Kurt Vile & The Violators
11th April 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
The first real frost tinged bite of winter that Auckland has seen last night was not enough to deter a sold-out crowd from dodging the heavy showers as the picked their way along darkened streets to the sanctity of the Powerstation.
Doing the honours for the local scene Roy Irwin delivered a far more reserved set to that of his usual performances as bassist for Cindy, the crowd enamoured by his repertoire as they huddled in close.
Looking as if he had just been plucked from the nineties Seattle grunge scene, Kurt Vile arrived on stage to rapturous applause and a sea of faces; with a knowing smile, steeped in earthliness, Vile slipped behind his curtain of long brown locks and delved straight into ‘Loading Zones’ from his latest album Bottle It In, impressively the eighth of his decade long solo career.
Shaking out his mop with abandon as if clearing the tumbling thoughts within his mind Vile lurched into the next track, his deep timbre voice broken by the occasional whoop serenading the audience, small off-key notes here and there imbuing the songs with a sense of realness. The fans cheered as Vile stated how good it was to be back in Auckland, the ex-War on Drugs guitarist familiar with the lay of our land; ‘Bassackwards’ delighting as Vile let his fingers do the talking, shifting across the strings of his acoustic, the spirit of Tom Petty lingering in the shadows.
Accompanied by The Violaters – Jesse Trbovich, Rob Laakso and Kyle Spence respectively – the overall sound fills the room, electronic additions that sometimes resemble muted space lasers riding in over the top. Trbovich and Laakso seamlessly interchanging between guitar and bass as Vile continues to noodle on a cavalcade of guitars that pass through his arms over the course of the evening.
By the time ‘Check Baby’ (with its sumptuous bass that spills like thick treacle across the stage) is played the audience are in love, some dancing, others eyes closed and lost within. Despite his grunge era look, Vile’s music takes you further back into the days of early Neil Young, his word play one of the greatest features of his work; his emotions often bursting forth from some guttural swampland deep inside him, their release cathartic to both artist and admirer as they have the effect of a bolt of electricity.
While often ensconced within his guitar work, during ‘Cold was the Wind’ Vile became more animated, gesturing towards the audience with his arm extended outwards, telling all present that they were beautiful upon it’s conclusion, the compliment heartfelt and honest in its delivery. A solo version of ‘Peeping Tomboy’ saw those on the outskirts of the venue who were more easily distracted drift off into loud conversations, which was a travesty; those who knew better glued to the vision before them; Trbovich returning on guitar to accompany Vile on ‘He’s Alright’.
There is no doubt that Vile is an acquired taste, his often-meandering indie lo-fi music not something that will appeal to all, but you would be hard pressed to find any true music fan who would not be impressed by his live show. ‘Wakin on a Pretty Day’ was like a breath of cool air through the room, subtle touches of a wah-wah pedal peaking out in the first half of the track before fully emerging and revealing it’s true fuzzed out form in the spectacular bridge that once again saw Vile step back from the mic and lose himself in the notes.
Finishing with ‘Wild Imagination’ he thanked and farewelled more than likely realising very quickly that this New Zealand crowd were not going to let him slip away that easily. Returning with undoubtedly one of his biggest tracks in the form of the infectious ‘Pretty Pimpin’, Vile said goodbye to the Violators as he finished with a solo rendition of the bittersweet ‘Runner Ups’ – written about the loss of a friend in his twenties, there is an element of gratitude within its lines. Backlit by golden yellows and hints of purple it was the perfect closer.
Artists like Vile are hard to come by and while he may not have reached the peaks that his former band have, his work will not only be remembered but revered for years to come.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this lo-fi indie-rock performance? Or have you seen Kurt Vile & The Violators perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Loading Zones
- Jesus Fever
- Bassackwards
- I’m An Outlaw
- Check Baby
- Girl Called Alex
- Cold Was The Wind
- Peeping Tomboy
- He’s Alright
- Yeah Bones
- Wakin On A Pretty Day
- KV Crimes
- Puppet To The Man
- Wild Imagination
- Pretty Pimpin [encore]
- Runner Ups [encore]
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