Fucked Up
15th October 2019
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Connor Crawford.
A hardcore punk band that refuse to be dictated to by the dimensions of their own genre, Fucked Up have been pushing boundaries for almost the last two decades, their concept dripping double album Dose Your Dreams released in 2018, laced with the psychedelic tinged evidence.
Last here eight years ago supporting Foo Fighters along with Tenacious D at Western Springs, yesterday’s show had a far more visceral aura to it, the opportunity to witness a band such as Fucked Up in the confines of one of Auckland’s greatest little bars, ensuring that punters lined the venue from wall to wall.
Just as they did when they played Whammy as part of The Other’s Way festival, Hamilton’s own punk band Contenders once again delivered a blistering set; vocalist Cilla Kinnaird flexing her journalistic skills just a few days beforehand in a great little interview with Fucked Up’s drummer Jonah Falco which you can read here.
Having already laid down an all ages set at Flying Out records the night before – lead vocalist Damian Abraham professing his love for several local record stores throughout the evening – Fucked Up looked primed and ready as they appeared on stage to a rapturous Auckland greeting. Kicking it off with the title track from their latest record, Fucked Up immediately brought a whole new presence to the song in the live setting. Whereas the studio version has an almost underlying laid-back Stone Roses feel to it, last night’s version had a driving sense of urgency, Abrahams’ vocals smashing through like a sledgehammer.
After throwing down several tracks from Dose Your Dreams including both ‘Raise your voice Joyce’ and the divinely pop-infused Pulp style riffs of ‘Normal People’, Fucked Up dived into their back catalogue. ‘Crooked Head’ and ‘I Hate Summer’ – introed by Abrahams’ with a vehement “fuck fascism” – exhilarating the fans who soon turned into a human wave that broke against the edge of the stage, the occasional crowd surfer seizing the opportunity to ride the sea of ecstatic arms raised in jubilation.
While not the only member of the band to hold down vocal duties – the audience also getting a taste of the sweet sound of bassist Sandy Miranda as well as Josh Zucker – it is nigh on impossible to not be drawn towards the bearded tenacity of Abrahams. Pausing intermittently to display some true Canadian courtesy by thanking everyone from the crew at Whammy to New Zealand bands such as The Terrorways and The Dead C for their influence, Abrahams also spoke of his elation at playing in a bar where everywhere he turned there were posters about “not being a dick” to fellow patrons and information on consent, his respect for a venue leading the way in the hospitality sector palpable.
Performing some epic dance moves with his hands around the face of the ever on form and stoic guitarist Mike Haliechuk, Abrahams tossed himself around the stage like a rag doll, the microphone cord just another extension of himself as he at times spun it in circles or wrapped it around his head like several lengths of bandages, that is when it wasn’t hanging from between his clenched teeth. If you ever wanted to see a band led by a front man who gives every last drop of their blood, sweat and tears, Fucked Up is that band.
Finishing with ‘The Other Shoe’ from David Comes to Life, it took a few moments for Abrahams to peel himself from the floor and stagger backstage, Fucked Up soon returning for an encore that was capped off perfectly with a phenomenal version of ‘Generation’.
There are few groups who can present such differing yet simultaneously symbiotic versions of themselves when it comes to live vs recorded, yet Fucked Up do so with the greatest of ease; their shows guaranteed to leave you in sweat-drenched ecstasy every single time.
Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this high energy hardcore punk gig? Or have you seen Fucked Up perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page.