Radio One 91FM

Ōtepoti avant-rock superstars High Dependency Unit (HDU) have emerged for the first time in 9 years, their Dunedin show being # 2 of 6 shows.

The night was warmish and drizzly, Dropkicks was packed. The crowd was mostly over 40, all long time family, friends and fans: it felt like a big reunion. Cecil Turbine opened, looking all busy behind his laptop and gigantic synth with a thousand patch cables hanging out of it.

He played for about half an hour? Before HDU front man Tristan Dingemans came out in a slight huff, informing the crowd the amps hadn’t been turned on and we’d have to wait another 20 minutes. By this point it was nearly shoulder to shoulder right to the back wall.

Playing for close to two hours, they alternated between ambient soundscapes and big, epic riffs. It was so loud. Before they started I saw the drummer Constantine Karlis tell the bouncer up the front to go get ear plugs: HDU are known for that ‘in your bones’ kind of loud. The overarching dynamics of the show made it feel like an ever evolving, holistic thing from start to finish. They stopped to switch guitars or tune and have a yarn now and again.

Tristan’s performance could only be described as a shamanistic ritual of catharsis. Sweaty and veiny, his conviction was raw. The crowd was totally entranced too: lots of eyes-closed, meditative swaying and smiling. Karlis had us all hypnotised and Niel Phillips kept it locked in with his steady and true bass playing. Mid-way through they played Crow by Shellac, in tribute to the late Steve Albini. Tristan thanked Steve for the time they spent with him and for “changing their lives” (paraphrasing).

HDU are amazing and that show was a total sonic experience, can thoroughly recommend trying to catch this rare beast at some point on their current tour; you’ve got until the end of the month!

Photo by: Liam Hoffman

Photo by: Liam Hoffman

Photo by: Liam Hoffman

Photo by: Liam Hoffman

Photo by: Liam Hoffman