Shuffling lineups always cause an element of uncertainty. So when New Zealand’s The Chills announced their first tour in eighteen years, many held a reasonable apprehension. A hugely influential Flying Nun group helmed by frontman Martin Phillipps, they’ve undergone a comic amount of lineup changes – over twenty, with Phillipps even losing count himself.

First out of the gates, though, was Songs. They’ve been the support of choice for touring indie groups for some time now, and for good reason – they’re consistently great, and have an instantly engaging sound that lies somewhere between Flying Nun jangle and Dirty -era Sonic Youth noise. This talent has certainly earned their swelling fanbase, but it’s also aided by their recent ubiquity. So it’s surprising, perhaps even refreshing, to see them whittled down to a duo tonight.

The result was great. Singer/guitarist Max Doyle and bassist Ela Stiles (on acoustic guitar) took the opportunity to revisit some oft-overlooked parts of their catalog (particularly Keeping It Clean and B to B ) and rework some recent faves. Sometimes it didn’t work so well (particularly Different Light, which relies on Songs’ propulsive rhythm section), but for the most part it was a very satisfying set.

The Chills took to the stage in front of a very excited crowd – remember, they hadn’t played to Australian audiences since 1992. A five-piece for this tour, they sounded tremendous through the Oxford Art Factory’s ample sound system, and played with a collected cool that instantly did away with any lineup shuffle-related doubts.

While they were certainly solid, it seemed to take both the band and the crowd a few songs to truly warm to the situation, but an early rendition of Pink Frost found a magical moment in which the band hit their stride and the audience found themselves drawn in. What followed was a fantastic run through the group’s catalog, with classic singles forming the majority of a set that also touched on recent material and even unreleased tracks dating back to the eighties.

The audience showed the group a lot of appreciation. It was a diverse crowd, and newer fans mixed with older fans, some of which appeared to have a near-religious experience – particularly during songs like Heavenly Pop Hit and I Love My Leather Jacket.

The band joined in the good vibes, with Phillipps often chatting between songs, devoid of rockstar posturing or pretension. He seemed genuinely apologetic at the wait between tours, and promised to be back sooner. It was an overdue, but tremendous set from one of Dunedin’s finest groups.