Entertainment
With the mercury nudging 30° on Saturday night, it was hard to imagine Invercargill could heat up any further. That’s when Sam Cullen, Panther Claw, and Rhythmonyx proved us wrong at the Southland Musicians Club.
Artfully washed under crimson lights, Invercargill’s rising star Sam Cullen easily impressed the early crowd with his clever, unpretentious, and well crafted songs. It’s hard to pick a favourite from his set: the subtle dynamics of “Small Town” flourished in live performance, “Yellow Flowers” shined with a powerful Sheeran/Bowie-esque glow, and Sam’s next single “The Week” was impossibly catchy from start to finish. If you haven’t already done so, check out this talented multi instrumentalist songs online – so good.
Not mucking about, Queenstown duo Panther Claw, hammered straight into a heavy drum and synth-bass groove. These guys delivered a professional and stylish set bristling with vital energy that crowd lapped up. Again it’s tricky to pick a favourite track, probably a tie between the sneering electro post-punk of “Welcome to the night” and the euphoric arpeggios of “Something in the water” (check out their fantastic music video for it filmed in St Bathans, Central Otago).
As midnight approached, those outside escaping the heat found themselves drawn back to the dance floor by Rhythmonyx’s irresistible musical tractor-beam. The sound? Tight, deep, and driving grooves expertly shaped with divine brass melodies and guitar stabs. All this propelled onwards by powerful vocals and effective harmonies. Crowd numbers seemed to swell in the heat; and soon the whole floor was a sweaty mass of flailing limbs and silly grins. A stellar night from the Rhythmonyx gang.
A special mentioned-in-dispatches must go to the hardworking techies for taming misbehaving gear and keeping it loud and proud for us all night.
Story & photos Element Photography NZ
