Head Like A Hole
11th May 2017
Galatos, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
Almost 2 weeks ago Head Like A Hole jumped up on the stage at The Ding Dong Lounge and for the first time in front of a select audience banged out the album 13 from beginning to end. For those of us lucky enough to be there it was a beautiful thing to behold. Tonight they were playing Galatos as part of the Auckland leg of their current 12 date tour.
As the crowd filtered in it was easy to see just how much of a reach HLAH’s music has had. Ranging in age from barely legal to would have already been Dads when Head Like A Hole first hit the scene some 27 years ago, all were here for the memories; either to make them or relive them.
But like any other proper show there has to be a support act, and tonight it came in the form of three piece Seedy Jeezus. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia they could only be described as the crazy love child of Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, who had one day woken up fully grown, stuck a tab of acid on the end of its tongue and floated away on the strings of Hendrix’s guitar. The band formed in 2010 and quickly gained a reputation as a live act not to be missed. They released an EP of live songs in 2011 and soon followed it up with a second EP entitled Bag Girl in 2013. But it was their debut self-titled album that finally saw the true magical essence of this band captured in time. Recorded at The Tote (an infamous live venue in Melbourne) and mastered by Tony Reed (Mos Generator) it was intended as a live album but with the sound quality of a studio recording.
Seedy Jeezus have a reputation for never playing the same show twice; sure the track listings may be the same but often the band will break through the constraints of the song itself and let the music call the shots. Each band member taking cues from the other, shifting and shattering then reforming on the crest of a wave before crashing down and slowly sinking into the sand. ‘Chasing The Dragon’s Tail’ is not just a song, it’s an experience. As lead vocalist and born and bred kiwi (hailing from Rotorua) Lex Waterreus steps out from behind the mic stand and let’s his fingers loose on the strings, the audience members become transfixed. They begin to move closer and closer to the stage. At the end of the song someone calls out ‘What’s your name?’ Lex looking up from under his giant mane of untamed curls calls out “We are Seedy Jeezus – thanks for asking!”
Lex then introduces the song ‘Shakin The Fuse’ stating that they would like to play something a little more “up tempo”. What the audience receives is a fully fledged rock and roll demon leaping down from the stage and racing around the room. Jayden Ensor on bass is stock steady, plucking out those heavy notes with meaning, while behind a curtain of long straight hair and sporting a Black Sabbath tour shirt is drummer extraordinaire Mark Sibson. After a quick training session of the audience to yell “yeah” when Lex holds his arm up, they play their last song for the night ‘Sun in my Car’. It was great to see the band grinning as the audience fully immersed themselves and belted out the aforementioned “yeah” on command. Seedy Jeezus will be supporting HLAH at both their Raglan and New Plymouth shows before playing the ‘Spoonful Festival’ in Rotorua on Sunday, so there is plenty of opportunities to catch these psychedelic rock gods in action.
The crowd were now surging forward, jostling for the best position to witness Head Like A Hole tear it apart. Unlike most shows, there are no barriers in front of the stage and the prime positions along the front are quickly snapped up. Nigel and Simon scurry back and forth setting up and making last minute adjustments to the equipment and on stage décor. They then disappear only to walk back out with the rest of the band in tow. Booga Beazley steps up to the microphone and gazes down upon the sea of faces looking back at him. Dressed in leather pants, his face painted yellow and what looks like a long tassle of horse hair hanging from his hip, he clutches the microphone and waits. The crowd are still jostling each other, all eyes on Beazley as he announces the first track off the album as ‘Hole’. Lead guitarist Regan hits the strings and all hell breaks loose as a mosh pit at the front of the stage instantly appears.
Ladies and Gentleman we are off.
HLAH start tearing through the tracks, pausing only so Beazley can ask someone to get him a drink. As the begin to play ‘Fish Across Face’ the crowd surges forward again, those in the front row acting as a barrier against the low lying stage. “Penut’ Regan utters into the microphone, Beazley looking at him and stating “No, it’s Fat Little Man, see it says it right there on the set list”. They grin at each other before Regan tells the story of how he travelled to England for a wedding and in the airport on the way home he saw a woman breastfeeding and thought to himself he would like nothing better at that exact moment in time to be nestled in a warm bosom.
Throughout the last songs of the album 13 a few patrons in the front row had been consistently hassling Regan, telling him to get naked. During the limited seconds of silence between songs one of these patrons yelled “You’re still not naked yet!” Regan by this point had had enough (really why would you want to antagonise this beast of a man!) and swinging his guitar onto his hip looked straight at him and said “why is it always the guys that ask me to get naked?” and with that unzipped his pants pulled out his junk and waved it at the guy before tucking himself away again and ripping into the next song. Needless to say there were no further requests.
Last song of the 13 set was ‘12’ which saw Beazley offer the microphone to the audience for someone to sing the famous lines, an eager fan snatching it up and blowing everyone including Beazley away with the quality of his singing.
Arriving at the ‘greatest hits’ portion of the set in a screaming sweaty pile of limbs, this was the chance for many in the audience to have a bit more of a sing along to the songs. Starting off with ‘Cornbag’ there was a shift in the atmosphere; the fervent urgency had mellowed slightly into more of a party ambience. The mosh pit still continuing to churn but with less of a battle vibe to it. Songs such as ‘Wet Rubber’ and ‘Glory Glory’ had the audience singing at the tops of their lungs, a magnificent sight and sound. Beazley then looked up and called out “Is she coming?” as around the side of the stage a figure approached, the crowd going wild as they realised a trumpeter had arrived. Dressed in fishnets, red vinyl hot pants and sporting a HLAH tour shirt the young lady with the brass and all eyes upon her began to play those famous opening notes to ‘A Crying Shame’; and she absolutely nailed it.
“This one’s for the ladies” Beazley crooned into the microphone as the band played ‘I’m on Fire’, it’s raucous ending triggering another frantic pogo session as everyone felt the end of the set approaching. Closing on ‘Hootenanny’ the band and the audience gave it everything they had. By its end the audience was almost on its knees having expended all available energy stocks and oxygen. Half of Beazleys face paint was now on the front of his leather pants as it had melted and dripped off his chin; the rest of the band looking like they had taken showers with their clothes on. An audience member asked Regan for the set list (that Beazley had earlier wiped his face on the back of), Regan picking it up and promptly (and rather vigorously I may add) shoving it down his pants for a few seconds before pulling it out and handing it over.
Ah, Head Like A Hole, may you never change!
Were you there at Galatos for this stench filled Kiwi rock extravaganza? Or have you seen Head Like A Hole live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Seedy Jeezus Setlist:
- Polaris
- Pick Up
- Chasing The Dragons Tail
- 3 Million Light Years
- Shakin’ The Fuse
- Bare Foot
- Sun In My Car
Head Like A Hole Setlist:
- Hole
- Lifes A Joke
- Never mind Today
- Afro Surprise
- Fish Across Face
- Fat Little Man
- Penut
- Big Mouth
- Narcotics, Noise & Nakedness
- Ritual Groovemeister
- 12
- Cornbag
- 1 Pound, 2 Pound
- Comfortably Shagged
- Wet Rubber
- Trouble Again
- Head Of Ignorance
- Crying Shame
- Glory Glory
- I’m On Fire [Bruce Springsteen – cover]
- Hootenanny
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