CHECK OUT THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM SHIHAD HERE.
On a freezing Friday night my sorry ass made its way to The Gaelic Club. As I had my arm stamped on the door, I was asked if I had a +1. I quipped that “no one loves me”, only to be told by the guy on the door that “he loves me”. I felt the love.
We had a 20-minute wait for Shihad as the technicians struggled to get the sound right for their set. No matter, the wait was worth it as they swooned into It’s All The Same. Singer Jon Toogood asked, “How are you going?” before launching into My Mind’s Sedate with guitarist Phil Knight displaying beautiful finger work on the intro to Chameleon.
Toogood interacted with the audience and thanked them numerous times after finishing a song. There was such a graciousness and appreciation in his thanks that showed genuine sincerity for the support they have received for the past eight years. The acoustic guitar came out for Run, as the All Blacks flag gravitated over the crowd. Moshing and crowd surfing intensifying as The Metal Song and Won’t You Comfort Me were played. Drummer Tom Larkin wore a grin as bassist Karl Kippenburger supplied a steady stream of bass beats.
Once again another thank you from Toogood for coming, and the night ended on Home Again, with the frontman perching on the amp for some rock ‘n roll cred. I’m glad Shihad reverted from the name Pacifier, as there was nothing pacifying about their performance. It was exciting, lively and I felt the love.
