Them Crooked Vultures, Wellington 29 January 2010

This show was about timing. I was in time to miss the support and entered the TSB arena after queuing for a little while. On the way home I found out that the support band was Cairo Knife Fight, who I hate on the basis that there is a worthwhile Wellington band called Knife Fight, they aren't even Egyptian and any band with a place name in any part of their chosen label truly isn't worth anybody's time.

I'd wondered how this concert would fare sandwiched between two AC/DC concerts. However I needn't have worried as the crowd was close to the TSB arena's capacity and the famed threesome walked onstage and Josh Homme announced, "We're AC/DC". Later in the piece he stated, AC/DC the night before us and AC/DC the night after us. That's fucking perfect in my book".

Them Crooked Vultures ran through most of the songs from their debut with Homme sometimes changing guitars and John Paul Jones often changing instruments as the crowd moved like a monolithic writhing sweating beast on heat. This really only changed for the laidback lounge psychedelia of "Interlude with Ludes" and Josh Homme proved his right to the Ginger Elvis tag as John Paul Jones stole the show with the keytar. In his rightful place behind the drums, Dave Grohl was the beating pulse and kept in perfect time except for making an error when a count-in was needed. Guitarist Alain Johannes held his own with the group's better known members and even heartily cheered when he soloed. It was clear that this was a group who are very comfortable playing together. Watching the interplay between the members made "Mind Eraser, No Chaser", "Dead End Friends" and "Reptiles" highlights.

Homme stated that, "Wellington was their best audience and before that it was Melbourne". He acknowledged most performers are dicks because they say that all the time and admitted to being a dick. I enjoyed being in the audience and compared to AC/DC the previous night, it was clear that this show was more about the music than the stageshow. In contarst to most bar shows it was all over before 11:00 p.m which was great for me but probably bad for anyone used to the late stars and finishes of most bar shows.