Th’ Dudes
19th November 2020
The Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
Camaraderie. It seeped from the very pores of attendees who crowded into the Auckland Town Hall last night to finally witness a show that the ‘virus that shall not be named’ had successfully delayed for more than a few months.
To be fair, there always does seem to be an atmosphere of esprit de corps at nights such as these, especially when iconic New Zealand bands such Th’ Dudes are headlining. It’s something about that connection to songs that people were either partying to at venues that have long since passed on into the pages of history books, or that they were listening to as kids in their Dad’s garage while he fixed the car on a Sunday afternoon. Th’ Dudes may have only released two albums – the band having already broken up before the second had even emerged – but it matters none. This is the music of a nation, the soundtrack to lazy summer afternoons and backyard parties. These are the songs that matter.
But before the audience could throw themselves down memory lane, support act Racing arrived with an electrifying set that demonstrated not only why they are deserving of such a prestigious tour support slot, but just the absolute depth of musical talent we truly have on our shores.
With enough swagger to rival even the magnificent Jarvis Cocker, frontman Edward Knowles presented centre stage, and with a nonchalant flick of the fringe, splayed his legs and dipped the mic stand like a long-lost lover as guitarist Sven Pettersen plucked out the distinctive opening notes of their latest single ‘Flashbacks’. It was the calm before the storm, a moment in which to catch one’s breath before being drawn into a set that both quenched a thirst but left one hungry for more.
With a combination such as Knowles and Pettersen, a performance that leaves you writhing is almost to be expected; their formation and subsequent decade of creation as The Checks, sowing the seeds needed to pull off the live performances being presented last night. From the funk-infused opener Racing slid straight into those rock n roll vibes that we have come to know from them; Izaak Houston on drums, tossing his head back as his body became one with the kit. It all looked so effortless, so damn cool that it was exhilarating.
Changing tack, ‘Misbehaving’ from their 2018 album Real Dancing saw Knowles lay down serpentine like falsettos, the track meandering through the crowd with a crooked smile before Knowles exploded into a breakdown that would give Bobby Gillespie a run for his money. “Welcome to the show!” declared Knowles. Welcome indeed.
‘Motel Pool’ delivered more of that exquisitely languid rock n roll, the combination of Pettersen’s solo that was reminiscent of long shadows across the Death Valley Canyon, being fortified by Barrett’s chugging basslines; just what the doctor ordered on a Thursday evening. Pulling it back, Knowles voice rang clear and true as he sang the opening lines to ‘Run Wild’, his vocals exploding into those of a raucous heathen as the rest of the band kicked in, the attendees down in the stalls celebrating along with them by singing the chorus with free abandon.
Concluding their outstanding set was yet another off their debut album, ‘The Bass’ seeing Knowles once again dip his toes into sweet falsetto territory, lulling the audience into a sultry sway before channelling the deities of rock themselves and unleashing a howl that sent shivers down the spine. There are few bands with the confidence to draw out their songs, to let them steep for just the right amount of time whilst perfectly melding together fusions of sound from both past and present; Racing is that band however. Do yourself a favour, buy the album, see them live. No excuses.
Following the prerequisite intermission, it seemed even more bodies had filled the room, their excitement emanating from them as watched the stage intently for any indication that the band was about to arrive. Brent Eccles once again on MC duty as he was at Dobbyn’s show a few weeks ago, introduced Th’ Dudes with gusto, Peter Urlich dashing out onto the stage like a kid rushing into his favourite candy store.
And that was the impression that first struck as the six members arranged themselves on stage. Here were a group of people that wanted to be there, that were as elated as their fans were to be about to perform. When so many older bands topple into the age of heritage, the spark no longer in their eyes, the live experience somehow leaving punters feeling cheap and dirty, seeing a group of musicians genuinely enjoy their time together on stage is refreshing.
Wasting no time Th’ Dudes opened with none other than the title track from their debut album, 1979’s Right First Time, everyone’s eyes being pulled towards the top of the stage as the bands name lit up in giant capitals. Across the back, a row of amps and speakers between which, smack dab in the middle, was nestled the great Bruce Hambling on drums, in front of him none other than Lez White on bass, the duo providing the rhythm to which Urlich’s feet were tapping. This was a who’s who of some of the best New Zealand has to offer, from Dave Dobbyn on guitar through to both Rikki Morris and Victoria Girling-Butcher formally of Lucid 3. Sure, it wasn’t the original line-up of Th’ Dudes, but there wasn’t a single complaint to be made.
‘On Sunday’ and ‘On the Rox’ took a spin across the stage, before Urlich brought out a snarl befitting of his stylish grey suit jacket and matching waistcoat for ‘Take it Back’, his animated delivery elevating the song to the next level and driving the front rows wild as Dobbyn in a velvet green two piece looked content being allowed to concentrate his efforts into his guitar playing rather than his usual role of frontman. In what was a thoughtful touch, the speakers came to life with a visual display of the name ‘Dobbyn’ behind him, the opposite side simply displaying the word ‘Morris’.
But you couldn’t keep Dobbyn away from the mic forever, his reggae version of ‘You Don’t Have to Go’ seeing him step into the spotlight as Urlich danced with his tambourine in the shadows, at one point gleefully climbing atop of the drum riser. It seems the hands of time have passed Urlich by, his energy levels just as vivacious as they were four decades ago.
The death of founding member Ian Morris a decade ago, still smarts and left a gap that can never be filled but having his younger brother Rikki there felt right and brought with it his own personal touch to the songs beloved by all. Th’ Dudes version of ‘Game of Love’ which Ian Morris released under the name Tex Pistol twenty years ago dedicated to his memory and bringing a tear to more than a few eyes as images of him were displayed across the stage.
Anyone who was expecting a straight Th’ Dudes run through of songs would have been pleasantly surprised, not only by the outstanding digital visuals that would morph from blue skies and fluffy white clouds into tumbling beer caps, but by the mix up of presentations. Who would have expected – following a stonking version of ‘That Look in Your Eyes’ – to have seen Urlich and Dobbyn perch upon bar stools for a version of ‘Loyal’ sung entirely by Urlich? Or Rikki Morris to perform an acoustic version of ‘Nobody Else’ with backing vocals from Girling-Butcher that were just heavenly, before nose diving into ‘Bad Boy Billy’? This was a rollercoaster of a show that no one ever wanted to end.
‘You Can Make Me Dance’ saw Urlich perform his own slick moves as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers twirled behind him on screen, the dance class scene from the 1936 film Swing Time eliciting smiles of wonderment from those in the circle seats. Kudos to the set designers.
While the evening had almost disappeared in a puff of smoke, the end already lurking in the doorway, Th’ Dudes still had some major artillery waiting in the wings; Dobbyn leading the charge with ‘All My Lovers’ a track which – just like ‘Can’t Get Over You At All’ – demonstrated the punk influences which had helped shape their sound, Th’ Dudes instinctively knowing how to pull from the best of both worlds while still appealing to the mainstream market of the time.
What is there really to say about what followed next? The one, two, three knockout of ‘Walking in Light’, ‘Be Mine Tonight’ and ‘Bliss’ saw the room implode while a group of young men down front hilariously tore the shirts from their chests and swung them high above their heads. The hall was awash with a choir of thousands, every line sung with enthusiasm, every grin beaming like headlights at Urlich and the band who beamed right back at them. Time stood still, and nothing else mattered. There was only this moment and that was all that was needed.
An encore was demanded and given, and many might question why a band with such a playlist of big hitters would finish with covers of other people’s songs; namely ‘Wild Thing’ by The Troggs and the great Iggy Pop’s ‘The Passenger’… Because these were the songs that inspired the band. These were the songs that pushed them to create music of their own. These were the songs that they covered so lovingly, with both conviction and loyalty as their own tribute to the gods of rock n roll. Just as their music is still being covered to this day by up and coming kiwi kids. There’s something poetic about that. May it never end.
To see the Town Hall brimming with multiple generations of punters, dancing, laughing, sharing knowing smiles as they passed eachother in the halls was so invigorating, so completely wondrous, that you couldn’t help but be swept up in the positivity of it all. Sure, 2020 has dealt us a blow or two, and it even got a couple of cheap kicks in while we were down. But you know what Aotearoa. We’re going to be ok…
Were you there at The Auckland Town Hall for this nostalgic Kiwi rock gig? Or have you seen Th’ Dudes perform live some other time? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Set List:
- Right First Time
- On Sunday
- On The Rox
- Until You Do
- Take It Back
- You Don’t Have To Go
- Game Of Love
- The Modern Choice
- That Look In Your Eyes
- Stop Crying
- Loyal
- Nobody Else
- Bad Boy Billy
- Something I Don’t Need
- You Can Make Me Dance
- All My Lovers
- Can’t Get Over You At All
- Walking In Light
- Be Mine Tonight
- Bliss
- Wild Thing [The Troggs cover][encore]
- The Passenger [Iggy Pop cover][encore]
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