The Rock 2000 Live Countdown
6th November 2020
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Charlotte Lightbody, with photography by Doug Peters.
The Rock, you’ve done it again. Truly a night to remember at Spark Arena for The Rock 2000 live countdown. The event began at 3 pm, with the energy in the air of an excited and deprived crowd, keen to get back in the game. Approaching the end of a long year where live gigs have become a distant memory.
How cool was it to see our own Shihad in the number four slot with Home Again – the other NZ national anthem! The countdown brought us Guns & Roses at number three with November Rain. The ever-dependable Tool at number two with The Pot. The rest of the top ten included the likes of Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine and Blindspott.
I truly didn’t expect Foo Fighters to get number one but how bloody deserving. It’s the first time they have ever gotten the coveted number one spot. Everlong, from the 1997 album The Color and the Shape, always a crowd favourite, but now, accompanied by an ever-gracious victory speech from Dave himself (the nicest guy in rock n’ roll) thanking New Zealand for the honour and the privilege.
Once the countdown had finished the crowd were patiently waiting for the live music to begin but it was obvious, DJ Kane put in work, kept everyone amped amid the growing need. The Rock crew put together a star-studded lineup of testimonials to thank Bryce Casey for his service to NZ rock radio for twenty whole goddam years – what a machine. Jay and Dunc kept the crowd rabid with constant lashing of T-shirts from their “T-shirt cannons”… otherwise known as some occasionally dicey overarm lobs.
Head Like A Hole were the first of the live bands, and were awesome! Booga Beazley parading around with his white tasselled jacket to some dirty rock n roll – there’s nothing quite like it. They played like their finest, beautiful selves at their sleazy NZ glory. Hootenanny, forever a beloved banger, its sudden ‘jumped the gun’ shock of a chorus, always forcing a headbang as they go from zero to a hundred fucking twenty in less than a second. Booga ended the show almost decapitating a few onlookers with some free vinyl, colour me jealous I couldn’t manage to snag or be snagged by one.
Racing, fronted by jagger sashaying frontman Ed, flanked by a seasoned looking bassist and a lead guitar man topped by the finest stetson to grace these shores, entered with an initially campy number, slightly foreign to the bogan crowd. But when the chorus flared and Ed’s screams lashed out at them, the crowd remembered they were at a rock concert and got right back into the spirit. The stetson proved more than a prop with their southern tinged grungy bar sound, fused with a crisp rocking funk, providing a bit more culture than the average rock/metal fare of The Rock’s base. The same blues-rock tendencies that fueled the lead pair through their tenure as The Checks blend perfectly with their almost dance funk stance as Racing.
Villainy left nothing to chance, opening with their epic Beastie Boys ‘Sabotage’ cover. Clean, expert delivery belied the fact that by their own admission, they had not taken the stage since 2019. Their hits cut through the crowd, and effective fronting really commanded the crowd. Sending the signal that the event proper had begun. Absolutely loved seeing frontman Neil interacting with the crowd and in a Slipknot like move, kindly asked the audience to crouch low, only to all leap up on cue. The band oozed an, as we love to say “world-class” vibe – I’d have believed them if they’d said they got on a plane to perform here, at the tail end of those lengthy world tours.
Devilskin. Hamilton’s own. Jennie Smathers, the first lady of NZ metal. They thrashed, they commanded, we loved them for it. Her powerful piercing voice, balanced with her low guttural growls which she’s so famous for were just what the crowd needed to end the evening. The Rock audience is the Devilskin audience, and that synergy was well and truly felt. Jennie, bookended by what I am still not convinced isn’t just the same man with two guitars moving so rapidly across the stage that he appears to be performing in two different places. Guitar pounded in butted rifle position, letting the crowd know who’s giving them the rock they require. Nic Martin in the back on drums, rounding out the wall of sound and driving it through the crowd. Loud, proud and crowd commanding as always. I’ve seen Devilskin play about ten times now, and every single time they have just gotten better.
A massive congratulations to The Rock for another epic event, and to all the musicians who secured spaces in the top spots. It was a night to remember!
Were you there at Spark Arena for this brilliant rock gig? Or have you seen Head Like A Hole, Racing, Villainy or Devilskin perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note: [AD] Live Nation / The Rock provided passes to Ambient Light to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission.
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I was there and it was the best way to celebrate my 30th birthday. They are all legends for hosting and organising an epoc night