Fred & Toody Cole, Auckland NZ, 2016

Fred & Toody Cole

16th December 2016
Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, New Zealand

Review and Photography by Sarah Kidd.

There is electricity in the air tonight. Anticipation is rippling through the venue; it’s so potent that you can almost taste it. It has been several years since Fred and Toody Cole graced NZ shores; the first time being in 1992 as relative unknowns, when they played 19 shows around the country after infamously turning down the chance to support Nirvana on tour. This was to be a more toned down version than what was seen back then, but never the less, the audience instinctively knew that they were in for something exceptional tonight.

Warming up the stage for the Coles was the undeniably toe-tapping Manos del Chango. The two piece (made up by well-known NZ musician Delaney Davidson and Nicole Izobel Garcia) commanded the stage like true professionals, their songs punctuated with catchy beats and dead-pan dedications (“this next song is for all the English in the crowd – don’t worry we have one for all the different nationalities”). Strong vocals from Garcia provided a tangible depth to the set, with the duo finishing on an impressively high octane version of Johnny Dowd’s ‘First There Was’

The stage was then stripped back to nothing more than a small elevated platform furnished with two red metal chairs, the paint slightly chipped down one side as if to allude to the characters that would soon occupy them. Fred and Toody wandered out onto the stage looking as if they have just shared some private joke as playful smiles danced across their faces. Taking their seats and setting up their guitars [they play only through small on stage amps] it felt as if the entire audience was holding their breath. Fred and Toody Cole are now both 68 years old, Fred recently surviving emergency heart surgery in 2014; hence their shows are now performed seated. But the passion is still there – it seeps from their very pores and penetrates all who bear witness.

Kicking off the Dead Moon journey in 1987 in the city of Portland, the Coles have amassed well over 10 albums worth of material to draw from and by the second song of the night ‘Running out of Time’ from their 1995 album ‘Nervous Sooner Changes’, it was clear that this would be one of those shows that would be etched permanently into the memory banks. Legend has it that that Fred and Toody have spent no more than 7 hours apart since the day [June 14th] they were married in 1967; and watching them on stage it is not hard to believe. Sitting slightly across from one another Toody’s foot is in constant connection with Fred’s ankle. Every so often Fred reaches over and runs his index finger down Toody’s leg as she sings, causing her to open her eyes (she is notorious for playing with her eyes closed, lost in the music she is creating) and throw Fred a sly grin. “You might remember this one” Fred addresses the audience – then hesitates as if waiting for Toody to take the lead, tongue in cheek and without missing a beat she replies “You wrote it, you fuckin’ play it”.

‘I Hate the Blues’ from their first album ‘In the Graveyard’ [1988] still held its original rawness, eliciting whoops and cheers from the entranced front rows. ‘We won’t Break’ followed closely by “These times with You’ [Trash and Burn – 2001] felt like Fred and Toody were singing only to each other, memories of all their years and experiences together reflected in the sentiments of the lyrics.

There was very little banter in between songs (except for when Fred leaning down in his chair squinting at his hand written set list on a folded piece of A5 paper chuckled to Toody “Can’t even see the set list!”), the Cole’s preferring to let the music speak for them, the guitars laying the foundation upon which their voices built towers of exquisite noise before scuttling them away again.

All too soon after positively killer versions of ‘Dagger Moon’ and ‘Dead Moon Night’ the Cole’s were bidding the audience goodbye. Rapturous applause escorted them off the stage, with cries of ‘”more, more” rising up from the floor. Luckily it appeared that the Coles did indeed have something left in the tank, as they soon strolled back onto the stage, with big smiles and beers in hand. “Sorry, we can’t play for 2-3 hours anymore” Toody addressed the crowd. Fred sat down and began to strum his guitar; a frown flitted across his brow as no sound came out “Is my Amp on?” Toody leaned back and flicked a switch raising her eyebrows at him as only a wife can. The fans were then treated to a three course encore which included a wonderfully rocky cover version of the classic 1961 Elvis Presley track “I Can’t Help falling in Love with You”

As Fred and Toody waved and left the stage for the final time, there were more than a few teary eyed members of the audience waving back. It truly was a set worthy of being written into the pages of folklore.

Fred & Toody Cole (Dead Moon) perform live in Auckland, New Zealand 2016. Image by Sarah Kidd.

Were you there at Kings Arms Tavern to witness this very special show? Or have you seen Fred & Toody (or Dead Moon) somewhere else? Tell me about it in the comments below!