Muri, Mikaela Cougar, The Early 20’s and Melon Heart are four local bands who came through the Music and Audio Industry of New Zealand, which sadly had to close last year.
MAINZ is based in Christchurch, and is a campus situated within the Southern Institute of Technology. Why they had to close the successful Auckland campus is unclear. Low student enrolments, flood damage were cited as factors.
It did turn out successful artists and we see a range tonight. You could blame whichever Government was at the helm for the decision to close. Poor bureaucratic management is closer to the root cause, which is an ongoing plague on this country.
Muri play energetic Indie Pop, and come across as a well-managed and tight unit.
Noema Te Hau and Calyb Babbington are originally from Gisborne, Sasha Te Whare and Damien Graham I presume are Aucklanders.
All met at MAINZ and found connections to their respective music preferences.
I Want You is their sole single available on Spotify. An effective dance groove, and they do have an easy to connect to, soft Soul lead singer. Is Six60 an influence?
Before that, they sing Frontline with Funk guitar lines. This will be the title of a forthcoming EP, being worked up in the Big Fan recording studios currently.
Funk rhythms need good bass lines, which we hear on the intro to With You.
Sarah’s Got the Kids is the one number with some soft rapping vocals.
From dance grooves to Indie Rock in the latter part of their set.
Part Of Me uses the distinctive off-beat Reggae mixed with Captain Beefheart rhythms which were a signature sound of the early Clash.
Which made original Punk danceable outside of slam dancing to the Pistols or our own Enemy (Chris Knox at the beginning).
The cover of Britney Spear’s Toxic goes at a fast tempo, and a nice falsetto is included.
Open Your Eyes. Finish the set with some Metal guitar and heavier rumbling rhythms. Heads whiplash at the front of stage.
Mikaela Cougar comes from West Auckland and describes herself as the woman all the Nineties Indie Rock bands were singing about.
She has a definite connection to the Riot Grrl movement of the Nineties, in style and appearance.
Brain Song opens and the drums drive a song which lays out heavy Indie Rock guitars. But she has a more theatrical approach which reminds me of the current incarnation of Princess Chelsea.
She does sound like Chelsea in her phrasing, on one of her standout tunes Lucky Stars. Music behind her is raw and edgy.
Can You Tell slows the tempo, with ringing guitars. We get to hear good vocal power.
Pity Party is full of scathing, self-deprecating humour.
Black Cat is a great angry grrl punk song where the guitars and bass of Hank and Ben scorch it.
The Early 20’s describe themselves as a rag-tag band, and they play thrash garage style Rock which comes under the general cover of Post Punk.
This is Adam Rivers, Cade Bond and Cane Gray.
The bass player sings. They smash into Vultures and get heavy with rumbling bass and drums on Good Intent.
They must have some association to Buzz Moller from cult New Zealand band Voom. They cover I Want My Baby and make a great fist of it. Apparently, Moller was supposed to be here tonight.
They invite Michelle Kelly up (I think that’s correct) to sing Star. Heavy rolling engine room behind a singer who sings in a similar Kate Bush theatrical style.
The evening opens with four-piece Melon Heart.
They play Indie Rock with good energy but unfortunately the female singer’s vocals are buried. Or she may lack the appropriate power, but she is just not cutting it tonight.
They have elements of Art school New Wave, so there is certainly potential there.
It is sad to see MAINZ in Auckland go, as they nurtured and mentored to fine local talent in Muri, Mikaela Cougar, The Early 20’s and Melon Heart.
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography by Azrie Azizi
Muri
Mikaela Cougar
The Early 20’s
Melon Heart
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