Concert Review: Supergroove - Auckland - 26th April 2025

Presented By Eccles Entertainment

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Review By: Faith Hamblyn

Artist/Band: Supergroove with Troy Kingi, King Kapesi & Rubi Du

Venue/City: Auckland Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand

Date of Event: Saturday 26th April 2025

Supergroove burst on to the airwaves in 1994, looking and sounding like a new version of Madness, given there were seven of them, and they played horns. But while they had the same energy, Supergroove’s strengths were their rhymes, Karl Stevens’ irrepressible Beastie Boys white-boy style and their titular funk groove. While I watched them go from strength to strength and celebrated Che Fu’s solo career, I’d not seen them, or King Kapisi, live before last night at the Town Hall.

DJ King Kapisi kicked it off with a set that was right up my alley – hip-hop from the ‘80s, reggae and electronica. There were greats like ODB’s ‘Shimmy Shimmy Yah’ and Snoop Dogg’s ‘Who Am I’, but one of my highlights was Mary Jane Girls’ ‘All Night Long’ - it’s sampled in LL Cool J’s ‘Around The Way Girl’, and when Kapisi told us to ‘now scream’, I knew we were from the same scene. There was an chance to dance to win a T-shirt, but sadly I have no moves.

There was Timmy Trumpet and Savage’s ‘Freaks’ and Technotronic’s ‘Pump Up The Jam’, but before you could say Salt -N-Pepa’s ‘Push It’, it was time for Troy Kingi to take the stage. I know he’s been to the US desert and back, and it shows in his sweet stage style and sound. He performed ‘Moko’ from 2016, and the next time we see him, he may have one where his beard currently is. He’s an artist of remarkable range and amazing costumes.

Supergroove exploded into their set with Here Comes The Supergroove, and after ‘Your White Shirt,’ King Kapisi’s ‘Screems From Da Old Plantation,’ which was a shout-out to all Pacific Islands, especially New Zealand. There was cool samples from rap and movies, and it turns out Che Fu is an amazing turntablist. Fai fai pea! You can imagine the waving hands in the air and chanting, but what really got everyone in a nostalgic anthem frenzy?

‘You Gotta Know’ was filmed on hundreds of phones, capturing and adding to the light show. Next, Che Fu performed ‘For Whatever Reason’, which was way better than the ‘94 recording – not surprising, given how accomplished he has become in the meantime. So, where had the rest of the band been? I’d seen Karl in The Drab Doo-Riffs in West Auckland, and I’ve heard Nick Atkinson and super-styley Tim Stewart’s Hopetoun Brown; they took front of stage to perform Muddy Waters’ ‘Mannish Boy’, using just their feet as percussion.

It’s got to be noted that Joe Lonie is now a long-haired bass demon. While the whole band is tight, he’s almost funk metal. Did he do some kind of desert-rock deal with Troy Kingi? Karl found a packet of Munchos backstage and was using it for percussion – not that effective, but funny and indicative of the band’s ethos. It was amazing how they used the stage, rolling around and bouncing off each other like pinballs.

Everyone went bonkers for ‘Can’t Get Enough,’ followed by Che Fu and King Kapisi and Ruby Du performing King Kapisi’s ‘Raise Up’. Solid funk, heartfelt blues and ensemble hip hop; what more could you want in a gig?

If the encore was the answer, then it’s Che Fu’s ‘Fade Away’. We needed Che Fu back in Supergroove, doing his incredible music with the backing it should have had. It gave me chills, and I wouldn’t have thought I’d be able to see them together. Just before closing with Scorpio Girls, when they performed ‘Next Time’, it felt like a promise from them to us. Let’s hope so.

SETLIST

(1st set)
Moko (Troy Kingi)
Here Comes the Supergroove
Your White Shirt
Screems From Da Old Plantation (with King Kapisi)
You Gotta Know
For Whatever Reason
Mannish Boy (Muddy Waters cover – Tim, Nick and Karl in Low-Down Dirty Blues Band mode)
Sister Sister (with Troy Kingi) bluesy harmonica intro from Karl
Coming Right Thru (SilvaMC cover, Rubi Du)
Don't Look Down
Misty Frequencies (Che Fu solo release)

Intermission – King Kapisi DJ set

(2nd set)
Back Up (Rubi Du cover)
Bigga Tingz (Rubi Du cover)
Machine Talk (Che Fu solo release)
All Your Ships Have Sailed (Troy Kingi cover)
Bugs & Critters
Soul Time
Ride the Rhino (Troy Kingi cover)
You Freak Me
Can't Get Enough (with Troy Kingi)
Chains (DLT cover, with King Kapisi)
‘Sock It To Ya’ Riff stage business and maths comedy
Raise Up (King Kapisi cover, with Che Fu, King Kapisi and Rubi Du)
Sitting Inside My Head

(Encore)
Fade Away (Che Fu solo release)
Next Time
Scorpio Girls

Supergroove The Phenomenon 2025 Tour Poster

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