Happy Mondays, Auckland NZ, 2019

Happy Mondays

27th February 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.

The iconic sound of 90’s Madchester rang out through Auckland last night, as the Happy Mondays crew from Salford arrived on stage to a pulsating crowd.

While technically they saw out the decade of the 80’s – releasing two studio albums during that time – most would argue that it was the 90’s that really saw them come into their own, their third album Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches a compulsory addition to any fans collection. Promising to play the seminal record in full last night, punters were already riding a giddy high as the seven members took the stage, the fabulous vocals of Rowetta sailing out over the top of the instrumental introduction to ‘Kinky Afro’ At first it looked like Rowetta was spinning a pair of poi, but on closer inspection it was discovered to be a pair of black n white leather floggers, an interesting choice of stage accessories, but then this is the Happy Mondays…

Bez (Mark Berry) wasted no time getting his dancing shoes on, with high knees and shaking maracas covered in a psychedelic spiral design, he stomped all over the stage, ensuring that everyone from the top to the bottom of the venue had the chance to see him. The seven members filled the stage out well, Shaun Ryder on vocals and his brother Paul on bass sharing the same little space while periodically puffing on their e-cigarettes.

Banter flowed between each song, the conversations between Ryder and Bez in particular rather amusing as Ryder called Bez a “daft bum” for grabbing the microphone and attempting to sing the opening lines himself.

The crowd were certainly in high spirits, while tonight’s show has completely sold out, last night’s capacity must have been pretty close to it, the venue heaving with dancing bodies by the second song. Following the original track listing punters embraced early hits like ‘Donovan’ and the hilariously ad-libbed ‘Grandbag’s Funeral’ which saw Ryder channel a wee bit of Black Francis of the Pixies. Rowetta went to town with her impressive chops on both ‘Loose Fit’ and ‘Bob’s Yer Uncle’, proving not only does she still have it, but she has it in spades, her dress a splash of colour amongst the muted hues of her band mates.

By now there had already been a couple of stage jumpers, Bez seemingly welcoming them while Ryder on the other hand was grumbling under his breath and making pointed comments about security; whether this was part of the act though it was hard to tell. All bets were off however as the familiar opening notes of ‘Step On’ rang out across the room, the crowd exploding with excitement – “you’re twistin my melon man!” they cried out in unison as Bez leaned out over the front row while twirling his maracas in their faces; the song on par with ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ for crowd participation from one of the other infamous Madchester bands The Stone Roses.

By this point the audience knew what was coming, the set down to the last two album tracks, Ryder still taking the opportunity to pretend to not know as he peered at the set list on the floor before feigning surprise at his discovery; Bez grabbing the microphone out of his hand and drawling out the opening line before telling the fans “Don’t listen to me” with a knowing grin.

With Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches now completed in full, the crowd amped themselves up for a greatest hits set, however the band seemed to have other ideas; returning to stage after several minutes they delivered both ‘Hallelujah’ and ’24 Hour Party People’ – which featured on the soundtrack of the 2002 film of the same name – before bidding all goodnight. While both tracks went off like a cut cat, the crowd were left wanting, at only twelve songs and barely over an hour on stage it seemed that just as the crowd were at the peak of their groove they were having to leave.

Let’s hope the Happy Mondays throw a few more in there for tonight’s fans.

Were you there at the Powerstation for this post-punk madchester extravaganza? Or have you seen Happy Mondays perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. Kinky Afro
2. God’s Cop
3. Donovan
4. Grand Bag’s Funeral
5. Loose Fit
6. Dennis And Lois
7. Bob’s Yer Uncle
8. Step On
9. Holiday
10. Harmony
11. Hallelujah [encore]
12. 24 Hour Party People [encore]
13. Wrote For Luck [encore – on setlist but not performed]

If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page.