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Review By: Rob Harbers

Artist: Sea Mouse with support from Lizard Prom

Date: Friday 29th November 2024

Venue: Paisley State, Napier, New Zealand

With a phenomenally energetic performance that’d make hummingbirds look lazy by comparison, Poneke’s Seamouse have once again made the Paisley Stage their own. Judging by the number of Seamouse shirts among the crowd, there was a degree of playing to the choir involved, but I’m sure there were also some new fans made on the night!

In the role of support band were local stars Lizard Prom. Only two nights before, I and them were both in the same relative positions, which I guess makes at least one of us either hard-working or insane! (hint: I’m not claiming the hard-working title...) But no less entertaining for all that, of course. Another inspiring display of the art, perhaps most famously perfected by The Cure, of making  great music out of sad songs-the cathartic experience is one we can all use from time to time! In the previous words it was only vocalist and guitarist Tyley who was mentioned, so to redress the balance, let me introduce to you the rest of the players! Glen Pettitt provides much of the meat of the package with his intricate and swirling lead guitar, while Zoe Bower anchors proceedings with her rock-steady bass. Banging away at the back is newly-recruited drummer Blake Rochester (son of JR and Lucy, but no nepo-baby, being here on pure talent!). Together they create this glorious noise, no less impressive for the fact that it bubbles away in what might appear to outsiders as a cultural backwater-but us locals know better than that! Jakob are from these parts, FFS! In short, if they get near your way, just go, and thank me later...

Catching some by surprise, out of the darkened stage came the sound of Seamus Johnson’s guitar revving up, introducing the band in explosive fashion. With their brand of down and dirty bluesy garage rock, they quickly got the audience on its feet. The feeling created is what one imagined it must have been like in the London clubs in the late 60’s, as the likes of the Bluesbreakers and the Yardbirds were coming up-tightly packed and aiming for a higher sphere, through the power of music. The musicianship on display was top notch, loud, powerful and totally co-ordinated. Reminiscent of the Noel Gallagher line about The Who, that “they’re all playing lead!”. Clearly enjoyed by many present, if the smiles on faces are anything to go by. At the same time giving props to the support act, Seamus stating that they’d been wanting to set up such a combination for some time, which was nice! And thoroughly deserved, of course!

I can’t claim to be familiar enough with the material to be able to describe each song in intricate detail, but I don’t think that really matters too much-the deep fans can nerd out on the setlist, the rest of us can just revel in the overall experience of a band in top form, going where the music leads-sometimes abruptly ceasing the songs, at others going in to extended jams, the songs being so good that they didn’t want to die, not yet! Complimentary shots from the generous hosts possibly helping in this department also...

The band proudly continue the lineage of the power trio, perhaps first given it’s loudest expression in the 60’s by the likes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, carried on in loud form by Motorhead, among others, and kept alive to this day by the sheer appeal of the stripped-down, no nonsense, balls to the wall noise that emanates. No excess, just pure output-and these guys deliver that in spades! The sheer energy involved, though, is only sustainable for so long, absent naughty substances, so in what seemed like quite a short time came the announcement that “this is meant to be our last song”! Thankfully not though, the encore bringing the anthemic “Kickin’”, with an extended tub-thump from Thomas Friggens. With Seamus threatening to drown in his own sweat, having had such a workout, it was time to call a halt, but not before spreading a lot of joy, and whetting appetites for the next visit! They’re off to delight the residents of Tairawhiti tonight, taking their special brand of “Sunshine”, so be there or be square, Gisborne-ites!  As for the rest of the motu, when your turn comes, you know you want to go!

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