Supersuckers
8th February 2019
Whammy Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review & Photography by Sarah Kidd.
The self-proclaimed greatest Rock n Roll band in the world rolled into town on Friday night bringing with it an evening of hot, sweaty and ear-splitting raucousness; in other words, just what the doctor ordered for a weekend kick-off.
But before the Supersuckers could regale the audience with their southern rock goodness, a new local band were gearing up for their first live performance. With the instantly endearing name of the Avondale Spiders and fronted by Paul Edwards of The Dirty Sweets, theirs was undoubtedly going to be an excellent opening set. In fact, their set was so good that they caused their amp head to catch fire, the nasally offensive smell of electrical wires overheating bringing with it a mid-set pause that allowed both punters and band to grab a drink before once again immersing themselves within the sweet folds of rock n roll.
While Brandon Bott of His Masters Voice held down bass duties, Edwards was also accompanied by another member of The Dirty Sweets in the form of the lovely Dee Taylor as well as the stick wielding talents of Shem Stiletto of Leathur Tattoo. The four-piece delivered a set drenched in rock n roll, Edwards rasp infused vocals perfectly suited to the job. Tracks such as ’81 With a Gun’, the contagious ‘Running Outta Luck’ and instant classic ‘Dead of the Night’ showcasing a band whose name will soon be on the lips of anyone who appreciates music that you cannot only sink your teeth into but that will take a bite outta of you in return.
In an uncommon move – an international band usually always headlining a gig and therefore being the last to appear on stage – Supersuckers were next to stride out looking every inch the American rockers they are.
Formed in Arizona in1988 Supersuckers are currently celebrating thirty years of existence, Auckland audiences being treated to both the old and the new. Firmly staking their claim as a band who are still producing material worthy of getting down and dirty in the mosh pit to, the three-piece smashed through ‘All of the Time’ at break neck speed; the Stetson and mirrored aviators wearing vocalist Eddie Spaghetti leading the charge on bass. Continuing with the next three tracks from their latest album Suck It released last year, the set was off to a blazing start, the front rows already well entrenched and baying for more.
Announcing that they would be playing their 1999 album The Evil Powers of Rock ‘N’ Roll not only in full but in order, audience members buckled themselves in for the ride; well-known tracks turning the entire venue into a riotous party, while the deeper cuts were not only a pleasure to hear live but quickly identified the dedicated; one fan in particular by the name of John who had travelled up from Christchurch specifically, animatedly singing along to every track, his enthusiasm catching the eye of Eddie, a momentary grin passing across his face.
Metal Marty however was displaying some enthusiasm of his own, the trucker hat and denim combo wearing guitarist often stepping out from behind the microphone to show off his skills while leaning out into the audience, at one point having the entire crowd sing his praises as he played an impressive solo with the guitar behind his head; all the while Chris ‘Chango’ Streicher was keeping time from behind the kit, chiming in with backing vocals where required.
‘I Want the Drugs’ and ‘Fisticuffs’ as Eddie later joked about in the set are all the topics that good rock and roll songs should be about, along with sex, booze, and gambling, his comments segueing nicely into ‘Gone Gamblin’. Finishing the album component of the set on a high with both ‘I Can’t Hold Myself In Line’ and ‘Hot Like The Sun’ the Supersuckers made the fans dreams come true by throwing out the option of taking requests, an immediate flood of song names pouring forth. ‘How to Maximize Your Kill Count’ and ‘Pretty Fucked Up’ knocked shoulders with the country-esque tones of ‘Let’s Bounce’ the fans throwing everything they had into these last handful of songs.
One fan who decided that he would get a little too handsy with Eddie’s microphone – lifting it off the stage and into the crowd – was later hilariously admonished for his actions during the closing lines of Supersuckers cover of the ZZ Top track ‘Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers’ with which they blended in the last line from their Thin Lizzy version of ‘Cowboy Song’, Eddie using the time to also thank the opening act and remind the audience that there was yet another band to come, openly admiring the fact that they too had been together for over thirty years. Finishing with a hell raising version of ‘Born With A Tail’ Supersuckers bid Whammy a goodnight an impressive ninety minutes later.
It was already well past midnight at this point, but with the weekend waiting to be taken advantage of, no one was in a hurry to leave. There was however a definitive change in the atmosphere, hardcore Sticky Filth fans stepping forward from out of the shadows and taking over the front of stage. Having only played Galatos a few months ago as part of their own headline tour, Sticky Filth were not only a surprise late addition to the Friday night bill, but an even more surprising closer; taking this position seriously, they too knocked out a ninety-minute set turning the show into more of a double headliner.
Craig Radford, dressed in his standard black, a sleeveless shirt showing off his lengthy arms led the charge on bass, the stage lit by nothing more than a single red light. With both guitarist Chris Snowden and Mark ‘Boot’ Hill in their rightful place the three-piece slashed and burned their way into the early hours of the morning. While classics such as ‘Jahbullheboosay’ and ‘The Witch That Got Away’ were fully embraced by the fans, some of the biggest applause of the set went to a new track entitled ‘My Kingdom’ which Radford informed all was written about his family. With Radford visibly ecstatic at how well it translated on stage – a huge smile breaking out on his face upon its conclusion – the fans celebrated with him, the topic of the song something that was not only understood on an individual level but by New Zealand punks as a whole.
The set was raw and visceral, the closeness of Whammy and the fact that it was well past witching hour allowing for a more animalistic vibe. It was a vibe that certainly infected Snowden as he prowled around the stage, sneering at audience members, ripping out chords while hunched over the top of his guitar.
Sex, drugs and rock n roll, hell the entire seven deadly sins and three bands who sang tales of them all on a Friday night in Auckland’s best dive bar in town. Who really could have asked for more?
Were you there at Whammy Bar for this punk rock n roll brilliance? Or have you seen Supersuckers perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- All Of The Time
- The History Of Rock And Roll
- Dead Inside
- Breaking My Balls
- The Evil Powers Of Rock ‘N’ Roll
- Cool Manchu
- I Want The Drugs
- Santa Rita High
- Dead Meat
- Stuff ‘N’ Nonsense
- Dirt Roads, Dead Ends And Dust
- Fisticuffs
- Gone Gamblin
- My Kickass Life
- Goin’ Back To Tucson
- I Can’t Hold Myself In Line
- Hot Like The Sun
- Retarded Bill
- Sleepy Vampire
- How To Maximise Your Kill Count
- Let’s Bounce
- Pretty Fucked Up
- Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers [ZZ Top cover]
- Born With A Tail
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