Gig Review: Saurian @ Darkroom, Christchurch – 18/05/2024

Dunedin’s Saurian are on a sacred mission: To do anything they can to assist in saving beloved and iconic Dunedin music venue, The Crown. Nearby developments threaten The Crown’s ability to host live music, and what better way to spread the word but through song, thought Saurian, and rightly so, too. No good single release goes without a few shows, and I attended the Christchurch stop on the Down At The Crown single release tour, which kicked off in Dunedin on May 4.

First on the bill was Hoihoi, and due to atrocious time management on my part, I unfortunately missed about the first 15 minutes of their set. More fool me, this was my first experience of Hoihoi, but certainly won’t be the last. Their angular but beautiful post-punk stylings are rich with well-crafted songs, which cover a huge range of dynamics. A rock-solid rhythm section provides the backdrop for glorious interplay between the two guitars, along with strong vocal performances, and energetic stage presence. You can check them out and support them on Bandcamp here.

Next up were rollicking powerhouse Mannequin Hand, a band that packs quite a different punch, but it’ll knock you over nonetheless. Myself, and the chap I was stood next to, found ourselves drawing constant comparisons to Deep Purple. Slabs of 70’s-tinged riffs, a huge Hammond-like keyboard presence, a deliciously tasty lead guitarist, and gigantic vocals that belie the clearly quite young age of the frontman/bassist, all delivered with passion, confidence, and panache. My favourite song was the absolutely massive Phoenix, which you can check out here.

After a skillfully brief changeover, it was Saurian O’clock. In characteristic tongue-in-cheek spirit, they played some Star Wars theme music before busting intoWayne Kerr, the first track from 2023’s Octopedal Rock Unit EP. The fun, energy, and laughs didn’t stop though most of Octopedal Rock Unit’s track listing, new singles Devil Among Men and (of course) Down At The Crown (twice, even! Well why wouldn’t you, at the song’s release party?), a fantastic cover of The Darkness’ I Believe In A Thing Called Love, and a piss-take cover of AC/DC’s Back In Black, featuring bassist Logan on vocals, vocalist/lead guitarist Karl on drums, drummer Josh on bass… and guitarist Kat on bemused facial expressions. Crowd favourite Ice Cream Man got a good belting, as did a cover of Blur’s Song 2.

Saurian leave a mighty big footprint wherever they go, and tonight was no exception. A lively, fun, and personable band that knows how to deliver a belter of a live show. The Down At The Crown single release tour continues in Invercargill on June 7th, and in Wanaka on June 15th.