Drab Majesty
27th January 2019
Whammy Back Room, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review & Photography by Sarah Kidd.
Everyone knows that school night gigs are not always ideal; for neither punter or band. So, the luxury of a much sought-after act landing in Auckland for a Sunday Night show which just so happened to be part of a long weekend was fortuitous for all.
The humidity of the Summer season was at an all time high but that was not going to stop fans attending the sold out Drab Majesty show at Whammy Backroom, anticipation levels peaking as they filed through the doors to watch local support act Stars and the Underground strut their stuff before the dark duo of Deb Demure and Mona D descended in all their tragic wave glory.
Formed by John Mason who many would have recognised from the band Winterland, Stars and the Underground are a solo project, however Auckland fans were treated to a more rounded live production with the addition of both one half of Hieronymus Bosch in the form of Mark Wallbank and the thrown shapes and masterful sound-making of Sean O’Kane Connolly from dark ambient project Undiscovered Moons of Saturn. The set began, and the audience was immediately drawn in, each of the members sonically moving together as one in the darkened and somewhat stifling room.
But comfort levels were soon forgotten as Stars and the Underground moved into their second track of the evening, ‘Twilight By Design’ [of which the video single it is worth noting was produced and directed by Mark Wallbank] a combination of Cure style bass notes overlaid with rousing electric guitar highlights that descended into an instrumental soundscape complimented by Mason’s vocals and easily memorable chorus.
Moving through the set that combined facets of goth, shoe gaze and dark electronic music with vocals from Mason intermittingly added in just the right places – the instrumental element of Stars and the Underground often communicating all that needed to be said – fans were treated to tracks such as ‘The Sun and Moon and Stars’ as well as ‘Ghost in the Trees’. Throwing in a cover of Winterland’s ‘Memory of You’, Stars and the Underground proved itself to be a worthy live act. With a support slot for the Australian noise/industrial giants Kollaps on the cards in March and the release of a 7 track EP on the 1st of June, Stars And The Underground certainly are aiming for the heavens above.
DJ Passion Crypt spun a few classic favourites to entertain the crowd while the stage was changed over; Killing Joke, Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy and the ever popular ‘Kiss’ by London After Midnight eliciting verbal noises of satisfaction. Suddenly sparkling dots of red were shimmering across the ceiling as a haze of subdued pinks and purples cradled the keyboard and mic stand patiently waiting on stage to be caressed by the LA duo of Drab Majesty; the audience tipping their heads back and watching the patterns gyrate above them, wisps of an amused smile tugging at the corner of their mouths.
Soon enough the arrival of Drab Majesty was heralded by all present as they entered from the back of the room and made their way onto the stage. Visually it is hard not to be completely bewitched by the leather clad pair, their matching white blonde bobs and black visor style sunglasses making them both futuristically androgynous and 80’s new wave rock gods simultaneously. While Drab Majesty was originally the solo project of Deb Demure (aka Andrew Clinco) the inclusion of Mona D (aka Alex Nicolaou) since 2016 for all live performances is a welcome addition; both Deb and Mona like a double helix. The white face paint that adorns their skin takes on an almost silver hue in the light, the effect only adding to their other worldly appearance. As Mona adjusts their keyboard, Deb contemplates the audience before picking up their guitar which is marked with three letters in white; ‘DEB’.
Moving straight into ‘Dot in the Sky’ from their 2017 offering The Demonstration and the fans almost shatter into pieces with the overwhelming ecstasy of it all. Some dance, their arms gently sweeping through the air, others just watch, captivated by the scene before them. While not an overly physical act, Drab Majesty are spellbinding, each move of Mona’s hands, each flourish of Deb’s guitar something to be leisurely drunk in and savoured. ’39 by Design’ was welcomed with open arms, the incantations masquerading as lyrics speaking of death and eternal points of view whispering their own personal meanings to the soul of each devotee.
This wasn’t just another gig, this was a spiritual experience.
Small issues with the vocal sound quality (a little reverb sneaking in here and there) was easily overshadowed by the sheer quality of the performance; ‘Kissing the Ground’ with its punk like tendrils and the sorrowful ‘Unknown to the I’ from their 2015 album Careless each soaked up by their acolytes. Deb, pausing to cool themselves with a handheld fan, soon had the audience enraptured as they fluttered said fan across their guitar strings, eliciting notes like some mellifluous necromancer, their left-handed fingerpicking style soon taking over once again. Despite the now almost oppressive temperatures inside the room, Drab Majesty delivered a near faultless performance, Deb unzipping their black leather jacket the only concession made to the taunting heat before they delivered ‘Too Soon to Tell’ and ‘Not Just A Name’ with vocals that shifted between the veils with ease.
With heartfelt thanks for allowing them to travel and play throughout New Zealand (Drab Majesty performing four shows in total in Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland respectively), they left the room writhing in waves of feedback, the heartfelt acclamation of their fans nipping at their heels as they slipped from the room and into the darkness.
Were you there at the Whammy Back Room for this magical tragic wave gig? Or have you seen Drab Majesty perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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Jesus , still thinking about the Wellington gig and wondering what I witnessed. Fantastic gig, feel like being a professional groupie and following them around the world. The Demonstration has just got high rotation on Spotify.