Gig 20050708 Review

Source: Waikato Times

Date Published: 18 July 2005

Who: Shihad.

Where: Altitude Nightclub, Hamilton.

When: Friday July 8.

Reviewed by: Kerry Cooper.

Ticket, check. Earplugs, check. Fish album-era boxers, check. Big shows like this don't come along everyday. Tequila, check. Due to venue shortcomings Hamilton has missed some big names recently, so on the back of the name rechange and new album Love Is The New Hate, excitement has been building for the return of New Zealand music icons Shihad.

Last time they played Altitude, seven songs were recorded for the Pacifier Live album. A diverse crowd of loyal fans –- –- were primed for action chanting "Shihad. Shihad." as non-smiling guitar techs fiddled.

Blasting through tracks from the new album, Shihad set about doing what they do best, destroying live venues and leaving stunned crowds baying for more.

Tom Larkin's drumming is a highlight and Karl Kippenberger continues to be the coolest bass around as part of a rhythm section that, like the other men in black, exudes precision, pace and power. The guitars are huge and clean on rock anthems like Run and driven hard and fast as they rocket through blistering punk scorchers like My Mind's Sedate and Big Future only to stop on a dime, leaving you reeling.

"My mum never liked that one so I am giving it to you," says a hyper Jon Toogood. Over 10 years in the business and they show no sign of slowing down, body language revealing a band enjoying their work –- Toogood leaping from the speaker stack, guitar, hair and limbs flying.

There is nothing like when sound blasts your body, your pulse races, you shake uncontrollably, and you break into a sweat, risking whiplash with each pulverising blast and leaping about uncontrollably. Shihad are one of the most consistently astonishing live acts and they blew the roof off a full house at Altitude on Friday night.