The Wake Up
20th March 2021
The Darkroom, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Review by Bridget Herlihy. Photography by Kieran Murphy.
To say that The Wake Up are hard-working would be significant understatement. Initially formed four years ago, 2020 saw the Palmerston North based band, who specialise in their own unique blend of punk-pop goodness, put their time spent in lockdown to good use. Not only did they add a new member to their line-up (bassist Nathan Charles), but they also penned a number of new tracks, one of which was ‘House of Cards’.
One of the heavier tracks of the now four piece’s repertoire, The Wake Up recorded the track as part of a two-day recording and mixing workshop at iconic Palmy studio and venue The Stomach. Those fortunate enough to attend had the opportunity to witness the band’s recording process, and experience how the track was mixed. Some eight months later, the track has officially – and proudly – been released into the world, receiving very favourable reviews, and quite rightly so. To mark the occasion and celebrate the release of their seventh single in appropriate style, The Wake Up hosted an often hot and sweaty gig at Palmerston North’s The Dark Room along with friends Holloway and Adam Lee.
The Dark Room, which predominantly serves as a small theatre space, had been transformed into a roomy yet intimate setting, and the perfect environment for a thoroughly loud and enjoyable night of in-your-face music.
As the main focus of the evening’s festivities was the release of The Wake Up’s new track ‘House of Cards’, it was only fitting that the band – led by bassist Nathan Charles (who also fills the role of the band’s resident comedian) – took to the stage to introduce the song before it was blasted out of the PA (note: it should be played loud – very loud).
Kicking off the evening’s live line-up was fellow Palmerston North musician Adam Lee. A singer-songwriter who draws from a number of different musical genres, Lee produces indie-pop inspired compositions that would quite easily be at home on the world stage. Unsurprisingly, Lee has built quite the reputation over the last few years. In what would be the first of two appearances for the night, he appeared onstage with his brand spanking new acoustic guitar, and proceeded to deliver an enchanting set of what he referred to as “melancholic folk”. Suffice to say that Lee provided the quieter part of the evening, and his original material had the growing crowd eating out of his proverbial hand.
Before the crowd became too ensconced in the acoustic trance – courtesy of Lee – Wellington’s Holloway turned it up to 11 and hit the stage with a vengeance. Changing the pace in a heartbeat, the self-proclaimed purveyors of “sugary-face punch” nu-punk ripped into their high-energy set. The three-piece wasted no time setting the stage alight (figuratively speaking, that is) with their distinctive brand of pop-punk. In a nutshell, Holloway are captivating to watch and listen to. Vocalist/guitarist Louis Valentine fits the role of front man very well, with an undeniable stage presence and vocals that fit the band’s chosen genre very well indeed. In addition, it is hard to take your eyes off drummer Taylor Criscuola; he is an absolute joy to watch play. Flailing around with seemingly boundless energy, at times appearing to be a man possessed by the music while keeping his drumming as tight as tight can be. Guitarist Max Long played hard and fast, laying down some impressive riffs to accompany Criscoula’s beats, rounding out a loud yet full sound from a group of three. They may refer to themselves as the biggest posers in the Wellington music scene, but Holloway have that ‘X’ factor that keeps audiences entranced, and left wanting more.
Then it was onto the main event. From the moment that they walked on stage it was evident that The Wake Up had two missions: to “rock as hard as they could, and have a damn good time doing it”. They succeeded admirably on both counts. Having witnessed a fair number of gigs in Palmy in my time, this would have to have been one of the most polished performances I have been fortunate enough to witness from a local band. Having drawn comparisons to the likes of Paramore and Fall Out Boy, it is almost impossible to watch The Wake Up play and not be drawn into their performance. Their energy and passion for playing live is palpable. From the opening song the band did not miss a beat, and they took the near capacity crowd along for the wild ride. Vocalist Laura McGaffin was in fine form, holding her own on the stage and delivering fiery vocals with just the right amount of angst. New guitarist Trent Fairhurst has wasted no time getting up to speed with the band’s catalogue, and it appears as if he has been with The Wake Up from the very beginning, matching the band’s unbridled enthusiasm. Bassist Nathan Charles (also known around town as Ginger Elvis) has gotten his onstage moves down, laying down some heavy riffs and grinning from ear to ear for much of the night. Last, but by no means least, drummer Caleb Hickmott, who is the primary songwriter for much of The Wake Up’s material, played like there was no tomorrow; fast, ferocious, and with great precision. There is no denying that The Wake Up are a tight unit; it is evident in their recorded material, and none of their magic is lost onstage, in fact it is amplified (no pun intended). It is evident that they feed off of each other’s energy. And I doubt that they would mind one bit if the audience climbed up onstage and joined in on all the fun.
Playing for almost an hour, the set included songs both old and new, including fan favourites Castle, Dark Horse and Counting Sheep. In his second appearance for the night, Adam Lee joined the band on stage for a duet with McGaffin on ‘Worthy’, and tune penned by Lee that The Wake Up admirably covered last year. Although their version is a tad edgier and louder, Lee fit right into the cover version, also resonating the band’s energy. A highlight of the set was undoubtedly new track ‘Kings and Queens’, which packs both a lyrical and auditory punch. Fittingly, the final song of the night was, of course, ‘House of Cards’, perhaps one of the catchiest tracks around at the moment. Giving it every last ounce of energy they had, The Wake Up ended the night on a very, very high note to rapturous applause and cheers from a very hot, sweaty, and slightly exhausted crowd.
The Wake Up have been honing their craft for the last four years, and it shows. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I suggest you do so immediately. This is a band destined to do great things.
Were you there at The Darkroom for this high energy Palmy gig? Or have you seen The Wake Up perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note: [AD] The Wake Up 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.
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