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24 April, 2008
Robot Monkey Orchestra, Kerretta - The Backstage, 11/04/08
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Tonight’s gig turns out to be something of a victim of the deliberate anonymity of the artists playing, with probably no more than twenty people present at any one time, which is a bit of a disappointment when the quality of the line-up is made apparent. Kerretta is a three piece instrumental band from Auckland that features the people who run both Midium and the Kingsland Vinyl Appreciation Society, bringing us Jakob, Avotor and Body Corporate, amongst many others. But perhaps that is not widely enough known, and perhaps neither is the identity of Robot Monkey Orchestra which is none other than Chris Matthews, founding member of both Children’s Hour and the Headless Chickens.

Seemingly reluctant to play before such a dearth of people, there is a long wait before it is apparent there will be no one else turning up in the audience here tonight and Chris Matthews sets up his Robot Monkey Orchestra, which on this occasion is a computer playing the backing track. Chris Matthews has always been a wholly unique artist, the early Headless Chickens material being so weird in instrumentation and composition and waaaaaaay ahead of it’s time. Twenty years on and he’s still completely unique, syncopated beats and loud guitars grounding his doomsday voice. When the apocalypse comes, Chris Matthews’ voice will be all prevalent on the radio, heralding near hysteria amongst the unprepared. In terms of sound it seems that Chris Matthews has just carried on from where he left the Headless Chickens with Greedy, distinct beats, distorted guitars and a voice that oozes darkness and hints at depravity.

At the end of a healthy set the humble crowd requests more, so we get one more song before the Kingsland Vinyl Appreciation Society (ex-Meterman and current Kerretta bassist) starts spinning some weirdarse rock from the turntables set up at the side of the dance floor. Being not too different from just playing a CD over the PA and not something that this sort of crowd would be used to , there is no one on the dance floor, or really paying attention to the DJ at all. But then, what is the norm for such a situation anyway? Kerretta set up on stage and proceed to take charge of the night.


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