Punkfest 2001 returned to the Scottish Pipe Band hall in Wellington for the 6th running of Punkfest, the annual Labour Weekend gathering of all things punk and disorderly.
October 19, Friday
Photos: Skippy
October 20, Saturday afternoon
October 20, Saturday night
Reviewed by Matt/ Punkas.com
Labour weekend in the capital means just one thing – Punkfest. This year’s was the 6th annual Punkfest, courtesy of Ross Gardener and co, still working relentlessly for little thanks and no pay – just for the love of it. And that was the one thing that struck me more than anything else over the three days of the event this year – the fact that with all sorts of different people and groups represented, there was no friction that I saw at all. Just friendship and an enjoyment of what had brought everyone there in the first place: the music.
It began on Friday evening with the first of three shows; the others being a Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening show. The final day, the Sunday, was reserved for more laidback pursuits, including the traditional Punkfest soccer match. Ritalin, all the way from Dunedin, kicked things off. A young band, but displaying a very tasty line in near-hardcore.
The crowd on the first night was primarily the old school ‘crusty’ style of punk, with a dazzling array of black leather, patches and studs on display. Also present in a similar wide-array was a mouthwatering assortment of zines, including the souvenir Punkfest 2001 zine, courtesy of Kerry Ann Lee, Penny Collins and others, including some classic photos from John Lake. Anyone with any interest in zines, a crucial element of punk culture in my mind and a true underground medium for the passing on of ideas and opinions, should get in touch with Kerry Ann Lee. Kerry runs the Red Letter Zine Distro, with a big assortment of titles both local and international. You can drop her a line for a current catalogue at the_mystery_set@hotmail.com.
My Two Cents from Hamilton were one of the highlights of the first night, the towering blonde figure of Luke McPake one of the more memorable frontmen of the ‘fest. The night also featuring some quality hardcore in the metallic riffing of The Valley Five, as well as the monstrous Dayone and So To Speak. There was an ongoing argument amongst the people I was around as to whether the old singer for Dayone was better or worse than his replacement, but I think the verdict was that he was different, but the sound was still identifiably Dayone – a relentless, razor-sharp riff machine. So To Speak closed the night, but unfortunately I missed their entire set, as I was outside with a friend (who shall remain nameless) who had decided the most comfortable vantage point to enjoy the night was on his back in the carpark surrounded by his own vomit. So, Pete Garmaz – I never caught up with ya, and I’m sorry, man!!
The Wellington weather played a few tricks throughout Saturday, with a wet, humid afternoon turning into a chill night that had people alternating between the brisk open night air and the superheated interior of the venue. The line-up on the Saturday was an eclectic affair, spreading a net wide enough to encapsulate the 70s old school sounds of Johnny Christ, the hip-hop stylings of The Audio Vandals and the one-woman-and-her-12-track experimentation of The Sound Laydee. It was great to see Palmerston North’s G.M.C lay down a stormer of a set, with Cale’s legs-apart rock God look and Matt’s dodgy armpit-sniffing antics only adding to the enjoyment. The leftfield sounds of Sunship were also greeted warmly, especially when they briefly dallied with My Sharona by the Knack and got just about the biggest cheer of the night when they covered Sabbath’s Paranoid.
The real musical highlights for myself came towards the end, with a fantastic Operation Ivy-inflected set from The Rudies stealing the show as far as I was concerned. And the assembled masses (now showing more hoodies than mohawks) skanked up a storm in response. If this seemed impossible to top, fellow Aucklanders Next In Line may well have done just that, with a powerhouse Fat Wreck-style set of new school sounds that drew a furious mosh. It was left to Missing Teeth to finish things off in true punk style – a procession of drummers taking the stool after regular ‘Teeth sticksman David Hine broke his arm playing soccer the day previous.
Sunday was more of a case of picking up the pieces, with the Punkfest soccer game being spectacularly amusing in the wet, as footballing stars were born in the defensive rock of Tom, the flying left winger Nath and the free-sliding silky skills of Warren, as well as cameos by Donkeyscone (doing his best Dennis Bergkamp striking impression), Tali Williams, and others. This was followed by a screening of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, a documentary of Citizen Fish‘s 1996 NZ tour, and a Peter Jackson short film back at the Frypan in central Wellington.
In all, it was a great weekend and a fitting celebration of the NZ punk scene. It was about the people even more than the music, and it was great meeting names off the message board of this site in person – Hank, Coin A Phrase, Red(atron), Sarah, Hector Reynolds, Clare, Tish, Fuzz, Gwilym and others putting in appearances. Although the number of people claiming to be Pickled Fetus bordered on disturbing.
