Local Listens #13: Cross St Music Festival

LOCAL LISTENS | COLUMN | REVIEW | WHENUA | TOUCHING GRASS

Written by Sophie Albornett (she/her) | @sophiealbornett | Contributing Writer

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Written & edited Liam Hansen (they/them) | @liamhanse.n | Editor-in-Chief

Karangahape Road is synonymous with many things: a thriving queer nightlife, great food, quirky shopping, but above all, its role as the epicentre of our musical talents. Whether it’s through musical homages to the street’s institutions (Vero-oh-oh-na) or its iconic venues, Karangahape continues to be a hub for our young homegrown talents. In a time where our current government is making it clear how little they care to support the arts, creative communities are fighting back the best way they know to – by having a good boogie on a Saturday night.  

Cross Street Music Festival was created in 2018, but feels more topical than ever on its seventh year in. The festival’s all about exploring the rhythms of New Zealand's cultural identity through the universal language of music, and they couldn’t have it more on the head with this year’s lineup. As someone who annoyingly answers the question, ‘What music do you like?’ with ‘Oh, a bit of everything!’, I love a gig where I can tip my toes in as many genres and cultures as possible. Acts spanned across indie pop, rap, rock, R&B, electronic/dance and countless more subgenres. The crowd mirrored this diversity – from girls in their Glassons ruffle shorts and cowboy boots to men in their finest 3 Wise Men business casual, all shoulder-to-shoulder grooving. The latter dancing harder than you might have wrongly assumed!

- Sophie Albornett

With the skies overcast and a crew relieved that the slight rain Auckland felt earlier in the day was brief and minor, Big Sur kicked off with their aptly moody alternative-country crooning as punters trickled into Cross Street. These guys have been killers of the Tāmaki Makaurau indie scene since their emergence midway through 2023, often being the sole country group that gets regularly played on student radio and bridging a gap between the alternative and country scenes of Aotearoa in ways the music community hasn’t really seen before. The five-piece played tracks from their EP ‘Black Mountain’, released in October of 2024 to acclaim and a nationwide tour. Singer/songwriter Niamh Pritchard, sporting a Palestine tee, called attention to their focus on resistance in the lyrics and approach to their music - be it for Gaza, Aotearoa, or Ireland. Fitting, considering one of the tracks from ‘Black Mountain’ largely utilising the Gaelic language. 

Next up was Mammalien, the freak-folk brainchild of Joshua Worthington-Church. If the name sounds familiar, you’ve likely seen him conducting the hectic and brilliant Exploding Rainbow Orchestra or playing guitar for Princess Chelsea’s band The Dream Warriors sporting a hi-vis vest and a very well kept mullet. While his solo project isn’t necessarily new, having early gigs dating back as far as 2018, the band has kicked themselves into high gear in the last year or so with the release of singles “I’m Tired” last year and “I Don’t Want to Live on This Planet Anymore” a few weeks ago. The music sounds just as eclectic as you’d expect. Worthington-Church and co combine synths, jangly guitars, gang vocals and saxophones to create a cacophony of art-pop noise and glee. 

There were a couple spaces around Cross Street designed to keep punters occupied between sets. Knees TVs had set up a little booth of old televisions with linked cameras - essentially selfie bait, but I’m no better than anyone else when an opportunity for a cool photo arises. Within the same booth was a little fighting game setup, while various other picnic tables and bean bags were placed around the festival site to add a very welcome option for anyone wanting to rest their legs or disconnect from the chaos for the moment. However, the Rave Cave was going strong for anyone who wanted to keep moving, with Monogy.my DJing to a crowd that was cramped but having a great time. 

Dateline was one of my most anticipated acts of the night, having interviewed them last year off the back of the release of ‘Choose Me’, the debut single from their wonderful sophomore record ‘It’s All Downhill From Here’. I’ve seen them once since their early 2024 tour, as they kicked off Eyegums ‘Great Sounds Great’ festival down in Pōneke shortly before the album was released in full last Spring. That performance gave a taste of the record's amplified, faster sound compared to the group's debut, with an immensely strong dynamic range and a refinement of the grunge-influenced indie-rock the four-piece had become known for. Cross Street was no different - with the guitarists of the band, Katie Everingham and Reuben McDonald armed with what I’m ninety percent sure were the borrowed guitars of Jonathan Pearce and Liz Stokes. They were back in full force here, belting out tracks from both EPs with an irreverence and confidence only held by a band who has toured these songs up and down the motu for months. 

Queenstown-born pop singer/songwriter Blake took a more chilled approach to the Cross Street stage, utilising a mixture of live drums and bass against backing tracks to simulate a performance of her usual bread and butter - pretty, positive and fun dance-pop. While the lack of a full band was missed, Blake and her two piece band made up of bassist Nat Hathaway and Thom Boynton made do with what they had, with the core rhythm acting in sync with each other as Blake worked alongside the backing tracks to captivate the audience. A special shout out goes to the track “Red Hearts”, a bouncy, fun track that earns its wonderfully danceable energy through a tried and true formula Blake has made her own. 

Lastly before the reviewers switched over, I caught Lips as the sun started to filter out and the crowd became truly packed. This band, or at least singer/pianist Steph Brown, was the best at sticking to the nights ‘Out Of This World’ theme, with Steph sporting a bright green shawl of sorts to make her presence unmissable on stage. Kat Tomacruz, who had played and sang as a part of Mammaliens set earlier in the night, subbed in for Maude Morris on guitar while the rest of the band - Ruby Walsh on bass, and Fen Ikner on drums - returned for their first set of 2025. The band were hot off of the release of ‘The Wolf’, their single with E From Eels last Halloween, and carried the tracks some frenetic energy to their live performance. The band also teased some new material, coming off of their upcoming album centered around privacy and the way the internet is affecting the way we interact with each other. We’ll unfortunately need to stick to their social media for the moment to see how they’ll roll out the new record - but they’re planning on finding a way to release it without relying on the very programmes they’re criticising. However the next record is released, I’ll be waiting for it with open arms.

- Liam Hansen

Narrowly missing Lips, the indie-pop, Taite Music Prize-nominated heavyweight, I walked into a dance floor commanded from above; DJ Steve Oxton looked down on us from the nearby Wilson Parking lot, keeping the energy going between set changes. I found this a refreshing change compared to the usual awkward shuffle-Spotify-for-10-minutes-while-we-do-the-set-change, and a great use of the space.

My three highlights of these 10-minute parties:

1. Dropping TV Off immediately after Lips’ final song, indie-pop ballad straight into the battle-cry producer tag. 

2. Going from Run the World (Girls) into Walking on a Dream. I laughed at first, but then I was dancing ‘cuz it worked!

3. Firing off air horns at any point during The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Pōneke’s own Sea Mouse slid in to ease the hole left in my heart while I’m not at a $10 gig in Welly (I miss you, San Fran). The bluesy-rock-and-roll trio kicked off with an unreleased track, and boy, did they kick off. They leapt into each song as if they hadn’t just given their all on the last, not talking to us much, busy being vessels for the music. The lead’s falsetto shrieks almost gave Prince, or, as my friend put it, ‘if Van Halen did blues’. A nod to their forefathers with a Hells Bells riff-off; an off-the-chain drum solo that almost cost them a cymbal; funky bass lines; the energy was all gas, no brakes without burning out too early, and finishing far earlier than it felt like they should’ve. 

For those looking for dedicated boogie time, the Rave Cave brought the Berghain vibes (albeit, much smaller). Lil Bok Choy was one of three who manned the decks at the end of a dark, mysterious tunnel – probably just a carpark space – enveloped in red light and disco ball shimmer. If you’ve been lucky enough to snag a ticket to one of NYMPHO’s club nights, you'll know what to expect – check your genres at the door, we’re playing anything that gets you moving. She effortlessly took us through electronic, a bit of hyperpop, the kick drums of Jersey club and the thundering bass of Brazilian funk, with not a still person in sight. 

Walking out of the cave, we were slammed with the sounds of Zee a.k.a WHO SHOT SCOTT, the Iraqi-born, Aotearoa-raised alt-hip hop artist/producer. Think Joey Valence & Brae

or Beastie Boys; Bouncy beats, punchy drums, some rock influences, and overall a very 90s vibe. The ping-pong of energy between him and his MC reminded me of Doechii and DJ Miss Milan which I loved – carrying the whole show yourself is hard! Get your friend in the mix! Standout moments included Zee running into the middle of the crowd and injecting it with energy, and a rogue unicorn inflatable diving in from the carpark into a short-lived crowd surf.

As the skies darkened, the ball of energy I had seen weaving through the crowd finally hit the stage. With her 2024 release ‘Safar’ ranked at #11 on Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s Top NZ Albums of 2024, CHAII was my most anticipated act. Even if I didn’t know that, the introduction of a saxophone and flute quickly piqued my interest, her set-up being the most instrumentally diverse of the evening. The Persian-Kiwi blends the sounds of her motherland with hip-hop, electronica, pop, and a little R&B at times – the point is, it sounds awesome. Coming off the heels of international shows, her bubbly yet unshakably confident essence proved why she’s one of our top musical exports. Diving between Farsi and English, the set was a beautiful, authentic expression of Cross Street’s ethos and a delight to end my night on. 

While it’s easy to get caught up in our favourite international acts when they finally grace our shores, we shouldn’t forget about the plethora of local talent we’re spoiled with. It was clear this night was a labour of love on all ends, from the performers, to the MC, to everyone in the crowd cheering, singing and yelling exactly when they were told to.  Ultimately, these gigs are for the people, with plenty of koha/subsidised tickets for us students and a genuinely pleasant, safe environment to get amongst. Above all, the music’s good! So, maybe when the refund from certain recently cancelled concerts hits and you don’t need it for this week’s AT top-up, give UnderTheRadar (or Debate’s very own gig guide) a geez for something new. Or better yet, stop by Cross Street next year!

- Sophie Albornett