REVIEW: Worn Villain

WORN VILLAIN
VALVE
THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
Words and Photo's by Charlette Hannah



Worn Villain totally rocked my socks off on Thursday night at Valve. From the very first song they had me hooked, with their pounding drums, and melodic, dynamic guitaring. On the second song the bass player put his bass down and took the mic. I was impressed that the band managed to keep the full tight sound even without the bass underneath. I got a bit frustrated with that song though - the primal screaming doesn't really do it for me, and I wish metal bands could be loud and sing powerfully without the screaming. Having said that, they do the screaming thing very well.

The music was unpredictable and very dynamic. The drums were forceful and solid, and the bassist and guitarist switched between instruments and vocals with equal fluency. According to a friend who is more familiar with this style of music than me, they sound like a mix between Shellac and early Metallica in their instrumentation.

I feel I have to make a note about Blair, the Valve sound engineer - again, proving himself to be one of the best around. Not only does he mix a wicked sound, at one point the bass player's strap came off, and as he knelt down to continue playing, Blair got up on stage and fixed it for him so he could stand up and resume the dual vocals. Credit to Worn Villain is due of course, for not pausing for even a second and letting up on their assault - the drummer threw away a stick, the bass player lost his strap, and you wouldn't have even noticed aurally.

All in all, the music was original and powerful. I loved it, and it's not even my usual kind of thing. Worn Villain appear to be a mostly instrumental band, which is unusual, but suited me fine, as I turned off a bit during the growling vocals. The last song was my favourite, it was powerful and absolutely beautiful in a slightly disconcerting way.

If you like quality heavy rock/metal, I would definitely recommend checking these guys out. I think if they brought in some more melodic vocals (ie. Tool, System of a Down) they could have a much broader appeal.

myspace.com/wornvillain

PHOTOS: The Stacks, Alien 8, Rude Mood

THE STACKS, ALIEN 8, RUDE MOOD
VALVE
FRIDAY 27 JULY
Photo's by Rosie Morgan

The Stacks

Geoff Day

Antz 'Maddog' Maddox

Alien 8

Shaun Cawston

Jared Wilkinson

Rude Mood

Antz Maddox under a different guise

GIGS: 19th - 25th July

Are YOU playing in Wellington? Remember to send through your gig details to wellingtonlivemusic@hotmail.com by Monday morning to have it listed here!

THURSDAY 19TH JULY

- Bar Bodega
World Battle of the Bands Heat 2
Alpha Noise, Fiin, Mota, Colonel Mustard

- Matterhorn
The 202's. 9.30pm.

FRIDAY 20TH JULY

- Tupelo
Ghost Dubs, Strictly 138, Kaps, Steppa D, P-Vans, M.Tekka. $5 8pm.

- Happy
Hannah Curwood and Simon Comber. 8pm.
Infinite Flying Kick, Decortica, Vorn, Hot Swiss Mistress. $10 10pm.

- Sandwiches
Liam Finn, Ginger Brown

- Bodega
Residue

- Valve
The House of Capricorn, Vatikan, Amarna, Demon Foetal Harvest, Gary Churr & The Beers. $10 9pm.

- Old Studio 9
The Pinkertons, The Philosophers, Harris MacKenzie Boock, DNA. $5 All Ages 7.30pm.

- Havana
DJ Takkas.

- Matterhorn
The Jewel School. 10pm.

SATURDAY 21ST JULY

- Valve
TT Ryder, Cynical Ploy, Forgotten Warriors, Muzzleglow. $5 Doors 9pm, start 10pm.

- Subnine
Crossings Festival
Big Bada Boom, DJ El-Amein-Ji, DJ Ajnabee, MC KthrNak, MC Pundit, MC Mantra. $10. Doors 9pm, start 10pm.

- Blue Note
Infinite Flying Kick, Decortica. $10 8pm.

- Sandwiches
Rhombus with local guests and DJ's. Tickets $20 +bf from sandwiches.co.nz or Real Groovy. R18 10pm.

- Happy
Ryan McPhun and the Ruby Suns, Holiday With Friends, Girlfriend.

- Underground Arts
The House of Capricorn, Wrath, Aethea, Vatikan, Morte Vida. $10 Doors 7pm.

- Bar Bodega
The Offbeats.

- Havana
Sons of Puha.

- San Francisco Bathhouse
The Little Bushmen. 9.30pm $20 +bf presales from Real Groovy.

- Matterhorn
The Imperial Doppelgangers. 10pm.

SUNDAY 22ND JULY

- Matterhorn
The Skins feat. Money-D, The Yeabsley Key, Lisa Tomlins. 8:30pm.

MONDAY 23RD JULY

Are YOU playing in Wellington? Remember to send through your gig details to wellingtonlivemusic@hotmail.com by Monday morning to have it listed here!

TUESDAY 24TH JULY

- Havana
Roberto Rodriguez.

WEDNESDAY 25TH JULY

- Valve
Colonel Mustard, Karaoke Taxi, Cop Car.

- San Francisco Bathhouse
So So Modern, This City Sunrise, Hectik Runz, Zitty, Cut Off Your Hands. All Ages.

- Sandwiches
Charmaine Ford, Nick Tipping, Richard Wise. Album Launch 9pm Free.

GIGS: 12th - 18th July

Are YOU playing in Wellington? Remember to send through your gig details to wellingtonlivemusic@hotmail.com by Monday morning to have it listed here!

THURSDAY 12TH JULY

- Bodega
World Battle of the Bands Wellington Heat 1
Psycho Space Monkeys, Faster She Said and more.

- Sandwiches
Harbour City Electric. 9pm.

- Subnine
Riverblind, Muzzeglow, Barefoot In The Sand. 10pm $5.

- The Adelaide
The Ramps, The Randoms, Amos. Free.

-Valve
Omega Realm, Slaughtered Symphony, Evil Mule. 9pm.

FRIDAY 13TH JULY

- Bodega
The Stomps, Bastard Sons of Grey Power, The Randoms. 8pm.

- Underground Arts
Black Friday Massacre. 9pm $5.

- Old Studio 9
Charmed School Rejects, Left Handed Addiction, Too Many Jonnys, Twice On Thursdays. 7.30pm $5 All Ages.

-San Francisco Bathhouse
Bad Luck Ball Pt 3
Thumper, Horror Story, Black Chrome, Volcana, DJ Voodoo Savage, DJ Nightmare 666. 8pm $13.

- Sandwiches
Teebee (NOR) and Calyx (UK) & The Upbeats: Local support from Mr Smith, Indeks and Habit. Tickets $45 +bf from Real Groovy, Cosmic Corner, DMC and Sandwiches.

-Subnine
Concord Dawn, local DJ’s Sal and DDog. 10pm. Tickets $25 from Real Groovy and Cosmic Croner and $30 on the door.

- Valve
Fanucman, Punchbowl, Pink Flamingoes, Goodtimes.

SATURDAY 14TH JULY

- Sandwiches
Timmy Schumacher & MC Kyla. R18, $20 (+BF) presales.

- Old Studio 9
Alien 8, The Alpha Shift, The Stacks, Feiry Orchid. 7.30pm $5 All Ages.

- Bodega, Room 101
The Huhu.

- Valve
The Postures, Fanucman, Yokel Ono, The Dissentors, Captain Sergeant Major. 9pm $10.

- Mighty Mighty
Cherry's Gemstones. Wild Rockabilly Surf Marshan Madness. 9pm $10.

SUNDAY 15TH JULY

- Old Studio 9
Acoustic Afternoon. 2-5pm $5. With Barefoot In The Sand.

MONDAY 16TH JULY

- Southern Cross
Acoustic Pioneers.
Matthew Pixie Pickering and more. Koha entry.

TUESDAY 17TH JULY

- Valve
Seisure Drum N Bass 1/ NAR/CO/SIA, Evil and McSig'le

WEDNESDAY 18TH JULY

Are YOU playing in Wellington? Remember to send through your gig details to wellingtonlivemusic@hotmail.com by Monday morning to have it listed here!

PHOTOS: Riverblind

FRIDAY 29TH JUNE
VALVE
RIVERBLIND
Words and Photo's by Charlette Hannah

Dave Kempton

Dan Simpson

Riverblind

Some of the crowd at Valve

Solid rock with an almost operatic vocal style is how I would attempt to describe Riverblind in one sentence. Lead singer/guitarist Dave Kempton has an incredibly powerful, smooth and melodic voice. Backed up with solid drums from Tim Whitta, and Dan Simpson throwing himself around the stage with his 6 string bass, these guys are a surprisingly powerful live act.

GIGS: 5th - 11th July

THURSDAY 5TH JULY

- San Francisco Bathhouse
The Bleeders, Antagonist, Full Nelson. R18 $15 8PM.

- Bar Bodega
The Have, The Dukes, Fighting The Shakes, Tommy Ill. 8pm $10 presales from Ticketek.

- Sandwiches
The Taliband, Harbour City Electric. 10pm.

- Subnine
Matt Holleman, Rikki Doolan, Shaun K Anderson, Kathryn Baker. $5 9pm.

- Tupelo
The Moon Whispers. 9.30pm Koha entry.

- Happy
The Nigel Patterson Trio

FRIDAY 6TH JULY

- Old Studio 9
Rubix Cuba (early show before Bodega later), Single Strand, Tender Groove, Cross Eyed Mary. $5 7pm All Ages.

- Bar Bodega
Rubix Cuba, The Offbeats. $10 10pm.

- Valve
Fallen Order, Agent, The Alpha Shift. R18.

- Happy
The Ramps, The Randoms. 10pm.

- Flashbacks Bar and Grill
Masters of Metal feat. Magnum Opus.

- The Adelaide
Neckstretchers, Man Alone, Highlords.

- Happy
Pumice, Sunken. 8pm.

SATURDAY 7TH JULY

- Old Studio 9
The Randoms, The Stomps, The Lucky Strikes. $5 8pm All Ages.

- San Francisco Bathhouse
dDub, Pacific Bass Culture. 8pm.

- The Adelaide
Plastic Kitchen.

- Sandwiches
Electroluxxe, Samari, Perspex, Techead, Rex, D'Nation, Moneytree. Midnight. $15 on door, $10 with active card.

SUNDAY 8TH JULY

?? Are YOU playing? Remember to send your gigs through to wellingtonlivemusic@hotmail.com to have it posted here!

MONDAY 9TH JULY

??

TUESDAY 10TH JULY

-Bar Bodega
Beats and Bubbles feat. Johnathon Crayford.

- Vic Uni
Rubix Cuba.

- Matterhorn
Beatnik feat. Lisa Tomlins, Moana Ete. 9pm Koha.

WEDNESDAY 11TH JULY

- Bar Bodega, Room 101
Sleepy Demons, Charlette Hannah, Fanucman. $5 8pm.

- Southern Cross
Iva Lamkum Band. 10pm Free.

- San Francisco Bathhouse
Acoustic Lounge - Tony MacIver, Joe Ryan, Clint Meech. 6-8pm Free.

GIGS: 28th June - 4th July

THURSDAY 28TH JUNE

-Happy
Sleepy Demons, Canadia, Tim Knauf. 8pm $5.

- Bodega
Das Ben, Kereoke Taxi, Smelter. 9.30pm.

-Valve
Death Metal - Select and Disect, Morte Vida, Belligerance. 8pm.

- Tupelo
Nine Signals. 9pm $3.

FRIDAY 29TH JUNE

-Old Studio 9
Vatikan, Select and Disect, Beligerance. 8pm $5.

- Sandwiches
Spartacus R, Ryan Prebble, DJ Daimon, Rosco, Jake Silverbeat, Takas. $10.

- Havana
Good foot.

- Happy
Matthew Pixie Pickering, Brad Taylor, Jessie James. 8pm $5.
Grayson Gilmour, Date With Doom, Albert Williams. 10pm $10.

- Valve
Nine Signals, Magnum Opus, Malegra, Riverblind & Alpha Noise. 9.30pm $5.

- San Francisco Bathhouse
Gridlok, Conspiracy, Flaw, Snax, Ruckus, Evil, Narcosia, Mana, AG. 8pm

SATURDAY 30TH JUNE

-Old Studio 9
The Tweeks, The Philosophers, Killjoy, Monoxise Blonde. 8pm $5. All ages.

-Valve
Punk Show - Miss Conduct, We Dunno. 10pm.

- Happy
Lauren Thomson, Shaun K Anderson, Achilles Botes. 9pm $8.

- Curve Bar
Enter The Blue EP Release. Vanadis, Mr Smith, DDog, Indeks. 11pm $5.

- Valve
We Dunno, Cop Car. 6pm All Ages.

- Southern Cross
The Aviators. Free.

SUNDAY 1ST JULY

-Old Studio 9
Acoustic Afternoon. 2 - 5pm. All ages.

MONDAY 2ND JULY

?? Stay at home and have a cuppa?

TUESDAY 3RD JULY

- Valve
Seizure Drum n Bass - NAR/CO/SIA, Evil, Mc Sig'le. 10pm.

WEDNESDAY 4TH JULY

- San Francisco Bathhouse
Acoustic Lounge. F8, Barefoot In The Sand, Mannekin Thoughts. "American Independence Day! Get your fix of patriotic songs... May not be patriotic, but they WILL be songs!" 6pm. Free.

GIGS: Cherry's Gemstones and more

Some gigs coming up. Sent to me by Cherry. Just as a note, the plan is to have the best gig guide out on Wellington Live Music. There are loads of other plans in the works as well, so keep checking back. If there's something you think we should do, post a comment or email me!

THURSDAY 31 MAY

- Valve
Fanucman and House of Spore

- San Francisco Bathhouse
Bonnie Scarlettes and Grand Prix

SATURDAY 2ND JUNE

-San Francisco Bathhouse
Vacants (Hamilton) PLUS OTHERS!

FRIDAY 22ND JUNE

-San Francisco Bathhouse
Cortina, Cherry's Gemstones, Hot Swiss Mistress, Knife Fight, Pumice, PLUS 5 MORE

SATURDAY 23 JUNE

- Mighty Mighty
Labretta Suede and the Motel Six CD RELEASE PARTY

FRIDAY 29TH JUNE

-Wellington City Art Gallery
Cherry's Gemstones, Cortina and Vjettes

- Tupelo
Ginger Brown, Twinset, Chery Gemstone Solo

FRIDAY 13TH JULY

- The Adelaide
*Enchantment Under The Sea*
Chesea's Gemstones, Sea Cruizer, Heavy Sea Turkey, Sea Quest

SATURDAY 14TH JULY

-Mighty Mighty
Wild Trash Rockabilly Party