Troy Kingi at Double Whammy
Thursday 5 September 2024
Photographs by Sofia Kent
Full feature by Nicholas Lindstrom
It might be fair to say that one of the best places to assess a gig is the smoker’s area, and the smoker’s area of Double Whammy is no exception. The freshly refurbished alley way that connects Public Bar with Auckland’s newest venue lends itself to congregation before and after sets. Tonight’s gig is no exception. As I hustled from the door of Public Bar through to the smoker’s area, I observed a line of denim waiting anxiously to secure their piece of Troy Kingi merchandise.
It was half past eight. The brief pause I took to fit my earplugs gave me cause to be thankful I brought some with me. The rattling of the alleyway walls beckoned me toward the doorway and into the riff heavy embrace of the night’s opening act, The Ideas. The Ideas are a two-piece noise blues band; consisting of a guitarist, a drummer, and a whole lot of hair. They formed a cohesive unit, producing a sound that respected both instruments and the esoteric vocals that accompanied them. The ideas' familiar sound made them a delight to listen to, a quality that was evidenced in the head nods from the crowd, which was both polite in size and demeanour. It seemed fitting that the opening band for the opening night of Troy Kingi’s ‘Leatherman & The Mojave Green’ tour was a rock outfit named The Ideas. The band set the tone for the night, it was clear that the ‘Idea’ of this album and its accompanying tour was to pay homage to Kingi’s love of Rock music.
‘Leatherman and the Mojave Green’ is the eighth instalment in Troy Kingi’s “ten albums in ten albums in ten different genres in ten years” series. The album was largely recorded in Joshua Tree at Rancho de la Luna; an auspicious setting for an album that sought to emulate the desert/stoner rock bands that Kingi grew up loving.
The merch table in the Double Whammy smoker’s area was a shrine to Kingi’s previous works. Works that had amassed the kind of avid fanbase that would turn out for an impromptu Thursday night show on a cold September night in Tāmaki Makaurau. I had been admiring the loving adorned merch table when I heard the rumblings of the album’s introductory mediation ‘Jeremiah The Blessed’.
Beginning with ‘Jeremiah The Blessed’ was an early indicator of the band’s intention to give the album a proper run-through on its first public outing. Kingi pre-faced the performance by thanking the reasonably sized crowd, explaining that we were the guinea pigs for the first live showing of the record. It seemed a worthy statement as there were a few moments in which the nascent nature of the live experience was clear. Whether it was a cinderblock falling off the drum stand or Kingi abandoning his shoes in the middle of the set so that he could control his pedal board more effectively. However, the kinks were very ironable, and it was clear from the outset that the live show contained the same enthusiasm the album was imbued with. This was compounded by the roster of musicians who had helped record the album and were now helping tour it. Kingi enlisted Earth Tongues’ Ezra Simons to join him in delivering heavy riffs full of intoxicating fuzz. Simon’s vocal expertise delighted the rock heads in the audience when he was called upon to unleash during 'Momentary Lapse of Deflation'. The rhythm section of Marika Hodgson and Treye Liu provided the perfect undercurrent for Kingi and Simons' intoxicating riffs.
The large setlist was comprised mostly of songs from ‘Leatherman and The Mojave Green’ with a few exceptions. The band deployed three covers during the night. The first was Eagles of Death Metal’s ‘Speaking in Tongues’ The cover delighted the metal fans who had slowly congregated at the front of the stage. Weezer’s hit ‘Say It Ain’t So’ was an inspired choice that satisfied the cravings of the less metal-oriented attendees. Kingi’s obligatory encore paid homage to Queens of the Stone Age, a decision that was validated with a loud cheer as the band launched into ‘God Is In The Radio’.
For its very first outing ‘Leatherman and The Mojave Green’ played exceedingly well, and the live show has an incredible amount of potential. It was evident that some of the crowd expected Troy Kingi greatest hits show. Especially one particularly persevering fan who was relentlessly annoying in her constant requests for ‘All Your Ships Have Sailed’ I guess that is the side effect of having a deep catalogue of beloved songs; not a bad problem to have if you ask me. Despite, disappointing a few people the show hit the mark with its target audience. The school of rock fans gathered near the front of the stage elated throughout the set, showing their appreciation for the album by singing along to the lyrics. However, the show isn’t exclusively for metal and rock fans. If you are a fan of music you will enjoy the ‘Leatherman and The Mojave Green’ show. Just make sure you don’t go in expecting to hear all your Troy Kingi favourites; stay ready to appreciate ‘Leatherman and The Mojave Green’ in all its desert/stoner rock glory.
Set List
Intro
Silicone Booby Trap
Ocelli
Cactus Handshake
Through the Night
Speaking In Tongues
Lizards Are The Last
Cash Flow
Geronimo
Momentary Lapse of Deflation
Hot Medicine
Mezcal Eye Drop
Tipping Point
Missing In The Mist
Say It Ain’t So
Dynamite Yourself
Picking Up Speed
The Party departed
Son of a Tan
Ride The Rhino
God Is In The Radio
Nam Must Sya
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