Noise makes a comeback
Aaron ‘Tank’ Shirriffs does things big and a tribute concert he is bringing to Palmerston North featuring the songs of divas will be no exception.
Shirriffs has been touring his Bubbles and Beats concert throughout New Zealand and said he is extremely proud to be joining forces with Lisa Matene to bring it to Described as an adventure in sound, an upcoming gig at Snails:artist run space is looking to fill a gap with some noise.
With an all local line-up, including Undead (Ross Foise), M.O.D and Rings around the Moon, organiser Kirsty Porter said it would hark back to Palmertson North’s old music scene.
‘‘Palmy used to be known for its noise scene with lots of experimental stuff and Ross Foise used to be a big part of that in a band called Foise Master years ago, he’s local as. He used to play all the time and he’s a real character and a great musician. So we have kind of created this gig around him.’’
Porter said the lack of coverage of the noise music genre was picked up on at a recent special general meeting of local music hub The Stomach. She said the gig was a way of addressing that.
‘‘They broke down the genres of the music they do at The Stomach and noise was outside of it, like no one is really doing it. Palmy has been known for noise so it would be cool to bring back a bit of the old school scene. It really resonated and it’s a chance to play something a bit different.’’
Noise will be at Snails:artist run space on August 27 at 8.30pm. Porter said they can provide ear plugs. his hometown.
‘‘We do the huge production thing, so it’s a large scale concert. It’s tailored for women with all those big diva songs but smart guys come along too because there’s lots of women there. Women are smart because they get a big group together which is ace and they have a snorting good time.’’
Singers Pip Hansen and Jacqueline Knox are the powerhouses who will be covering songs from Whitney Houston, Katy Perry, and Tina Turner through to Taylor Swift, Joan Jett, Gwen Stefani and Pink. Shirriffs said they have intentionally included songs from different eras.
‘‘We have tried to tailor it so that if an 18-year-old turns up and a 65-yearold turns up they will all have a great time.’’
Shirriffs is known for having worked alongside some of the biggest touring sound & lighting productions
‘‘Palmy used to be known for its noise scene with lots of experimental stuff and Ross Foise used to be a big part of that in a band called Foise Master years ago, he’s local as.’’ Kirsty Porter ‘‘We have tried to tailor it so that if an 18-year-old turns up and a 65-year-old turns up they will all have a great time.’’ Aaron ‘Tank’ Shirriffs
in the region – such as Pink Floyd Eclipse and the Tankapalooza festival – something he said has turned into a ‘‘ridiculous hobby’’.
‘‘I’ve been in bands for a long time and I always liked the lighting stuff. So I started buying lights, like not good ones, and then I’d get another and another, increasing the quality as it went along, and now I have a concert worth of great gear. It’s massive and it’s really high calibre now.’’
Shirriffs will be playing bass in the band and said the concert is a lot of fun.
‘‘It’s massive, a gigantic indoor concert production. The whole point of it is that people come along and are just mind blown’’
Bubbles and Beats will be held at Palmerston North’s Distinction Hotel Ballroom on September 3.