The Rock 1500 Countdown Party
Featuring Blindspott & City Of Souls
21st September 2018
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Alex Moulton. Photography by Connor Crawford.
The Rock 1500 Show was the gig that every rocker wanted to go to. Not just because bridges had been mended with Shelton Woolright bringing Blindspott back. Not just because it was the culmination of The Rock FM’s three-week countdown of the greatest rock songs of all time. But because of the exclusivity of it. It was a show that you couldn’t buy tickets to, and as a result the crowd was excitable but inevitably inconsistent as the large groups of friends that would want to attend were whittled down to the fortunate few that managed to win tickets.
An early night for Auckland’s Powerstation, doors were open from 3pm as they played through the final thirty songs of the Rock 1500 countdown, and the bar was undoubtedly making a killing as the punters had no actual show to watch at that point and were simply socialising and listening to the radio.
The vibe was nevertheless electric, and everyone was in good form as the countdown slowly ticked its way towards the finale. The crowd soon entering the high spirits zone as the countdown reached the top ten point; exuberantly they sang along with Shihad’s ‘Home Again’, Metallica’s ‘One’, and Pantera’s ‘Walk’ which sadly was also a reminder of the tragic loss of Vinnie Paul who passed away just a few months ago. Reaching its conclusion fans waited with bated breath as the number one track for 2018 was announced; System of a Down’s ‘Chop Suey’ proving to be a popular choice.
For a few people, that was the end of their night and they filed off to enjoy the rest of their evening elsewhere, but for most of the patrons in the venue, the celebrations were only just beginning.
Four hours after doors had opened, City of Souls took to the stage. Since their last single ‘Long Gone’ released back in 2016, the band have been working on their debut album, those in attendance lucky enough to hear the band play a selection of “new” songs among others. City of Souls began with a bang, immediately turning heads, the crowd’s full attention being given to the boys on stage. The Auckland six-piece were ready to bring the ruckus and they delivered a very animated performance to the crowd. Unfortunately, tragedy struck within the first song when the stack on the left-hand side of the venue suddenly cut out. The band completely unaware continued to play despite half the crowd struggling to hear. Power was soon restored before the conclusion of the song, but the damage had been done, and much of the crowd were over it, a chant for Blindspott quickly rising. Undeterred, City of Souls gave a mighty performance, vocalist Richie Simpson frequently feeding shots to the front row and making banter, the three guitarists providing a very deep and dynamic sound. Performing a cover of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ among their own originals, their set came to an end far too early.
But it wouldn’t quite be the last that the fans would see of City of Souls as members Marcus Powell and Dan Insley were up for their second set of the night alongside I Am Giant’s Andrew Kerr and Shelton Woolright, as Blindspott made their triumphant return to the stage.
Now infamous for disbanding back in 2007 after a solid ten years together there was much excitement in the air as those loyal fans who were lucky enough to score a ticket lined the barrier, hungry for this auspicious occasion. Frontman Damian Alexander got straight into the set with little fanfare choosing not to spend too much time talking about the reformation of the band, or the six-date summer tour in December that was mentioned on their merch; instead all focus was on putting out an impressive show. When he did speak it was to impart a rather significant message to the crowd, one of friendship and of reaching out to those that have played a part in your life despite what may have happened in the past. A sentiment that in today’s society and especially in Aotearoa is more important than ever.
With a sixteen-song set and not a single Blacklistt track to be seen, Blindspott played through all eleven of their officially released singles adding in tracks ‘Suffocate’, ‘1975’, ‘Plastic Shadow’, ‘Jaded’, and the inimitable intro, ‘Mind Dependency’. Their set was high intensity from start to finish, and while the crowd was much tamer than usually seen at a Blindspott show, the punters were still forming circle pits, trying to force themselves forward, and attempting to out-sing Alexander. ‘Phlex’ was a clear crowd favourite, a request for fans to light up the venue with their phones being followed to the letter as hundreds of tiny lights illuminated the venue for the emotionally powerful and undeniably best-known rock songs in New Zealand music.
Alexander was charismatic as ever and revelled in the praise received from the crowd. While a brilliant show, with notable sound and visuals, the atmosphere wasn’t quite living up to its full potential. Blindspott gigs thrive due to their hardcore fans that travel both nationally and internationally to see them perform. Outside of Woolright’s flair and Powell’s backing roars, the energy of the show comes from the pit, and by not allowing tickets to be purchased to the show, The Rock had inadvertently put a damper on the crowd.
A fantastic gig, but those upcoming summer tours are going to be the places to be.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this amazing rock party? Or have you seen Blindspott or City Of Souls perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Blindspott Setlist:
- Intro / Mind Dependency
- Room To Breathe
- Stay
- Yours Truly
- Lit Up
- Suffocate
- Drown
- Lull
- 1975
- Jaded
- Blank
- Coma
- S.U.I.T
- Phlex
- Plastic Shadow
- Nil By Mouth
City Of Souls Seltlist:
- Ferryman
- Wolf
- Love Will Tear Us Apart [Joy Division Cover]
- Shimmer
- Cruelty
- Whispers
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