Punk It Up IV
25th May 2019
Zwines (The Bluestone Room), Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
It was one for the ages on Saturday night as Punk It Up IV rode into town on the back of an epic line-up of bands, many predicting before the doors had even opened that it would undoubtedly be the best one yet. Having made its home at the late, great King’s Arms for the last three years many were concerned as to where such an event could possibly move to; their fears soon quelled with the announcement that the iconic shindig would be held at none other than Zwines itself (aka The Bluestone Room) the same Auckland venue that many of the acts cut their very teeth on back in 1979.
As patrons lined up outside patiently awaiting opening time, those who had spent their formative years there were cast into the role of amateur tour guides as they answered enquiries from curious minds who were too young to attend back in the day; shared stories of gauntlet runs past Babes Disco downstairs and The Scavengers residency spot wafting across the cool evening breeze. Inside attendees were greeted by copies of Dead Cities, a brilliantly curated zine made especially for the event that contained ‘Tales from Auckland’s Punk Rock Past’ as well as assorted merch as they made their way through the inviting dark wood interior of the bar to the upstairs space that had been especially transformed for the evening.
Kicking it all off, the first two bands of the night held nothing back; Last Rockers with the stunning Lise Wesseling at the helm, delivering a particularly vicious cover of ‘Bodies’ by The Sex Pistols; local band The Bombers – who rose from the ashes of the City Newton Bombers – following closely behind with Matt Rew leading the way on vocals and Simon Nicholls (who also happens to play bass for Head Like A Hole) impressing all with his stage manoeuvres.
The X-Features are always a welcome sight at any Punk It Up, many of the members such as Chris Orange and Jed Town well known faces around the scene. Joined by none other than Punk It Up’s organiser and No Tag member himself, Andrew Boak they began their set with ‘City Scenes’ the nostalgically catchy riff quickly getting the room going, it’s conclusion seeing Boak declare loudly that he was quitting the band as he stormed off the stage much to the audience’s amusement.
Somehow continuing on without him, the X-Features laid down some crowd favourites such as ‘Rescue’, ‘Party’ and the rather post-punk ‘Victim’ before bidding farewell. But something was afoot, Boak was suddenly back and there was much excited murmuring emanating from the audience as a figure could be seen slowly making their way onto the stage.
What would happen next will go down as unquestionably one of the greatest moments of Punk It Up IV, a moment that was not billed, or even rumoured since it was so touch and go as to whether it could even be pulled off. Roars of approval rose into the air, followed by raised fists as none other than Chris Knox himself stood before all and unbelievably performed a kick ass version of Toy Love’s classic ‘Sheep’.
Encompassing everything about the punk rock spirit, its at times absolute hard-headed stubbornness to never give up, the backbone of the beast itself, Chris Knox remained on stage. Having suffered a stroke in 2009, Knox, who has long been revered as one of New Zealand’s greatest lyrists suddenly found his vocabulary seriously diminished. Moving in front of the microphone however it mattered not one iota as he communicated everything that needed to be said through an improv song that contained a series of grunts, moans, howls and shrieks that the band members surrounding him accompanied with aplomb. Eyes ablaze with pure ecstasy, and a grin a mile wide, Knox was once again assisted from the stage, deafening applause and cries of ‘legend’ littering the floor beneath his feet.
A change of pace came in the form of The Newmatics, a band that first hit the scene back in 1981 bringing with them a persona that was far more English, their shoes laced with a sound that encompassed ska, funk and soul rather than balls to the wall punk. Led by Mark Clare and the legendary Benny Staples back behind the kit, the six piece provided some excellent dancing music with tracks such as the instrumental ‘Dummy’, ‘Walkie Talkies’ and the somewhat now historic ‘Riot Squad’. Kelly Rodgers ensured the two-man sax section highlighted the curves of the songs in all the right places; ‘Doobie Doo Boy’ and a version of Wilson Picketts ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ seeing the entire room sing the chorus with gusto.
Throughout the evening dedications to those who had left this earthly realm were made from the stage, their names captured not only in the zine but in the very bricks of the venue itself, their whispered presence only adding to the overall atmosphere of the night.
While their career may have been short-lived at the time, their work has never been forgotten; formed from the remnants of Get Smart and The Aliens, The Spelling Mistakes were famous for their pop/punk tracks. As Warwick Fowler began on guitar, Julian Hanson came in on drums, his brother Nick Hanson springing to life on vocals and immediately getting in the face of punters who were front and centre, his maniacal stage demeanour always a highlight of any Spelling Mistakes set. ‘No Contact’ was an early favourite, but ‘All I Know How To Be’ left it’s mark as it stomped about the stage, Nick at one point sounding like a madman, the extended version of the track whipping those down in front into a frenzy before ‘X-Teenager’ once again brought out the group sing-a-along.
Two bands to go and Zwines was positively humming, the sold-out crowd mingling together as new acquaintances introduced themselves and old friends shared amusing anecdotes over brews in between sets.
Proud Scum were so damn popular last year that it would have been an outright travesty not to have them included in this year’s auspicious line-up, especially when they – along with so many other bands on the bill – have roots deeply entrenched within the very foundations of the building itself. Proudly sporting a black singlet of his own band, Jonathan ‘Jamrag’ Griffiths in all his booted glory was soon commanding the room as fellow members John ‘Atrocity’ Jenkins – who had again travelled out from London for the event – and Graham ‘Hoody’ Hood flanked him on either side, Hoody sporting a t-shirt of one of Wellingtons first ever punk bands The Normals of which he was a member; many others instantly recognising him from his time with Australian pub rock band The Johnnys. And of course, who could forget Bruce ‘Hulk / Diode’ Hoffman dutifully manning the skins.
Beginning with ‘Suicide’, Proud Scum produced the goods without as much as batting an eyelid, Jamrag pausing every so often to introduce the next track with his at times acidic, tongue in cheek commentary; ‘Boot Girl’ and ‘Sid’- which he dedicated to the late, great Sid Vicious – performed in “the key of FF, fuckin fast!’ Continuing the suicide saga with ‘Suicide 2’, Jamrag noted that some might find the playing of such a song insensitive; however those who have long moved within the punk family circle knew that camaraderie comes well before hurt feelings, the continual advancement of biological years only providing more incentive to repair and sustain previously broken ties. Finishing with a track that in many ways is the epitome of who Proud Scum are, ‘I Am A Rabbit’ once again saw the dancefloor explode with heaving bodies, Jamrag seemingly taking great pleasure in the scene before him.
The air sparked with anticipation as the headliners finally took to the stage; The Terrorways, a band many thought would never reform again after the AK79 reunion of 2008, finally returning to what their guitarist Dean Martelli (aka Justin Sane of Rebel Truce) once referred to as their spiritual home.
A cover of The Ronettes ‘Be My Baby’ preceded ‘I Don’t Care’, vocalist John ‘No-One’ Hunter exclaiming his distaste for the Ray Columbus track ‘She’s a Mod’ the group were about to play, even though it was one that The Terrorways were rather well known for. Hunter may be getting on in years, but the fires still burned as bright as they did forty years ago as evidenced by his performance of both ‘Never Been to Borstal’ and ‘Borstal Breakout’.
Watching The Terrorways on stage, the crowd feeding off their every move, it was if time stood still for a moment, the veil between their performance in the very same room four decades ago blurring with the present. Like a right hook to the jaw they finished their brief but zestful set with ‘Short Haired Rock & Roll’, the crowd hailing them like conquering heroes.
As is tradition, the final act of the night were the Bankrobbers, a covers band consisting of Andrew Boak, Shamus O’Brien (who gets soldier of the night award for being sick as a dog and yet still knocking out two separate sets with both Last Rockers and Bankrobbers), Jed Town and Christopher King on drums as well as a revolving door of guest artists.
From The Clash’s ‘Garageland’ and the Dead Boys’ ‘Sonic Reducer’ through to a cover of The Undertones ‘Teenage Kicks’ from Shamus O’Brien and ‘Submission’ by the Sex Pistols sung by Jed Town himself, the Bankrobbers provided a plethora of hits with which to serenade the crowd before they made their way downstairs to the bar where DJ’s such as the incredible Miss Dom would entertain them with their playlists of non-stop hits until the wee small hours.
Set highlights had to be Lise Wesseling’s ferocious cover of The Runaways ‘Cherry Bomb’, and the Bankrobbers version of the Junior Murvin reggae classic ‘Police and Thieves’ which saw Nick Hanson of The Spelling Mistakes once again jump up for a stint on vocals.
Accolades for the tireless and unsung heroes of the scene such as Tim Edwards who were instrumental in converting The Bluestone function room into a Zwines inspired space in which to let loose hundreds of punks were met with fervent applause; Pennie Raven Black receiving the same for her organisational work year after year. Each Punk It Up requiring both a core team and a supportive community behind it to make it happen.
“It’s so much fun being amongst friends” Boak quipped in his final speech of the night, and he was right, the bonds both old and new forged across the last four decades filling the room with a heady cocktail of mutual love and respect for every single member of this strange extended family of outcasts and rebels.
Will there be a Punk It Up V? Only time will tell, the beautiful monster that Boak birthed back in 2015 seemingly taking on a life of its own now, discussions amongst fans and band members of who could feature on the bill next year already echoing down the street as the doors finally closed behind them on the hour of four.
One things for sure however, punk continues to live on in the hearts and minds of many, for as long as it does it can never die out.
SO UP THE PUNX!!!
Were you there at Zwines (The Bluestone Room) for this punk rock party? Or have you been to a previous Punk It Up somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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