Gig Review: Electric Tapestry @ Valhalla, Wellington – 11/04/2024

I have seen Electric Tapestry before, last year in December at Meow and I believe the Valhalla venue autographs the metal/rock band’s strength just a bit more. The scenery of the music is not necessarily that deep for those who enjoy the quiver of rock, but it was something I noticed. Thursday night at Valhalla, the post-rock band with a touch of 80’s psychedelic rhythm showed up together to do exactly what they were supposed to do. Grown from Dunedin, I watched them successfully play catchy choruses and create a magical nostalgia for us.

Alongside them at night were How to Human, Mintaka and The B.U.M.s. We first opened up with The B.U.M.s who also got the memo of Valhalla’s enjoyment of rough rock sound. With one drummer and a lead guitarist who was also the lead vocalist, the two punched hard under the sinful red stage light. They performed a collection of covers including a Kiwi version of Aerosmith’s Train Kept A Rollin. These guys were unnerved and had severe energy. They thrived in holding tension at the end of songs and holding powerful silence before the last guitar strum.

After a break Electric Tapestry came on stage and as a unit, they were in combat with instruments while communicating their rhythm and beats harmoniously. They were in harmony and played like it was natural to them, this being from their prerequisite experiences of being in bands in the past. Noticeably there was a young drummer, and It was acknowledged he was new to the band, and he didn’t fall behind with the others.

They describe their sound as being South African pop with rock guitar chords which “can be heard from either of the two vocalists, only to be interrupted by layers of warm fuzz, crystalline blues lines à la David Gilmour, or a heavy metal lead guitar lead” (Muzic.net.nz). The guitars and vocals synchronized nicely with the buzzing energy, this being significantly beneficial for the audience’s enjoyment. You could see the audience all on their feet with supporters all around. The lead singer is a high-powered vocalist and as a band, they collectively added backing vocals which added a vibration to their sound. These guys are certainly rock, but they had a slightly more airy, space sound, and with the added artistic visuals there was a hint of psychedelic buzz sound. What I noticed more attentively this time was that they held music notes tensely within each song and at the end of each song. The best way to describe it is an adhesion of their 80’s rock sound that stays consistent throughout their set. It’s a familiar part of the Wellington rock scene which shows Electric Tapestry is a strong puzzle piece.

How to Human was much like the others fulfilling the rock stage. I’d also consider their sound to be artistic rock in the sense they also had a psychedelic buzz to them. You could see the bartenders even bobbing their heads during their set as well. It’s nice when a rock band knows how to emphasise using their guitars as it’s their main tool to great a loud sound. Maybe it drowned out the vocals a little, however, this is not uncommon to naturally happen when on stage. It’s considerably part of the experience for your ears to burn.

Mintaka took rock in a different direction than the rest of the bands. It has been noted they are a progressive rock band with a special influence of Jazz which makes them unique. Mintaka had a confident and fizzing stage presence. Their rock vibrated in the floorboards and captured the audience as their use of guitar looked instinctive and well-rehearsed.