Pipe Line Under The Ocean (PLUTO)
23rd November 2019
The Hollywood Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Ali Nicholls. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
Thirteen years on from the release of their classic anthemic hit ‘Long White Cross’, Auckland alt-pop outfit Pluto have burst back onto the radar with their hit single ‘Oh My Lonely’ from their freshly cut album IV. The album is rife with catchy, danceable songs that show the evolution of Pluto’s sound since their rock days of the early noughties into a repertoire of nuanced pop tracks that lead with evocative melodies and progressions designed with both restraint and passion. IV marks a refreshing new era for Pluto. Their album release show at The Hollywood Avondale gave fans a glimpse into what can be expected of the band’s evolution from here on in.
The show opens with a set from Ha The Unclear; a group of likely lads local to Auckland who fit perfectly into the kiwi indie rock catalogue. Led by a jangling guitar and vocals with a distinctly Aucklandian twang, we hear about abandoned furniture, the perils of battery farming, and warnings from astronauts. Their set is upbeat and doesn’t take itself too seriously, but the songs are tight and a swarm of technical difficulties throughout doesn’t deter their enthusiasm.
Pluto are greeted with excitement and celebration. The crowd here is a tribute to their enduring presence, dating back to their early releases that became emblematic of a golden era of pop-rock in Aotearoa. There are a few millennial faces floating around the crowd, but for the most part Pluto’s fan base would have been blasting their music over a decade ago in their twenties and thirties. Their contemporary sound clearly hasn’t deterred their listeners from engaging with their music. If anything, their extended hiatus has only served to heighten the excitement of fans who are once again impressed with the bands’ ability to churn out iconic tracks with every release, no matter how long we must wait.
The set opens with their latest single ‘Oh My Lonely’; Pluto’s sound has evolved to incorporate more alt-pop tropes as they move further away from the classic rock genre, with synthesisers featuring prominently as the emotive tool of the track. The band nails the opening song, with singer Milan Borich cleanly landing all the notes. ‘Waiting Watching’ is next, followed by ‘Long White Cross’, and the crowd throws themselves into their older tracks. The dynamic of the gig has shifted, and by stepping away from their impressive new material so early in the set, it suddenly feels like a reunion tour. The songs are quintessential tracks of their time, but we are supposed to be seeing a regenerated and modern rendition of Pluto and instead we are almost immediately knocked back to 2005. The performances themselves are tight, but it is a relief when the new material comes back in with ‘Revolting’. Borich owns the stage and the crowd is captivated by him. He has the air of a classic rocker though which is no more apparent than when, during the song ‘Lonely Fall’, he slowly peels off his shirt. Roughly half the crowd is enthusiastic about it, but the Iggy Pop-ego doesn’t seem to sit with the introspective mood that their latest music seeks to put forward. For all of the authenticity in their recordings, in a live context the subtlety of the lyrics and sound seem to be lost in the thrill of reuniting to perform again. The sound is in the present, but the performance seems stuck in the past.
‘In Your Mind’ brings us deeper into the alt-pop genre, with Matthias Jordan showcasing his skill on the keyboard. The track has all of the indicators of a fresh alternative pop classic. Borich is really hurling himself into the set now, and his passion for the performance is undeniable. Aside from the bassist and guitarist either side of him interactions between the rest of the band members, or the band and the crowd, are minimal. Regardless the crowd is enraptured with Borich’s on stage presence, and there is something to be said for a local Auckland act coming back after a ten year silence and still knowing how to invigorate their fans. The remainder of the set bounces between new releases and throwback tracks. On the one hand, Pluto are giving the crowd everything they were hoping for. But on the other, we can’t want what we haven’t seen yet. Pluto offered a great show but missed a chance to embrace their new sound as an opportunity to update their live presence and show us something we weren’t expecting.
Pluto’s latest release is worth a listen. It’s catchy, playful, heartfelt, and a welcome contribution to Aotearoa’s alt-pop scene. They’ve evolved as musicians, and in managing to successfully write across multiple genres they deserve their accolade as one of the country’s most successful pop-rock acts. While their live show at The Hollywood felt more like a reunion tour than an album release at times, their fans are as enthusiastic as ever. And with a reputation for being an act with a finger on the pulse, we can expect an even more dynamic future for Pluto.
Were you there at The Hollywood Theatre for this superb Kiwi rock comeback? Or have you seen PLUTO perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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It is great to have Pluto back on the scene. IV is every bit as good as anythi g they have done before and it was great to see such a great mix of tracks from old to new.
As Ali says in the review much of the gig may have felt like a traditional Pluto performance but that isn’t a bad thing for me. I loved every minute of it.
The highlight for me was the way new track Alight (my favourite track off IV) followed Dance Stamina as the show closer and it stood up brilliantly alongside the old classic.
A fantastic show, I didn’t stop dancing!