Concert Review - Jakob - Napier - 19th December 2025

Presented by Under The Radar

Photo credit Andrew Caldwell 2024

Review By: Rob Harbers

Artist/Band: Jakob, with Punching

Venue/City: Paisley Stage, Ahuriri Napier, New Zealand

Date of Event: 19th December 2025

This time of year is one accompanied by numerous traditions in various communities. These cover a wide range of types, from the burning of the Yule log, through the consumption of Chinese food on Christmas Day by Jewish people (look it up), or the one I like the sound of, the Icelandic Jólabókaflóð, where books are exchanged and read in quiet contemplation on Christmas Eve. Here in Te-Matau-a-Māui, however, one of the great traditions has nothing at all to do with being quiet – quite the opposite, in fact! For there comes but once a year the annual gathering of the cognoscenti to receive the rites of the high priests of post-rock noise, the venerable Jakob. Together, congregants and guides experience the healing power of music, coming away refreshed and ready to face the horrors of the world outside of the temple.

As has been the case for most of the past few years, the sonic temple for this year’s ritual was Ahuriri Napier’s coolest little venue, Paisley Stage, in what will be numbered among the final run of events in its current setting. (Watch out for more on this!) Serving as assistants to the proceedings were the up-and-coming Punching. This youthful four-piece delivered a strong set of original material that warmed up the throng nicely, no doubt garnering a few new fans along the way.

The hallowed ground having been suitably prepared, on came the masters themselves, entering bathed in a cerise light and immediately kicking into Blind Them With Science from 2014’s Sines (to date, still the most recent album). The pounding and deeply percussive drums gave just a taste of what was to follow, as did the intricate guitar riff, leading into a driving conclusion. The bass-led Malachite fed into an almost funky Pneumonic, the heavy rhythm of which lends itself to my oft-repeated mistake of titling it ‘Pneumatic’!

The low-key guitar intro of Rewild was answered by a heavy drum attack, in turn ramping up the guitar noise in a sonic arms race that nevertheless faded out on the same quiet tone with which it entered. Maurice Beckett’s heavy bass anchored Magna Carta in a reassuring fashion, keeping things firmly tethered – feet on the ground, head in the clouds. Reverend Harmony’s crystalline riff was matched by a diamantine incisiveness where it counted, while the bass in Oran Mor is felt somewhere in the region of the feet, and then up through the internal organs – maybe seeking the elusive Brown Note, which would be a pretty shitty thing to go for! (IYKYK)

The soaring guitar of Ageena appeared to be aiming for the stars – not a bad target, it must be said! There was an almost fractal quality to Safety In Numbers, its clockwork but increasingly complex drumming suggesting a Fibonacci sequence looping in on itself. No wonder that Jason Johnston had a visible sweat on as Resolve commenced. This featured more shimmering guitar from Jeff Boyle, and led to the closing Method, ending in a glorious note of sustain. But of course that wasn’t enough, the loudly demanded encore going back in time to 2003, with the opening track to Cale:Drew, Controle. The structure of this gave a mental image of pebbles dropping in a pond, ripples radiating out from each splash, before building to a critical mass and rolling back on themselves.

But this also signalled that critical mass had been reached as regards the music, being the final number. The band retired for a well-earned rest, having delivered the latest epistle to their congregation, who lapped up the ritual in devoted fashion, ready for the next instalment. But until that day, how is the album coming along, guys?

Punching Setlist

Clay
Drain
Napalm
Sats
Stationary
The Source
EH

Jakob Setlist

Clay
Blind Them With Science
Malachite
Pneumonic
Rewild
Magna Carta
Reverend Harmony
Oran Mor
Ageena
Harmonia
Resolve
Method
Controle

Jakob at Paisley Stage, December 2025