TERROR OF THE DEEP + THE AXEMEN AT MIGHTY MIGHTY

Terror of the Deep played first, taking to the stage at 11 pm. They opened with St John, the first song from their album 'The Airport underneath the Dome' and then launched into Turn It Around (off their new album 'Permanent Weekend') which captures all the best elements of their song writing; haunting with pop hooks that make it impossible not to dance along. Every song was played with a passion I've not seen from them before, and it’s great when they add the extra member to play tambourine, adding more energy to the performance. Will's unique drumming style continues to impress; getting better with every gig, and you can tell the band really enjoy performing together. After eight songs they said goodnight, but with the crowd wanting more they played another. Terror of the Deep are a great live band and I've never been disappointed by their show.



The Axemen are a flying nun band who started playing together in 1981, though this was the first time I'd heard them. They started strong with a few rocky numbers and by the third song everyone was hooked. They have a good stage presence and played with gusto. The only downside about not knowing any of the songs is that after awhile they began to sound similar. For fans of Axemen it was a great gig, and for people who are new to them it was good entertainment for an evening and i’m sure they now have a few new fans.



Words + photos by Jordan Stewart

DIVING

Last night we caught Diving at Mighty Mighty in Wellington.

They took to the stage at 11pm, playing in between Us as Robots and Dial Squares. They played a very energetic set. Rohan’s tight and slightly aggressive drum style provided a solid backdrop for the guitar and loops, giving them room to glide and weave around to create a wonderful wall of sound.

Most of their songs are instrumental but it was good to have a couple of tracks with some vocals to mix it up a bit.

The standout for me was the last track they played “Synthstrom” which starts of as a ballad and ends up sounding like something that would fit right into a David Lynch Film. It brought up images of driving at night and the way a good day goes to bad.

Both members of Diving are interesting to watch and it doesn’t feel like you're missing anything with only the two of them; in fact they make it seem like other bands aren't working hard enough.




Words by Jordan Stewart + photos by Abby Stewart