The Chats, Auckland NZ, 2021

The Chats

27th July 2021
The Hollywood Cinema, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

It’s a Tuesday night, in winter. The pavement is still soaked from the past few days of torrential rain and the wind snaps like a ravenous dog as it rattles down the suburban streets of Avondale under the cover of nightfall. The perfect evening it would seem then to warm the cockles of ones’ heart while ensconced inside beloved local venue the Hollywood Theatre alongside several hundred other fans for some trans-tasman punk.

As part of the Elemental AKL Festival, Elemental Nights has returned for its second year, bringing with it some tantilizing musical morsels for Aucklanders to drool over. Screaming in hot on the heels of the epic Flying Nun 40th Anniversary Concert last Saturday, the Hollywood sported many a familiar local musician, as tracks from Headless Chickens and Straitjacket Fits serenaded the flood of fans pouring through the doors.

The audience turned up in force early last night for local support act Dick Move, the bands reputation for not only delivering statement music, but performances that cut deeper than a freshly sharpened switch blade ensuring a full house. Having released their debut album Chop! – produced by none other than Wax Chattels/Sulfate frontman Peter Ruddell – just last October, Dick Move are a must-see band for anyone who likes their punk with a side order of realism.

Much of their appeal comes down to not only their desire to turn ‘late night political chats’ into action but the sheer presence of lead singer Lucy Suttor who owns every inch of the stage that she struts across. Watching a vocalist who is so in control whilst obviously enjoying every second of their time behind the microphone is never to be underrated. It is infectious, tangible and most of all engaging. It pulls you in and slaps a grin across your face that refuses to budge as Suttor straddles an amp, leans over the front rows and shouts that every night is ‘Ladies Night’ with a gleam of no fucks given conviction in her eye.

Behind her a wall of noise pours forth from the rest of the band members; Harriet Ellis and Justin Rendall already familiar faces to those who are fans of Na Noise and hardcore punk band Shitripper, bassist Lulu Macrae and Luke Boyes on drums recognisable by any fan that spends time nestled in the wonderfully dark underbelly of Tāmaki Makaurau’s revered Whammy! Bar. Together the quintet are cohesive in both their sound and demeanour, Suttor’s voice deliciously stentorian as it rides the sonic waves reverberating around her.

Their tracks are hard and fast – just as they should be – but they communicate everything they need to; from ‘Pissing’ about testosterone fuelled bad behaviour through to the violent undertones of title track ‘Chop!’. ‘Dinosaurs’ reminds those with outdated ideals, especially around the oppression of women that they will be dead soon, the brashness of the lyrics only causing those down front to thrash their bodies harder in agreement. New track ‘Butt Stinks’ soon ushers in ‘Woman take the Streets’, the call to arms being seen not only locally but across Aotearoa. Long may it continue.

Ultimately Dick Move came out swinging and landed every damn punch. Make no mistake, this is a socialist punk band with something to say, and its time for those their tracks are aimed at to start listening.

The Chats have been around awhile now, long enough for them to not only hone their craft but to also gain some serious street cred by supporting such juggernauts as Queens of the Stone Age and one of the grand daddies of punk itself, Iggy Pop.

Arriving to ‘Slice of Heaven’ by Dave Dobbyn, The Chats were welcomed with gusto by the crowd who were ready and waiting for not only their unique brand of Aussie Shed Rock classics, but to check out the latest addition to the band Josh Hardy who has replaced guitarist Josh ‘Pricey’ Price.

Salutations from leader of the band Eamon Sandwith over and done with, The Chats kicked off in their usual style, the frenetic pace and lyrics punctuated by a distinct Queensland twang inciting the crowd to bounce around while cheering on the steady stream of stage divers that expelled themselves from the edge into the upheld arms of the mosh pit.

His mullet looking ever so sharper than usual, Eamon in t-shirt and shorts, adopted his wide-legged stance and growled into the microphone, his contorted facials and guttural stylings reminding many of Motorheads Lemmy Kilmister. “All I need is a buck or two!!” he howled as the crowd chanted along to the classic ‘Bus Money’. Sure, The Chats may have only existed for five short years, but these are classics that will be around for years to come. Their raw honesty and mundane themes along with a DIY aesthetic cementing their relatability with the fans.

Banter flowed easily between Sandwith and Hardy (formally of The Unknowns) throughout the night, unsurprising when both have been mates for years, Sandwith noting in a recent interview with Ambient Light that Hardy has fitted in “like a glove”. This change also seems to have brought about a renewed energy to the band, each track delivered with enthusiasm and grit, Hardy himself looking like he was having the time of his life as he smashed out some impressive riffs and even a solo or two.

On drums the youthful looking Matt Boggis was a whirlwind of arms and sticks as The Chats threw down one song after another, the comedic introduction of ‘Nambored’ the first opportunity for the audience to catch their breath before ‘Mum Stole Me Darts’ and ‘CCTV’ once again saw the mosh pit churning as Hardy went full Jimi Hendrix and played the guitar behind his head.

And while Covid-19 may have thrown a spanner in the works for most bands touring schedules, it would seem The Chats used their downtime wisely, the introduction of new tracks such as ‘6 ltr gtr’ complementing ‘Casualty’ from their 2017 Get This In Ya album while seamlessly sliding into the set list alongside ‘Ross River’ and ‘Identity Theft’ before ‘Smoko’ saw chaos ensue and the vocals of the crowd stretched to the limit as they screamed the chorus with unabashed pride.

Community spirit was high, one only needing to glance around the room to see fans from several generations not only united together in song, but in solidarity as well. The younger fans were respected and given space to express themselves, those that fell quickly scooped up and set back on their feet. Women in the audience moved about freely and with confidence, the respect between all genders for one another as fellow patrons, palpable. This is what gig life is supposed to be about.

A lightning quick drinking break and The Chats presented their fans with a cover of ‘Pull Down the Shades’ by New Zealand’s own The Enemy, before quickly following it up with ‘Dine n Dash’ and ‘Better Than You’, another new track about a smashed-up ATM in Southport punctuating the two.

‘Temperature’ – the closest The Chats come to raunchy – was the strangely appropriate (considering the current state of NSW) penultimate track of the evening, Sandwith advising one and all that they had one song left to go and once it was done they were too; “there will be none of that ‘one more song’ bullshit” he warned before joking that maybe they will be back in six years – or possibly ten – because in all honesty they actually kinda like New Zealand…

Whenever The Chats do come back, they will be welcomed with open arms, because frankly nights like this are what fans live for and what both music and more importantly punk should always be about.

Were you there at The Hollywood Cinema for this rowdy punk rock gig? Or have you seen The Chats perform live some other time? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Note: Elemental AKL / Live Nation provided passes to Ambient Light to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission.

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