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Last week we talked Loserpalooza. Let’s continue...
Recapping quickly, Loserpalooza is Tauranga’s annual alternative one-day music festival, now in its eighth year, held at the Mount’s Totara Street performance venue. It’s happening Saturday, August 15, midday to midnight, with 25 local bands alternating between two stages, and all proceeds go to Lifeline for suicide awareness and prevention.
It’s quite a thing. Last time I was blown away: by the music, the organisation, and the vibes. The only thing I regretted is that bands playing on the smaller upstairs stage were so good I’d love to have seen them main stage with a full lighting set-up.
I’m thinking particularly of This Is How We Die, Dead Simple and We Will Ride Fast, the first two of whom will play again this year.
Established to young
The line-up ranges from older established bands such as punk veterans Stunt Clown – still waiting for that album boys! – Threat.Meet.Protocol and Carrion Bride, to Pipeline Punks, four young women from Ōtūmoetai and Katikati colleges, previously members of teenage punk sensations Sewerside Rats and mature beyond their years in terms of songcraft.
Twenty-five bands is a lot, so let me just give honourable mentions to Wince, one of the few bands travelling from out of town, former Tauranga boys and members of Abysm, now living in Wellington.
It’s all voluntary so hats off for a seven-hour trip for a good cause. I’ve heard their music described as “weirdo grindcore”.
Also on my must-see list is False Waltons, whose album from last year, The Purpose, and recent live shows have pushed them to the top of the local pile. And one more: Cat Face. They’ve risen from the ashes of Liberated Squid, Deadman 6 and a bunch of other legendary outfits to become the first Loserpalooza band this year to have t-shirts made. Go Cat Face!
The rest of the bands? Dead Empire, Pugmen, Hyrokken, Crate of Chaos, Velouria, Meet Me at the Cemetery, Talismer, Kingfish, Six Two's, Skonk, Two Skinner, Club Meds, Eddie and the Dreamers, Hemordroid, Everything is F***ed, and Grown Downz.
For the juniors
Also, for the first time, there’s an underage warm-up on Friday 14 at Ōkahukura on Grey St, under the direction of Ryan Greenwood, artist, photographer, drummer with Skonk, and generally essential person on the alternative scene.
HangTime. Photo / Doug Menzies
He told me: “There’s been an explosion in the all-ages music scene in Tauranga over the past year. While Totara St serves as a fantastic host for Austin Cunningham’s yearly Tauranga showcase and Lifeline fundraiser Loserpalooza, its liquor licensing cuts out to anyone under the age of 18 after 7pm.
“Juniorpalooza gives our youngest and most passionate gig-goers a night to fully revel in the Loser experience and shines the spotlight on up-and-coming college bands.”
Spud. Photo / Doug Menzies
The bands are Spud from Mount Maunganui College, The Mindless from Pāpāmoa College, and Hang Time from Ōtūmoetai College plus “old-timers” Brain Squash.
The Mindless. Photo / Doug Menzies
Greenwood chose them after performances at the recent BOP Regional Smokefree Rockquest competition, wehre Spud took second place at the final.
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