Talk about a fan’s wet dream – a double shot of Shihad’s two iconic albums at the Annandale, Killjoy the first night followed by The General Electric the second night – track by track, rock by fucking rock! Shihad are the best thing to come out of New Zealand since… er, well since ever I guess. I first saw these guys waaay back in 1993 at the old Hordern Pavilion – supporting none other than the mighty Faith No More. It’s hard to believe these guys are still going strong since forming in 1988 – singer Jon Toogood still looks like some kid in his 20’s, Tom Larkin is still a juggernaut behind the drum kit, and axemen Phil Knight & Karl Kippenberger are tight as fuck – impressive, most impressive indeed!
Tonight at the Annandale it was Killjoy, in all its dirty alt-metal/hard rock glory. As Shihad opened fire with their stone cold classic You Again, it was evident they were here to blow our heads off – why these guys aren’t huge is beyond me. Look no further than the kick arse triumvirate of Gimme Gimme, The Call and Envy. Excuse me; am I missing something here? These guys don’t mess around. Need more proof? What about the groovy Debs Night Out and the bone rattling blast of Bitter? Add the funky rock of For What You Burn, and finish it off with the ballsy Silvercup and heavy hitting rock of Get up – this is stadium-rocking shit!
The lads powered through Killjoy with ever-increasing ease, they didn’t want to leave the stage – not until the completely outstanding two-song encore, which funnily enough was the standout of the evening. The speed metal ditty It was just bloody marvellous, in all its fist pumping glory. And the no-bullshit rock n’roll of Screwtop capped off a cracking evening at the Annandale.
Shihad have a new album and a full tour coming up in the next few months, great times ahead for the fans – here’s hoping Shihad don’t slow down anytime soon.
