LIVE: Shihad with Storytime, Fremantle, 26 June, 2016

Shane | 19 July 2016 | Reply

LIVE: Shihad with Storytime, Fremantle, 26 June, 2016
The Newport Hotel, Sunday, 26 June, 2016
Reviewed by Kevin Curran

Having been the fourth gig of the WA tour off the back of having sold out The Rosemount Hotel the nights previously, it was the last gig of Shihad’s West Australian run, and a Sunday night, which resulted in a more intimate crowd out to catch the Kiwi legends at the Newport Hotel in Fremantle.

Opening act Storytime, who I wasn’t familiar with, were a ’90s instrumental band who reunited for this tour. Instrumental bands can sometimes sound a little drawn out after a while with no vocal melody, but I found myself really enjoying the set. Having huge riffs and guitar sound you couldn’t help but nod your head as they took you on a bit of a trip with their psychedelic surf rock. Although they are described as this, I don’t think that gives you the full story as at times they were balls out heavy rock! This may have been just a once-off reunion, but if they do another show and you want something a little left of centre, check them out!

The band broke their set into sections tonight, playing a choice selection from this milestone record first. Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their self-titled album, otherwise know as The Fish Album Shihad took to the stage with opening track Home Again, which has been a live favourite for years, and Yr Head Is A Rock was great to hear live.

Up next it was selections from their breakout album The General Electric. Wait And See, the awesome My Minds Sedate, the title track and Pacifier were played back-to-back.

The band seemed to ignore their catalogue from the 2000’s and skipped straight to 2014’s awesome album FVEY, which I might add was brutally heavy – my face felt bruised from the sheer guitar heaviness of tracks like Think You’re So Free, FVEY, The Living Dead and Cheap As.

All credit to frontman Jon Toogood, the crowd tonight – whether it be hungover from Saturday or wary of having work the next day – needed a little extra coaxing. Jon being the great frontman he is had majority of the crowd moving by the end by declaring how he hates Sunday and wanted the vibe to more like a Saturday. I think he got there in the end.

The band finished with the riff assault of You Again from 1995’s Killjoy album, before saying their farewells. Shihad have not slowed down in terms of energy one bit and still have such a huge sound, with riffs so chunky you could carve it. There is barely anyone else out there who have kept a line-up together as long as Shihad have and that shows. They are one of New Zealand’s best musical exports – hell, they are in Australia so much I think we can even claim them as our own.