LOCAL LISTENS | COLUMN | REVIEW | WHAKAKĀINGA / HOME
Writer: Hiri Eketone (they/them) | @hiri_music | TE AO MĀORI EDITOR
As New Year’s resolutions fall into the mediocre tune of everyday life, many face the reality of work, school and responsibilities. I for one, have jumped straight back into the throes of musicianship, with exciting gigs and gruelling band practices in store for the foreseeable future. Safe to say, my energy levels have reached record lows despite desperate attempts to make it through January with as much sanity as possible. Ahakoa tenei, my Spotify Wrapped decreed that when my No. 2 band for 2024, Hans Pucket, puts on any show I must be there - so there I was. On a warm Saturday night at Double Whammy, I stood amongst a crowd of friends and fans and basked in my yearly recharge of bloody good music.
Opening for Hans Pucket was the legendary Skilaa, a band that I believe needs no introduction as they have been making waves in the Aotearoa music scene since 2018. Despite my obvious bias with past tutors Chelsea Prastiti and Michael Howell creating the project, I cannot recommend this band enough. Fusing Rnb, Soul, Jazz and Hip-Hop influences into an unbeatable wave of sound, Skilaa represents the pure explosion formed when creative geniuses are left in a room with only their instruments and the boundless landscape of their imagination. Leaving me breathless while invigorating my very being, Skilaa filled the room with sounds that can only be described as omnipresent. Were it not for the glass of water in my hand and the collective foot tapping on the concrete floor, I would’ve truly believed I’d died and been resurrected. My highlight of the set was Solos, featured on their most recent album, Tiger in the River. Each member of this ataahua ensemble consistently shines in each tune but Chelsea’s flawless vocal control throughout this fast piece was nothing less than brilliant. To achieve such a high level of melodic understanding and execute lyrics with clarity at this speed is art itself, leaving the crowd trembling and begging for more.
Do not mistake the title of ‘opener’ for anything less than a bombshell clearing the way for the next act - Skilaa is the epitome of expression in music.
Once Skilaa had set the stage, warming our hearts and feeding our souls, Hans Pucket bewitched us with vigour, class and their signature awkward charm. From on-stage banter between the band to synchronised hopping by Oli and Callum Devlin, this gig felt more like a catchup amongst friends, where someone with exquisite taste had complete control of the aux. Like Skilaa, Hans Pucket is a band consisting of extremely talented musicians, a couple of multi-instrumentalists with a confusing overlap of names and faces. They fit into a wondrous genre of complaints made into art- from depressive statements backed by rock music to jazz-pop songs that glorify defecation. Transforming dark humour into something more complex, this band is set to take on any number of global stages, with groovy tunes that you can relate to a little more than you may care to admit.
New songs on the setlist fit in perfectly with the classics- my personal favourite has always been Kiss the Moon, from their album, No Drama. However, tonight my favourite had to be Fuck My Life. Nothing can beat the feeling of dancing along to lyrics you know off by heart, singing back and forth between Skilaa’s Chelsea Prastiti and your partner. I can’t quite explain the collective high we all felt as audience members, watching Callum Passells shred on the saxophone as the rest of the band ramped up the energy by 100%. Safe to say, as an avid gig-goer myself, there is nothing quite like getting out into the scene alongside friends, fans and musicians to celebrate and support brilliant performances by homegrown artists. Hans Pucket has the whole of Tāmaki and beyond backing them, proven again by the packed room of supporters who came to such a last-minute gig. Hats off to the band for all the work they have put in behind the scenes in the last year- we missed you, yet rejoiced as we basked in the new music you are yet to put out into the world.
There are many wondrous things to take away from this review- whether you join the top 0.001% of Hans Pucket Spotify listeners, or you chuck on Skilaa as your motivation to finish off a uni assignment. In any case, avid Debate readers should take this as a sign to get out into the scene and listen to local music. Aotearoa has the palm of the music industry in our hands, with some of the best talent out there busking in the Auckland CBD. Get out there! Listen! Pay attention! You will not regret it, I promise you that.
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