Phantom makes its presence felt
Life
They are celebrating its release and the end of an era with a final New Zealand tour, which includes a gig in Nelson.
Matthews says they are calling it quits because it’s too difficult to get together regularly with all band members living in different countries.
Bass guitarist Matthews lives in the UK, vocalist and guitarist Aja Timu calls Sydney home and drummer Shelton Woolright divides his time between New Zealand and the UK.
‘‘It’s too hard for us to do great music, it takes a lot of time and attention.
‘‘You need to do something fresh and innovative and you can’t do that when you see each other a few times a year.’’
Matthews says they initially thought they could maybe schedule meetings in such a way they could make it work, but it didn’t.
‘‘It’s really as simple as that, we’re all doing other things.
‘‘If you stay around for too long you become part of the furniture and we don’t want to do that.’’
Matthews says the third album together with the previous two turned it into a trilogy, and ‘‘it’s a nice way to finish up’’.
They released their first EP called City Limits/Neon Sunrise in 2010, followed by two albums, The Horrifying Truth and Science & Survival.
He dubbed Life in Captivity as a slightly heavier version of their first album and says their music is ‘‘good, high energy melodic rock’’.
‘‘Our guitarist Aja is doing lead vocals and he stepped up to the plate and done an amazing job.
‘‘I’ve had some of our fans say it reminds them more of the first album, that’s a good thing, there’s familiarity there.’’
It’s the first, and last time, they’ll be performing in Nelson, Matthews says.
‘‘We’ve played in Riwaka before, and it seemed like Nelson would be good to do.’’
He says in the decade I Am Giant has been alive and kicking, they’ve toured New Zealand between 10 and 20 times.
‘‘We’re going out with a bang. We’re going to make sure that all our friend and fans that supported us all these years get a really great show.’’
Matthews says they wanted to make sure they had a lot of fun at their last shows, as well as the crowd.
‘‘We’re going to play new songs from the album and all our best songs from the last two albums.’’
The band has performed around the world and Matthews says one of the highlights of the last 10 years was when they did their first gig in Poland.
‘‘There was a line out the door, down the street, and we didn’t know how we got so well known in Poland.
‘‘Here was this funny old venue, it was snowing, and all these people were here to listen to us.’’
Matthews says they are doing one last European tour, starting with a festival Ukraine in August, before I AmGiant will be no longer.
I AmGiant is playing at Armadillos Bar and Restaurant in Richmond on April 19 at 8pm, tickets $35. Nelson Youth Theatre is putting on the Nelson premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical masterpiece, The Phantom of the Opera, at the Theatre Royal.
‘‘Staging the Phantom of the Opera is a real challenge’’, the show’s director Richard Carruthers says. ‘‘All those magical moments that everyone’s seen in the big Broadway or West End versions of the show have to somehow be transposed into our little theatre.
‘‘This includes having to build two royal boxes into the Theatre Royal auditorium, as well as devise means for candles to float out of a mist in the Phantom’s lair, a boat to flow seamlessly across the stage, and numerous other magical devices that are outside our normal range of staging expertise.’’
Carruthers said he believed people would not be disappointed in the staging or in his cast’s abilities to reach the top notes.
The musical tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it.
He falls in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.
The Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show in Broadway history, and is still currently running in London and New York.
Its score includes the hits Think of Me, Angel of Music, Music of the Night, All I ask of You, Masquerade and the title song Phantom of the Opera.
It has won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. It runs at the Theatre Royal from April 8 – April 21.
Bookings at the Theatre Royal theatreroyalnelson.co.nz. Phone 03 5483840 or via TicketDirect.