audience, while tracks such as ‘Whispers’ and ‘Cruelty’ got that heavy rock vibe going. Richie, who has always been a front man who likes to interact with the audience, entertained the crowd with his witty banter stating at one point during the set that it felt like he was at “one big giant BBQ” Finishing with the chilled out ‘White Ghost’ and the emotional single ‘Long Gone’, City of Souls proved just why they are a band to watch.
By the time the third act of the day was about to take the stage the sun was blazing and temperatures were at the higher end of the scale. The Rock crew – who had been entertaining the crowd in between songs with assistance from the Demon Energy promo girls by firing out free t-shirts and spinning tunes – were out in force with large bottles of sunscreen and water misters. Security were also doing the rounds checking on people and offering assistance, while council staff took around large containers of fresh water and paper cups; this on top of the free water tanker set up at the back of the park. Great to see such good organization with a real emphasis on looking after everyone in attendance!
The title of ‘act of the day’ had to fall well and truly to Kora. With their self-appointed brand of alien-funk interspersed with reggae, and heavy bass lines they had every single person in attendance grooving to their beats early on with their classic track ‘Skankenstein’. The five piece which features more than a couple of the Kora brothers rocked the stage like there was no tomorrow. ‘The Delivery Man’ cooled the crowd down with its urban feel, the band also playing their current hit ‘Carolina’ to great reception. Lead singer Francis Kora at one point giving a shout out to up and coming young thrash metal band Alien Weaponry for their dedication to using Te Reo Maori in their songs, especially their latest track ‘Raupatu’. Francis also led a big sing along with the crowd for the intro of ‘On my Mind’ the united voices sounding rather impressive on a sunny afternoon. Although it was Francis’s epic scream towards the end of the song that blew most people away! ‘Drop Dead Killer’ (a favourite amongst the ladies) was also popular, with the crowd singing along to the catchy chorus. Combined with the epic on stage lighting, Kora easily made their mark today. It was great to see a band of Kora’s caliber and genre mixed in with the line-up, and it was certainly guaranteed that they made more than a few new fans with such a fantastic set.
Final act of the day was the now household name Devilskin. With a tidal wave of black clad fans moving up to the front to catch a glimpse of their favourite four piece; Devilskin kicked off with their track ‘We Rise’ followed close behind with ‘Vessel’. “I can see many of you are dressed in black” Jennie Skulander grins at the audience, she herself dressed in a black sleeveless t-shirt and hot pants. The audience cheered as the band then began to play ‘Voices’ it’s chorus a dedication to the army of fans that Devilskin have amassed since breaking onto the scene 7 years ago. Following ‘Start a Revolution’ Jennie spoke briefly about their latest tour of NZ/Aus with both City of Souls and the American band Halestorm as well as their upcoming tour of Germany and England where they will playing a coveted spot on the Download Festival bill, a huge coup for the kiwi band.
After a dedication to the ladies with the track ‘Animal’ Devilskin finished their blistering set with their track ‘Limbs’ the combination of the driving guitars and Nick Martin on drums whipping the crowd into a frenzy at the front of the stage. After raucous demands for an encore the band returned for two songs finishing on their well-known track ‘Little Pills’. And in true Devilskin style, they announced that they would be staying behind after the show to meet their fans and carry out signings – much to the excitement of many of their younger members who were in attendance.
A final farewell from The Rock staff with gratitude being voiced towards all of the bands as well as the Auckland City Council and the day was done – and what a day it was!
Were you there at the Grey Lynn Park to witness this hot, hot show? Or have you been to any of the other spectacular Music In Parks events somewhere else? Tell me about it in the comments below!
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