History Made: The Hellacopters, Auckland

The Hellacopters perform in Auckland in 1998. Photo / Nicke Royale

Opinion

Beastwars’ Matt Hyde saw The Hellacopters play Squid in Auckland on 20 October 1998.

I had a band at the time called Sulu; we were totally out of time - I was totally into trying to be Aerosmith.

I'd come back to New Zealand from England where I'd seen all these incredible bands like Soundgarden, Nirvana and Alice in Chains before they got big, and in Auckland dance music was everywhere I went.

There used to be thousands of people in the clubs on K Road, and it wasn't me. In a way, rock was dead and it kind of broke my heart.

The Hellacopters did an EP at that time called Disappointment Blues, and it kind of sums up how I was feeling at the time about music.

I knew nothing about the band at the time - what I'd heard about them was from an ad on bFM, and they couldn't get a work permit so the tickets to their Squid were free, which made it doubly special. It turned out to be that good.

I walked in not expecting anything - I hadn't listened to their records, nothing. I was just totally blown away that night - the excitement, the energy level - I hadn't felt like that since seeing some shows in London in the early '90s. It was amazing to walk in and hear that power again.

They opened with a cover of The Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter - how ballsy is that? They owned it that night - it wasn't a cover, it was like they had written the song. There was magic and you could feel it that night. It just hit me that I was home.

That gig was an oasis away from everything else that was happening in music at the time. It also summed up the sound that was being heard at the Kings Arms - The Datsuns, The D4, The Rock and Roll Machine.

A lot of people talk about when The White Stripes played here the first time but, to me, The Hellacopters was the one. I think they left a blueprint for a lot of bands.

Volume presents Beastwars North Island Tour
November 4: Biddy Mulligan's, Hamilton w/ Mountaineater & Arc of Ascent
November 5: 4:20 w/ Mountaineater & Arc of Ascent
November 12: Bodega w/ Detrytus & Arc of Ascent

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