The Church
4th December 2018
The Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
Just like fashion, music can date; it can age and often be relegated to an amusing if not cringeworthy relic of the past. Not so in the case of The Church’s album Starfish; thirty years down the track it still sounds both relevant and innovative. With a change of venue seeing the concert moved from Spark Arena to the Auckland Town Hall – a venue far better suited to music such as this – the audience took their seats and waited under an overhanging mist of atmospheric resonance.
With no support band, last night’s show was split into two – the first half a straight run through the 1988 Starfish album itself, the second a hits package with hopefully something to satisfy each and every fan perched expectantly in their chairs.
Moving through generous plumes of smoke, the five players took their positions, filling the room with opening track ‘Destination’, Steve Kilbey leading the charge on his beloved bass. Due to the running order, one of The Church’s biggest career hits came early – second song in early to be exact – ‘Under the Milky Way’ still just as winsome as it always was, majestic white beams of light illuminating the band members from behind and propelling the song into the stratosphere.
It has been five years since Marty Wilson-Piper left the band, yet some old school fans will still dismiss this version of The Church, despite both rave reviews and new bodies of work. Anyone watching Ian Haug (Wilson-Pipers replacement) last night however would be hard pressed to complain about his performance; changing guitar after almost every song, he met each track with a predominantly outwards persona of calm; but an undoubtedly internal fire.
The playthrough of Starfish took no time at all, Kilbey reminding the audience that they were restricted by vinyl recordings back then, pointing out the moment that it would now be time to turn the record over.
‘Antenna’ and ‘Reptile’ saw arms waved in the air, a few of the more rebellious patrons attempting to dance in the aisles only to be shut down by courteous but resilient ushers. Despite the glorious material being laid out before all, something was still a little off, that something unfortunately being the mix. While the Town Hall can be notoriously difficult, it seemed that The Church and their love of frequently changing guitars were causing particular difficulties for the sound desk team, members of which would move up and down the central aisle throughout the evening.
With ‘Hotel Womb’ signalling the intermission – which Kilbey cheekily suggested would be spectacular to those hip and cool enough to get it – legs were stretched, and beverages purchased in preparation for the second half.
Continuing with the simple theme of a black backdrop curtain against which the stage lights and smoke would cavort, The Church began with the arresting ‘Anaesthesia’ from their 1998 album Hologram of Baal; a decided shift in energy felt by all. Peter Koppes was beginning to let his fingers fly, small flourishes heralded by those watching him intently, just behind him touring member Jeffrey Cain would fluidly move between guitar and keys. Handling the percussion side of things fellow New Zealander Tim ‘timEbandit’ Powles, who like the others was beginning to truly display his prowess, the entire band emulating a tightly wound spring that was just waiting to burst forth at any second.
Throughout the night Kilbey had struck increasingly more theatrical poses, his movements becoming more elongated and proud. This came to a head during ‘Sealine’ where he battled with the air above him, his movements intriguingly stilted but charming nonetheless; his later brief encounter with blue plastic pan pipes strangely amusing. By now Haug was allowing the music to freely move through him, it’s presence often forcing him to his knees while he played. Koppes too was ramping up, his gait becoming wider as he would let a solo fly free.
Culminating in the crescendo that was ‘Tantalised’, the walls were lined with bodies who could no longer be restricted to their chairs, the centre isle still being kept dutifully clear by staff. Like a conquering hero it paraded around the room in all it’s glory as the fans threw metaphorical roses at its feet in the form of whoops and cheers, the crest towering over all before it finally broke and left all deliriously smiling in its wake.
Anniversary shows demand an encore, last night’s coming in the form of two songs; ‘The Unguarded Moment’ (which has always had a decidedly Flying Nun/New Zealand feel to it) segueing lovingly into the magnificent neo-psychedelia with just hints of glam ‘Miami’, it’s length allowing for the audience to finally rebel and dance in the aisles as each of the band members motioned their goodbyes, leaving the stage one by one until only the sweet sounds of Cain’s guitar strings were left.
Not without it’s faults, but an Anniversary certainly celebrated in style.
Were you there at The Town Hall for this special post-punk rock gig? Or have you seen The Church perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Destination
- Under the Milky Way
- Blood Money
- Lost
- North, South, East and West
- Spark
- Antenna
- Reptile
- A New Season
- Hotel Womb
- Anaesthesia
- Metropolis
- Another Century
- Sealine
- Constant in Opal
- Day 5
- Almost With You
- Ripple
- Tantalised
- The Unguarded Moment [encore]
- Miami [encore]
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