Here comes the Supergroove. Just like 1994 all over again. Now there’s a name that rips straight out of the golden pages of New Zealand’s musical storybook.
I landed in Auckland the very day the legendary Gluepot closed its doors in late 1994, and it didn’t take long before I caught my first glimpse of Supergroove tearing up a stage.
Back then, they were the rising stars, riding high on the back of their phenomenal debut album Traction, crammed with hits like Scorpio Girls, Can’t Get Enough, and the ever-anthemic Sitting Inside My Head.
Fast-forward 30 years. Tonight, the boys are back in town, storming Auckland’s Town Hall as part of The Phenomenon Tour.
And what a line up. Che Ness (aka Che Fu) on vocals, Joe Lonie hammering the bass, Tim Stewart lighting up the trumpet, Ben Sciascia slicing through on guitar, Karl Steven pulling triple duty on vocals, keys, and harmonica, Ian Jones holding the fort on drums, and Nick Atkinson adding fire on saxophone.
Supergroove’s original run was heartbreakingly short. Just two albums (Traction and Backspacer) before their 1997 split. It was hard not to wonder if the years might have dulled their edge.
But from the opening blast of Here Comes the Supergroove, it was clear. This wasn’t a nostalgia act, this was a full-blown resurrection.
Karl Steven, now with a few more miles on the clock, was a revelation. A wild-eyed, rubber-limbed dynamo romping across the stage, pulling faces and throwing shapes that would make Ian Curtis look downright reserved.
The rest of the band were right there with him — leaping off risers, hitting the deck, bouncing and jamming like it was still ’94 and Traction had just dropped. This wasn’t just a reunion, it was a rebirth.
You Gotta Know turned the Town Hall into a full-blown church of pop, bodies moving and voices rising in messy, joyous unison.
Special guests joined the fray. King Kapisi brought his commanding flow, Troy Kingi added smooth swagger, and Rubi Du lit up the stage with powerhouse vocals and serious presence.
The first set spanned 13 songs before the band ducked out for an unusual halftime break.
A DJ, wheeled in on a platform complete with spaceship lights, took over for a 30-minute set. A move that divided the crowd. Some wilted in the rising heat of the packed front rows. Others like me treated it as a free sauna session. Life’s what you make it, after all.
The crowd was a sea of middle-aged hipsters, wearies, and die-hard fans. The air thick with sweat, spilled beer, and a haze of something greener.
But here’s the real point. Supergroove still have it. Each member is a heavyweight talent in their own right.
Che Fu went on to carve out a legendary solo career. Tim Stewart and Ben Sciascia, with whom I had the pleasure of working back in their Svelte days, were pushing creative boundaries long before DIY was a marketing buzzword.
I’ll never forget Sciascia pitching the idea to me of an entire music video made by animating thousands of photocopied images by hand (Grind Your Bones, 2008). Crazy? Maybe. Phenomenal? Absolutely.
Which brings us neatly back to tonight’s tour name — The Phenomenon Tour.
The legacy of Traction, produced by Karl Steven and Malcolm Welsford, still looms large.
Back in the ’90s, Welsford was the kingmaker of Kiwi music. His touch was everywhere, from Supergroove’s debut to Tadpole’s The Buddhafinger. That’s where I first crossed paths with Malcolm, during my time managing Tadpole.
Back in 1996, Supergroove took home the New Zealand Music Award for International Achievement. No small feat when breaking internationally meant more than clicking Upload on Spotify. It meant blood, sweat, and endless flights. It meant hustle.
At one point tonight, Karl Steven beamed at the crowd and said, it’s very fun to be doing this at this age! Watching him and the band work the room into a sweaty, euphoric frenzy, it was hard to disagree.
Sitting Inside My Head turned into a massive singalong, the audience’s voices nearly drowning out the band.
If there was one minor gripe (and it’s purely personal), it’s that my all-time favourite Supergroove track, If I Had My Way, was missing from the setlist. A shame too, as it’s one of their most brilliantly crafted songs, with cleverly constructed lyrics that deserve to be heard live. Still, a small omission on an otherwise unforgettable night.
Supergroove proved tonight they aren’t just a name from the past. They are and always were a phenomenon.
Paul Marshall
Photography by Cameron Warwick
Slide show King Kipisi, Troy Kingi, Supergroove