Reviews

Fri 10 Jun 2011

Chickstock 2011 Review - Part Three

When Mr Biscuits took the stage, we caught one youngster coincidentally taking out a biscuit for his own gastronomical enjoyment. However he might have been better saving it for later as they played an impressive set capable of making anyone choke on a biscuit. Despite the absence of their singer Sarah, Mr Biscuits played a tight set, luckily family runs in the band and Richard was able to fill in. It was evident that many of the Chicks Project kids were fans of these guys. After Sam Valentine convinced the crowd to stand, everyone was ready to rock out to the jagged, explosive pop of the Biscuits. Joined on bass by Thundercub’s Lee Nicholson, the band put on a fun show. They busted through a bunch of songs from their EP, as well as ‘New Song,’ which was perhaps even tastier than that biscuit.

Finishing up the younger acts was The Suds who opened with their song about Courtney Love called ‘Self Destruct.’ Many of the musicians at Chickstock play in multiple bands so most members of The Suds were returning to the stage for this performance. The members include; Max Garden on guitar, Isaac Hickey on drums, Ashley Pentecost on bass and 17 year old Otago Polytech student Jamie Russell on guitar and vocals. They had a really strong set, finishing up with a Nirvana cover, encouraging the crowd to really get into it and creating the day’s first and only mosh pit. Their performance was so enthusiastic, Jamie broke a string on their second to last song and even sinking to his knees while singing to Nirvana, ending their performance by joining the mosh pit.

Alizarin Lizard closed the show, and after touring the country on their Oh Colour EP release tour, they were in a prime state to entertain. With a national tour and collection of “EP-ically" designed EPs for sale, the band served as excellent role models for the younger musicians who rocked the stage before them. They jammed effortlessly through their set, which included the Radio 1 chart-dominating single ‘Ruby Peacock.’ The band has a unique way of rocking out hard, while still incorporating catchy melodies and quirky lyrics into the mix. Alizarin Lizard’s psychedelic ballads were refreshing to hear and as usual they put on a great show, proving to be a super closing act to a super day of music.

The day was a huge success, one that radiated fuzzy warm feelings for all in attendance. The young bands at Chickstock showcased their talents and came up with an impressive concert, given their age. Some of the acts handled themselves better than others; this provides some insight into the level of seriousness of the musicians. A few of them have detailed and organised facebook pages for you to check out, others are put together a tad haphazardly. Overall, the young bands managed to hold their own against the more veteran acts and the show ran so smoothly thanks to the great people organizing the event. The essence of Chickstock was summed up quite perfectly when Chris Miller, bassist of Alizarin Lizard, approached Gunslinger to propose and EP swap. “That was so cool!” said bassist Cassandra.

Chickstock was so cool.

Kudos to everyone involved and the audience for showing their support of young local music.

Reviewed by Allyson Coff and Melissa Flett