RIP: Volume Magazine

It's a sad day today.

Here in New Zealand we're not exactly blessed with a high quality of street press or weekly magazines, zines or other printed reading matter. Costs prohibit, I understand that. But Volume magazine was supposed to be something different - bankrolled by APN Publishing and connected with the NZ Herald's large online following, this was a proper "yoof" magazine which had the backing of the big boys.

Or so we thought.

Despite stamping its personality on our scene almost immediately, and after only thirty three issues, Volume magazine is no longer. Apparently a lack of online audience was enough to convince its owners that there was no future in reporting on music that's slightly outside the realm of commercial Top 40 fodder.

More frustratingly, just at the beginning of NZ Music Month, one of the true champions of local content has been axed. You couldn't have waited another month, at least?

So, very sad news, as it leaves a gulf in quality street press here in NZ, and once more means that talented folks like Sam Wicks and Hugh Sundae are again forced to forge a path for themselves (and for those who they believe in) in a media world where the deck remains stacked against them.

Good luck, lads, I'll be aiming to do more than simply cheer you on.

RIP Volume Magazine

Live Review: Portishead at Vector Thu 10 Nov

PORTISHEAD
Vector Arena
Thursday 10 Nov 2011

"Evening. Bit of a shaky start."

Those were singer Beth Gibbons' first words to the crowd at Vector Arena, three songs into what was actually a triumphant return for Portishead to New Zealand, fourteen years since they were last here. She didn't address the audience again until the end, when she simply repeated "Thank you, thanks!" as the band took their deserved bows.

And yet she - and the rest of Portishead's touring party - had us enraptured throughout.

Gibbons was joined on stage by fellow core members Geoff Barrow (percussion, scratching, keys, guitar and goodness knows what else) and Adrian Utley (guitar, keys); a drummer, bass player and additional keyboardist. When VOLUME magazine spoke with Utley a few weeks back he professed the band had been rehearsing hard to play as much as possible of the material live, rather than relying on loops and samples. This approach paid rich dividends, as the bands' playing was close to immaculate, with many genuinely breath-taking moments - particularly the big drops and drums, eerie harmonies and hip hop scratches of tracks like Cowboys, Glory Box and Machine Gun.

Those moments - indeed, most of the show - were enhanced by the syncing of the absolutely massive - and equally impressive - LED screen behind the band, which took up the entire width and height of the stage. The visuals segued from underwater shots of seaweed to oscillating whirlpools; from an incredible bright orange-red rising sun to crackling, scratchy, grainy and extremely (mis-)treated live footage - often layered atop one another. The lighting too was spectacular, with one particular standout moment the stark, bright red backlighting during a crackling hot reading of Glory Box.

At several points mobile phones were held aloft in the audience in a manner not unlike lighters at a rock gig; and there were moments when crunching guitars, the power of two live drummers and layers of keys created an epic, stadium-like feel despite the confines of a truncated Vector.

A friend remarked, "...they're so much better live!" and that summed it up nicely: the show was everything you would expect from Portishead if you'd only heard their albums - moody, eerie beats and a cinematic, widescreen sound - with that extra bit of polish which goes a long way to explaining their continuing appeal, despite their famed "relaxed" album released schedule.

A master-class in tension and release, both musically and visually, and a hugely impressive - and appreciated - return.


This review originally appeared in VOLUME magazine issue #011

Read the interview with Adrian Utley of Portishead here.

Live Review: TrinityRoots at Powerstation Fri 2 Sept

This week sees the launch of a brand new weekly street press title: Volume is edited by Sam Wicks (a scholar & a gentleman, both) and features interviews, reviews and plenty of opinion about music - good and bad. But mostly good. As evidenced by Issue #1 cover stars, Drab Doo-Riffs.

I've had the good fortune to be invited to write for the mag (#shamelessselfpromotion), and even managed to sneak into the debut issue with a live review of the recent TrinityRoots gig at Auckland's Powerstation...

TRINITYROOTS
With Tyra Hammond and The Bluebirds
The Powerstation, Auckland
Friday 2 September

TrinityRoots' third coming saw a refigured lineup looking to continue the legacy of one of New Zealand's best-loved bands. The diversity of the crowd underlined the esteem in which Trinity are held, with their fresh blend of deep roots reggae and psychedelic rock only part of their appeal. That undeniable bro-ish charm is undoubtedly another part; yet these are jazz school alumni with serious musical chops, unafraid of stretching songs live every which way. So shit was hype. Anticipation was high. And due to one of the founding members leaving the band only a few months ago, there was genuine excitement: who the fuck was going to replace sticks man Riki Gooch?

Opening act Tyra Hammond and The Bluebirds didn't so much heighten anticipation, as cause a certain amount of restlessness. Everyone loves each of those guys - and Tyra is a genuine star - but a handful of seemingly hurriedly put together blues covers did them no favours. Thankfully they closed with a couple of tracks taken from the Opensouls' excellent Standing In The Rain album.

Any concerns about the punters' attentions spans were dashed the instant TrinityRoots took the stage, opening with an expansive version of Two By Two. It must've been terrifying for new drummer Jean Pompey to step into this scene, but she showed no sign of nerves, as she set about pummeling her drums right from the outset. Lacking the power of Gooch, she made up for it with her dexterous and busy playing; and the group sounded as cohesive as ever, if not more so. Her warm vocals were a welcome addition, and the harmonies she, frontman Warren Maxwell and bass player Rio Hunuki Hemopo cooked up (alongside the shadowy figure of Mark Vanilau, who also added keys and guitar) stepped the sound to another level. Indeed, an unexpected highlight was Pompey singing Dawn Penn's No, No, No from behind the drums.

From a loping, lolloping ride through The Dream, a fiercely dubby version of Egos and an outstanding reading of Home, Land & Sea, it was clear to the adoring crowd that, even without one of their cornerstones, TrinityRoots are still capable of laying down music that breaks through barriers, transcends age and race, and unites those who really care to listen. Amen.

This review was originally pubished in issue #001 of Volume magazine, 6 Sept. 2011