Earth Tongue – Double Whammy, 14 June 2025: Review & Photo Gallery

15th June 2025

Sonic sorcery and raw energy, Earth Tongue’s unforgettable night at Double Whammy.

Auckland’s underground temple of fuzz, Double Whammy Bar, pulsed like a heartbeat in the city’s veins last night as Earth Tongue hosted a night that spiralled between cosmic psychedelia, face-melting riffs, and one hell of a surprise guest.

But thanks to the leaky sieve that is the New Zealand rumour mill, the surprise didn’t last long.

The secret opener? None other than Aotearoa’s shapeshifting sonic prophet Troy Kingi, who took to the stage with a poncho, a purpose, and none other than Ezra Simons on lead guitar.

Kingi, whose genre-hopping catalogue swerves from Soul to space Funk to guitar-heavy Rock, leaned into the latter last night, tearing through a blistering set that felt more like a spiritual purge than a performance.

Simons, who shared co-recording duties on Leatherman & the Mojave (released August 16, 2024), was a revelation. Part Hendrix showman, part psych-sorcerer. His fretwork and vocal harmonies turned up the heat in a venue already close to combustion.

Midway through the set, Kingi’s drummer was pounding so ferociously he literally knocked his kit out of alignment and had to pause to reposition his kick mic. A moment that only added to the raw, on-the-edge energy of the show.

The frontman himself, sweltering in his trademark poncho under the venue’s unforgiving heat, pushed through like a warrior priest channelling some ancient groove god. Respect.

A side note. If you’re going to bring Punk energy to a Rock show, leave the violence at home.

One face-tattooed punter forgot the golden rule of crowd etiquette (as is, don’t body-slam strangers unless you’re in the front row of Slayer in ’88). After literally slamming into the reviewer’s girlfriend, it sparked a brief mosh-court melee, complete with a one-handed grapple (the other hand was gripping a phone).

Fortunately, the drongo backed off after a bit of a shove and a well-earned dose of shame. Maybe next time, take your pin-cushion habit down the alley with your looser mates instead of dragging it into a show. Let’s keep the pit sweaty, not sketchy.

By the time Earth Tongue took the stage, the crowd had swelled, and the room packed tight.

Those new faces now present were baptised in the cult of Gussie Larkin and Ezra Simons. Their 16-song set felt like a séance, one where distortion pedals summon demons and vocal screams serve as exorcisms.

Opening with tracks from their 2024 record Great Haunting—released a year ago—they wasted no time in laying down their signature sound. Occult-flecked Fuzz Rock with a cinematic flair.

Their latest single, Out of This Hell, has already cemented itself as a genre touchstone. Its music video a grainy horror throwback filmed on 16mm by director Levi Cranston. Shot across the desolate, wind-bitten beaches of New Zealand, the visuals echo the unholy aesthetic of The Exorcist and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

It’s moody, patient, and unnerving. A perfect visual companion to Earth Tongue’s ritualistic sonic assault.

Live, the track hit even harder. Gussie Larkin’s banshee vocals and precise guitar stops in Sit Next to Satin created a masterclass in tension and release.

The pause-before-the-storm strums gave way to a searing chorus that locked in with the song’s eerie promise. Sit next to satin / He will never let you down. Spooky, seductive, unforgettable.

Visually, Larkin looked every inch the sci-fi Rock deity. Skin-tight silver pants, glitter-drenched sleeveless top, and a chrome belt buckle that screamed don’t mess.

Simons? Less so. More record store slacker than space cadet shaman. Grey tee, jeans, and baseball cap included. But hey, maybe that’s the contrast that makes them tick.

Larkin brought the theatrics. Simons brought the grounded grit.

Notably, by song two, Hidden Entrance, Simons had already shed his cap. A symbolic stripping-down, perhaps, or just the room reaching sauna on the gig thermometer.

Either way, their chemistry—visually mismatched, sonically magnetic—carried the crowd through a non-stop set that somehow crammed 16 tracks into a night that passed like a fever dream.