Gig Review: Valley Kids
HiViZ JamZ launched their Livestream Studio with Valley Kids on 7th April 2022 and the anticipation in the room was electrifying. Valley Kids have such a polished sound and were an absolute dream to work with; so easy-going, professional, and so well-prepared. We couldn’t have picked a better band for our launch, and we were very happy to give them a platform that showcased them so well and did their sound justice.
Thomas Te Taite was mixing the live sound which was one of the standout features of the night; just how true and well-balanced the sound was, both in the room and on stream. The use of perfectly-placed delays on the vocals, for example, show how intimately well he knows the set. Being their full-time sound man, he knows how to best enhance their performance.
Kicking off the show with their opening piece simply called “Intro” (perhaps a working title?) Valley Kids soon had the room whipped up into a stratospheric level of lift-off. Their sound is epic, the excitement in the room is palpable, on the big stage this intro will be MASSIVE! The futuristic-sounding synthesizer creates a modern new sound, while the clever use of the PS1 sample blends a sense of nostalgia into it.
And that’s what strikes me, and several others I spoke to after the show, is the band’s ability to blend a range of sounds together in a way that not only works, but freaking rocks! Synth-heavy, bass-heavy and rock guitar filthy. From grit and crunch to psychedelic soundscape, this band hit every sweet spot … and some you didn’t even know you had.
But oh my gosh the vocals … Nai’s smooth and full R&B styles, switching up the flavas and nailing each different style perfectly, the vocoder effects on Ihaka’s rap pieces, but when those harmonies kick in … that’s the wow moment. That’s when you realise these guys are the real deal. And so many of these tracks have number #1 hit written all over them.
Stand-out personal favourites for me, well it’s actually hard to pick, but I would definitely go with reggae anthem “Which Side” with it’s Jamaican-style vocal and futuristic sampling, skanking it up dub-styles with the double-time party vibes in the bridge, and finishing out with the memorable catch cry “Out in the street they call it murder”.
My next personal fav would be “Talk About” because of it’s great message, especially for young men – “You just gotta talk about what’s goin’ on inside”. So important to encourage and be there for each other, kudos for that guys!
“Make Me Feel” also definitely has me feeling a certain kinda’ way. The memorable synthesised intro with Dan’s trippy little guitar glitter-sprinkles making the whole thing shimmer and sparkle. The rhythm section of Keanu and Pete bringing the band in on point, like the well-oiled machine they are. It’s a very catchy tune, and as a song it pretty much has it all; with the half-time breakdown and the rap, and that super cool synth motif all the way through. Love it. How could you not?
“Freedom” also gets a special mention. It similarly starts with an ear-catching synth intro that is a hook in itself, but mostly I’m loving the psychedelic guitar piece that starts out sound-scapey and then morphs into heart-felt ballad, and then into a straight-up screamer. I think this might be the one that Dan refers to as a bit of a tap dance on the pedals? The whole song is just epic, love the message too. Ihaka calmly restarts the song after a mis-start, showing how pro the guys are, and reminding us that the sound is all them. Easy to forget when you’re in a room with a band that sounds this good!
Vocalist Nai McGregor fronts the group, with Daniel “Sugar Lips” Sugrue on guitar and backing vocals, Peter Riley on the bass, Keanu “Kunes” Te Kawa on Drums and Ihaka “Hux” Tukapua holding down the keyboard, samples, raps, and backing vocals. Each band member contributes so much talent to the group, both to create the music, and to power it up and deliver on stage.
They all look great on set, each having their own unique stage presence, with Nai relaxing a little more during the banter created by the live chat comments during the set.
Performing a livestream show is quite different to playing in front of a live audience, as you do miss that connection and the energy that’s generated between the audience and performers. You also need to stay pretty much in your spot due to the positioning of the lighting and cameras. We had a small audience in-house giving them lots of love, and it worked really well to call out some of the comments from the live chat so they could have some interaction with their fans in real time.
The whole night left us on such a high, everyone was buzzing. Valley Kids are a fantastic up-and-coming band with a bright future ahead of them. They are all super good dudes, and make great music. It was a monumental effort from all of our team here, and the perfect launch night. Long to be remembered and replayed over again. We had 100 people watching live and the stream is performing well, surpassing 1000 plays in the first few days.
View the livestream performance here.
Review by Cathy Elizabeth