Gig Review: Dead Favours @ Valhalla, Wellington – 03/06/2021

In the sweaty snake pit that is Valhalla I was ordering a Fireball when two feet appeared next to me at the bar. Looking up I discover it’s the one and only Jared from Dead Favours. Surprised? No, this was his second visit to the bar, wirelessly strumming his guitar. Cool or what? The first time was when he ordered and downed what looked like a Tequila shot. Nice!

But let’s go back to the beginning of the night when Seismic State took to the stage. I have known these guys for a few years and know they put on a great show; however, I hadn’t seen the new singer Rogina before. With a blonde dreads and stunning Nordic vocals (if that’s incorrect, I apologise), Rogina fit straight into the band and looked like she had been performing with them for many years.

The general feel of the band at times reminded me of 80’s band All About Eve, with angelic vocals and rock undertones, especially on their songs Two Homes and Windowless. The last classic song Genius was also reminiscent of the 80’s band but a major difference is that almost every song had an awesome guitar solo. Be sure to follow them on Facebook. Overall, Seismic State put on a great performance that got the crowd warmed very nicely indeed and ready for the next band, Voodoo Bloo.

Voodoo Bloo are no strangers to Valhalla having played their multiple times. However tonight seemed different. There was a passion and energy that has lifted them up a gear and the audience were really getting into it. Front man Rory was very interactive with the crowd and the wall of noise was mesmerising. They played singles MMA, Her Name Was Human and Ha Ha Ok Ok, from their debut album Jacobus (available here), but it was their new material that was intriguing. It had catchy melodies that seemed less punk than the last few songs and seemed a little more mainstream, but still heavy. They have been compared to Queens of the Stone Age crossed with Arctic Monkeys, and I can see why.

The whole band simply oozed energy, especially Daniel on the guitar with flowing locks that danced to their own tune. The drummer Jackson also had some unique styles and fills that stood out, especially for someone that looks so young. Be sure to follow them on Facebook.

Having warmed up the crowd some more, Dead Favours entered the stage to a roar from the punters. Having a new bassist in the form of Alex Elvis from Skinny Hobos, I was interested to hear their new material from their latest album Riffing & Yelling. This album will be released in two parts, the first part being released in May, which can be found here.

A lovely gesture of singing happy birthday to someone in the crowd showed the great relationship they have with their fans. These guys certainly made use of the stage, jumping up onto the speakers and getting a great crowd interaction going. Move On was my pick of the songs on the evening and I can’t wait to see them again live. Make sure to get out and see them at the earliest opportunity and support by following on Facebook.