The Undertones
12th July 2017
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
The average age of the audience tonight may have been 40 plus but that wasn’t going to stop anyone in attendance from having one hell of a rowdy time. Finery in the form of treasured leather jackets and lace-up doc boots were on full parade this evening; stories of days gone by wafting through the air as beers were sipped with relish. That infamous Northern Ireland band The Undertones are in town and for many in the crowd younger than that average age mentioned earlier it was a dream come true, for others it was a trip down memory lane to when they first saw them live.
To kick start the night were the insanely good Leatherhead with the own brand of all out punk. The four piece from Waiheke Island already have a solid fan base (most of who were in the front rows cheering them on) and would have certainly made a few more after this evening’s high energy performance. Featuring Brendan Moon on lead guitar (formally of David Vanian & The Phantom Chords) these boys have been cutting quite the path for themselves this year with outstanding sets at both the annual Punk It Up show and in support of The Damned. Vocalist Bede Taylor is on fire, gripping the microphone stand and locking the audience with a steely gaze as he howls the words to their dark opening track ‘C’est Le Congo’ holding back just enough on his vocals to make it sound all that more foreboding.
As they moved through their set the band began to wind itself up like a tightly coiled spring, Taylor by this point rocking back and forth, “We don’t play pop, we play punk rock” he snarls at the audience before launching into the fevered ‘Needles’, the spoken word section towards the end of the song electrifying. But these boys know how to have a bit of fun as well, Taylor making a huge show during their last track ‘Smooth’ of using the cow bell which elicited cheers a plenty from the crowd, before he jumped behind drummer Carsten Blutner to assist with the beating of the skins for a few moments. Highly entertaining and tight in both their delivery and sound, don’t be surprised to see Leatherhead headlining their own tour soon!
A short break between bands to allow the roadies to do their magic and the venue had almost reached capacity with the audience down the front jostling to get a good spot. As the band filed out onto stage roars of approval poured forth from the audience, the male dominated mosh pit front and centre already warming up by bouncing up and down on the spot.
And without a word from the band itself we are off and running with the highly infectious ‘Jimmy, Jimmy’ the audience throwing their fists into the air as they sang the tag line of the chorus. The Undertones must have decided that a 1,2, 3 opening combo would be a killer, and they were right with both ‘Jump Boys’ and ‘Gotta Getta’ instantly raising the temperature while simultaneously opening the lid on a giant jar of the feel goods.
Formed in 1974 in their hometown of Derry, Northern Ireland, The Undertones did not release any official material until 78’ when their debut single ‘Teenage Kicks’ written by guitarist John O’Neill catapulted them into the limelight with its catchy chorus and adolescent themes. Between 78 and 83 they released four studio albums and no less than thirteen singles before original vocalist Feargal Sharkey left the band, signaling their untimely demise. The band reformed in 1999 with new vocalist Paul McLoone, and while many diehard fans may say it’s not the same without Sharkey, McLoone does an impressively good job of filling his boots bringing his own personal style to the band’s performances.
The Undertones are quite a few songs into the set before they address the audience, McLoone asking if everyone is having a good time before himself and bassist Michael Bradley get into a bit of on stage banter. This banter continues periodically throughout the night as the band relax into their set and truly bond with the audience, the flow of energy between the two certainly palatable in the air. Unlike many bands who will make you wait til the very end before they bring out the big guns, The Undertones slotted in ‘Teenage Kicks’ nicely into the middle of the set followed soon after by ‘The Girls Don’t Like It’ which Bradley proudly advises us is a new record in how fast they played it. As the night progressed, the crowd only gained momentum, the entire front section of the venue turning into a sea of arms and legs as fans of all age’s pogoed together; the upbeat punk rock sounds emanating from the band impossible to resist.
McLoone was completely on form, his shirt slowly becoming unbuttoned throughout the night as he channeled the spirit of Morrissey within his performance; his sideway hip thrusts punctuating the songs with perfect precision. By the time they played ‘Male Model’ the crowd was singing along to every word, conscious of the fact that we were nearing the end. It’s taken nearly 40 years for the band to finally play in New Zealand so the fans are going to soak up every last drop of what they have to offer. Finishing their blistering set with ‘Get Over You’, the boys carry out the obligatory thank you’s and goodbyes, both parties knowing there will be an encore.
What the audience wasn’t expecting was a seven song encore, which included favourites such as ‘Top Twenty’ and the angsty ‘My Perfect Cousin’. “Apparently” Bradley croons into the microphone with his wonderfully lilting Irish accent “encore in French means again, isn’t that interesting?”, McLoone feigning surprise before announcing that they better play this one again then – and with that The Undertones once again played ‘Teenage Kicks’ with even more zest than the earlier version.
It may have taken them forty years to get here, but it was damn well worth the wait.
The Undertones:
Leatherhead:
Were you there at the Powerstation for this old school punk rock flashback? Or have you seen The Undertones perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
The Undertones Setlist:
- Jimmy Jimmy
- Jump Boys
- Gotta Getta
- Here Comes The Summer
- It’s Gonna Happen
- Tearproof
- Hypnotised
- Love Parade
- Thrill Me
- Teenage Kicks
- True Confessions
- The Girls Don’t Like It
- Much Too Late
- You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?)
- (She’s A) Run-Around
- When Saturday Comes
- Family Entertainment
- Nine Times Out Of Ten
- Billy’s Third
- Wednesday Week
- Julie Ocean
- Male Model
- Girls That Don’t Talk
- Listening In
- Get Over You
- I Know A Girl (encore)
- Top Twenty (encore)
- Smarter Than You (encore)
- Emergency Cases (encore)
- Perfect Cousin (encore)
- Mars Bars (encore)
- Teenage Kicks (encore – repeat)
Leatherhead Setlist:
- C’est Le Congo
- Shake Ya Breaker
- Johnny
- Holy Now
- Bacon
- Bury Me In Water
- Tally Ho
- Stagger
- Needles
- Don’t Call My Name
- Smooth
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