The Chats
11th October 2019
Galatos, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chontalle Musson.
New Zealand’s three favourite Aussies slid into town again last night, The Chats selling out the venue of Galatos faster than a mate nicking your lighter. For those that missed their Whammy shows back in February, it was an opportune moment to truly party with the boys whose songs revolve around the simple things in life, such as beer, darts, pub food and the occasional STI.
But what’s a gathering without some kiwi friends, the Auckland show deciding to shake it up with not only some local flavour but a spicy little sachet from Wellington in the form of Dartz; the four piece “pyramid-shaped, multi-marketing operation” exploding across the stage like a bottle of coke and mentos. Comprised of Crispy, Clark, Rollyz and Danz on vocals who was the brainchild of the whole damn thing, the quartet began their set with an educational session; C is for Ciggie, a take home fact for all.
From there it was all one big Pōneke punk jamboree, tracks about the ever so slimy Brian Tamaki summed up perfectly in ‘I Pray for Prey’, while ‘Fuck Scorched Almonds’ is a tune everyone can get behind at Christmas time. Recently released ’40 Riddiford Street’ (check out the video here) soon segued into a display of decent guitar skills on ‘One Outz’ a self-appointed “rock n roll” song about fights with the lads, a touch of The Divinyls being cunningly weaved in. What was not to love about Dartz?
Having supported The Chats back in February and with a reputation that proceeds them Shaun’s B’day lit up the stage like an everlasting birthday candle. Led by Jake Love on vocals and bass guitar, the trio which includes Shaun Dedekind and the phenomenal Cassey Locke on drums threw down a set that kept feet shuffling – just don’t request the Breeders aight?
From ‘Dance Hall King’ which saw Love break out some of those infamous dance moves, conversations about hating your job, and even some brand spanking new music, Shaun’s B’day gave it all and just that little bit more. A good set always includes a cover, so what better than U2’s ‘With or Without You’ sung in the key of Metallica with the lyrics from ‘Enter Sandman’; Love delivering it in the style of Motorhead’s Lemmy. The acapella chorus of the actual ‘With or Without You’ finishing it off nicely and giving the audience the chance to flex their own vocal cords.
‘Number 9 on Rice’, songs about food – c’mon who doesn’t like nutritional sustenance? – and an ode to the era of Teletubbies with ‘The Injustice of Noo Noo’ all culminated in the quintessential kiwi touch of a familiar rap that may or may not have featured on ads for a *cough* reasonably famous fast food chain. Finishing the set on fan favourite ‘Helicopter Pilot’ both band and crowd gave it everything they had, Clark from Dartz joining Shaun’s B’Day on stage while an enthusiastic patron taught everyone just how the worm should be done. Classic old school.
Amusing themselves while they waited, the audience began a hearty chant of “All I want and all I need, All I crave is a good pub feed” proving their dedicated prowess in the art of The Chats lyrics.
A band that sold out an entire debut UK tour, supported the legendary Iggy Pop and who recently shared a stage with CJ Ramone have got to have something going for them right? Those who have ever listened to The Chats immediately understanding just what that something is. The Chats are pub rock, punk rock and everything in between; they themselves defining their particular sound as ‘shed rock’ which is just another way of saying a bloody good shit band.
With his mullet decorated cranium and ever-changing facials that leer out over the microphone at the heaving mosh pit at his feet, vocalist Eamon Sandwith is the archetypal Aussie front man. Accompanied by his mates Josh Price and Matt Boggis on guitar and drums respectively, The Chats make chaos look effortless, their songs more tales that could be told while sitting round the backyard BBQ, their fans chanting all the words to ‘Mum Stole my Darts’
Eamon appeared pleased with the opportunity to play a venue that allowed both the band and the crowd to stretch their legs, stating that their previous shows were a bit of a sweat box; to be fair though any show involving The Chats is going to involve the excreting of bodily fluids, the contagious nature of their music compelling those in attendance to thrash their bodies along in time to the stomping rhythm sections. ‘Nambored’, ‘How Many Do You Do’ and the strangely seductive nature of ‘Temperature’ from the album Get This in Ya flying in the face of anyone who has written this powerhouse trio off as nothing but a gimmick.
Crowd surfing soon ensued as showers of beer filled the air, the anthemic sing-a-longs of ‘Pub Feed’ and ‘Smoko’ – which saw the ciggie costume wearing Rollyz from Dartz join the boys on stage – all continuing to whip the crowd into a frenzy of flailing arms and hoarse throats. An encore of ‘VB Anthem’ sung by Pricey seeing even more beer fill the air before The Chats latest musical offering ‘Identity Theft’ sent fans staggering out into the cool night air with grins a mile wide.
Missed the party? Check out The Chats at Laneway 2020, where they are guaranteed to be one of the acts of the day.
Were you there at Galatos to witness these Aussie Shed Rock Punks? Or have you seen The Chats perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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