King Parrot – The Whammy Bar, 18th July 2026: Review & Photo Gallery

Phoebe Gilmour and Photos by Leonie Moreland

19th July 2026

We can blame COVID for a lot of shitty things. I’m adding to the list the travesty that is Melbourne’s King Parrot with their five-year hiatus between full-length albums and the associated NZ tour that would have come with the album release. It’s been far too long since they graced our shores.

After blasting the new album A Young Person’s Guide To King Parrot all week, I head into The Whammy Bar, knowing this gig is going to be something special. The new album might be the most King Parrot album yet. A condensed, meaty offering that feels new. Not because of a change in their sound but because the band have honed what they do best, aimed and hit the bullseye. Brutal grindcore, thrashy at times, tight drumming, massive riffs, and comedic venomous bogan lyrics that hook you while delivered with angry urgency.

Malevolence, first up, are no newbies to The Whammy’s stage. A band that’s been the backbone of Auckland’s metal/punk scene for coming up to 25 years. Local death grind legends, they take the stage as if they own it. Having had a recent lineup change, I was keen to hear them as a two-piece. Second track in, The Wheel, the guy next to me turned to me and said, “They make a lot of noise for two guys.” A tantalising new track, Dreamless, is in the set. As a long-time listener and first-time reviewer, I’m looking forward to their upcoming DIY release.

No messing around when Just One Fix hit the stage. The second song, Gods And Devils, starts fiercely, thrash metal assaulting your ears before the lyrics become more rhythmic chanting: “Theocracy, monarchy, free yourself from chain and yoke,” shifting the tempo into a deeper grind. Headbanging is required, but the sentiment is not lost. This is an anti-monarchist call to action. It would have been my theme tune if it had been written back in the 90s, when I was arrested protesting a Prince Charles’ visit. Riccardo Ball throws up double horns, the set storms through to Red Mist, a goliath of a new song. The set finishes strong with Crushed Beyond Rectal Surgery. Well, that’s what the set list said, ha ha.

Like boxers entering the arena, their theme tune is amping up the crowd. King Parrot takes the stage with Kevin Bloody Wilson blasting Absolute Cunt Of A Day.

Like a dog marking its territory, Matt “Youngy” Young spits liquid over the crowd. KP is back! An all-star band like KP, with too many previous bands between them to list and considerable acting skills, I was expecting a polished performance. (Check out their R18 videos if you haven’t already.) Still, I was unprepared for the intensity of the live experience. Youngy’s showmanship or just dumb ass bravado saw him leap into the writhing pit, legs poking up spider-like, crawling across the low ceiling! Brutal set from start to finish, opening with Bozo.

When Youngy was recently asked to pick one song that best illustrates the band’s sound, he chose Fuck You And The Horse You Rode In On. The ultimate closer from their new album. An instant KP anthem. A song with such a hook that the first time KP played it, the crowd took the band by surprise with their enthusiastic chorus reply. The track’s blistering pace animates the tied crowd, and the pit seethes before the rhythm shifts into a heavy mosh groove.

KP’s disappointment with the NZ heckling was palpable. I give you “it’s up on bricks”, but we promise to practice saying “Cunt” every day and often until you come back next year.