L7
6th December 2023
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Bridget Herlihy with photography by Doug Peters.
Often mis-categorised as part of the ‘grunge’ era of the early 90s, L7’s career has spanned over four decades. Formed in east Los Angeles in 1985 after mutual friends introduced Donita Sparks (vocals, guitar) and Suzi Gardner (guitar, vocals) came together over a shared desire to play loud rock music. Joined by Jennifer Finch (bass, vocals) and Dee Plakas, (the band’s third drummer) L7 earned a reputation for their ferocious, intense, unapologetic punk-inspired sound and live performances. While also credited with being part of the riot grrrl movement, L7 in fact predated it, resisting and shunning the stereotypes and expectations of what women musicians should play and how they should present themselves on stage.
After taking a hiatus in 2001, the band reformed in 2014 and are showing no signed of slowing down anytime soon. Originally scheduled to play Australasian dates in mid 2020, the quartet finally made it to Auckland for their only NZ show at The Powerstation tonight to mark the 30th anniversary of their third studio album ‘Bricks Are Heavy’. Released in 1992, a notable year in rock music history to say the least, to rave reviews, ‘Bricks Are Heavy’ is a verifiable sonic tour de force – one that has proven to stand the test of time.
Tonight, it was an eclectic crowd, a sea of black, flannel, tartan, docs, converse and the odd mohawk, that were lined up down the block eagerly waiting for the doors to open. Once inside, a number headed straight for the merch stall, while others headed straight to the front of stage to stake out prime positions for the evening (much respect to the gentleman with the walker who was right in front of the stage).
The support act – the very punctual Auckland-based band The Dawns, immediately warmed the crowd up, and continued to hold their attention with their catchy yet edgy blend of punk infused pop/rock. It was only appropriate that a four piece band of young women – Mila (guitar, vocals), Elliott (drums), Imogen (bass) and Georgia (lead guitar) had the opening slot for L7, and their confidence, musicianship and sheer joy of playing in front of an audience was clear for all to see. Guitarist and vocalist Mila encouraged the crowd to move closer to the stage and dance for their groove-heavy cover of Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex On Fire’. While this cover was great, the rest of their set was comprised of original material, all of which was incredibly polished. The Dawns appear to have a very bright future ahead of them.
The Powerstation was almost at capacity by the time the headliners were due to arrive onstage. Setting the scene, and heralding their imminent arrival, the audience was taken on a sonic trip down memory lane, with snippets of some of the biggest releases of 1992 blasting through the PA; everything from Smells Like Teen Spirit to Jump Around, Achy Breaky Heart to I’m Too Sexy, Enter Sandman to Mysterious Ways. And then the foursome appeared to a cacophony of cheers, screams and applause before launching into the opening track of ‘Bricks Are Heavy’, ‘Wargasm’, proving right from the get-go that L7 are still as essential, compelling and intoxicating to experience as they were in the 90s.
Time has not diminished their power and ferocity. After an electrifying rendition of Scrap, frontwoman and guitarist, the infamous Donita Sparks, commented that “most bands play their biggest hit last, but we are playing this album front to back, so…” before launching into ‘Pretend We’re Dead’, which was also met with a barrage of ecstatic cheers from the crowd. Track by track the quartet played their way through the album, with the crowd hanging on every note and every word. Bassist and vocalist Jennifer Finch was head banging with her fiery red hair flailing, while guitarist and vocalist Suzi Gardiner shredded like there was no tomorrow, with drummer Dee Plakas setting the beat. ‘Everglade’ had the crowd singing at the top of their lungs, with Finch complimenting the audience on their singing. When Sparks asked how many people were seeing the band for the first time, a vast majority waved their hands in the air. But as the saying goes, it was indeed a case of better late than never. Sparks commented that “Auckland is a cool city, we are digging it. Thanks for coming, you are a bunch of fucking monsters“, before kicking into ‘Monster’, the blistering ‘Shitlist’ and finally ‘This Ain’t Pleasure’.
As the ‘Bricks Are Heavy’ album play-through came to a conclusion Finch stated “and children, that is what you call an album“. And what an album it is!
The second part of the set gave the foursome free reign to play whatever they wanted from their vast back catalogue, with fan favourites such as ‘Bad Things’, ‘Fuel My Fire’ and ‘Shove’, all anthems delivered with the same level of intensity fans have come to expect from L7. ‘Dispatch From Mar-a-Lago’ was of course dedicated to the former President of the United States, with Sparks delivering a vocal performance brimming with venom and absolute fire.
After a brief interlude, the ladies returned to the stage for their encore, churning through ‘American Society’, and finally ‘Fast and Frightening’, which they dedicated to all of the ladies in the house, who responded with deafening screams of appreciation. Ending the show by flourishing their guitars over their heads and striking some serious rock-inspired poses, the show had come to a close.
To see L7, and performing their seminal album in its entirety, was one of those bucket list experiences. It was as if for an evening we were transported back in time, yet the authenticity, power and musicianship of L7 remains timeless. It was definitely a show that will keep the audience buzzing for quite some time to come.
L7:
The Dawns:
Were you there at the Powerstation for this heavy punk rock gig? Or have you seen L7 perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
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