Gig Review: Adult Friends @ Ding Dong Lounge, Auckland – 21/03/2026

Nestled amongst the lively streets of Auckland CBD lies Ding Dong Lounge, a venue known for their deep roots in the New Zealand rock scene. Walking past the venue’s refreshingly authentic patrons and up a flight of stairs brings you to a room that makes you feel like you too are a true part of the local rock scene. At this space aptly named Dead Witch, Adult Friends, and friends did not disappoint on their promise of bringing a tour built for pure release. 

Being the closing show of the tour, there was a sense of energy and achievement in the room. Local openers Lacquered Black approached the stage with a sludgy swagger that cut through any shyness in the room. Originally started in 2023 by drummer Josh Exler as a punk band called Dumpster Dive, the band has slowly transformed to a more metal sound while keeping their origins. This was exemplified in the ceremonious opening song and uplifted arms, urging the crowd to match their energy which laid the foundations for a performance that balanced a unique sound with homage to many 90’s and 00’s legends. 

It felt as though you could see this breadth of sound being built by each band member before it synergised and came out of the speakers. From left of stage bassist and backup vocalist Sifa Fevaleaki (Joey Fevz) seemed to bring a more melodic and relatively calm energy. Whatever sliver of calmness that was created here was starkly contrasted on the opposite side of the stage where guitarist York Tait (who fell to the ground at the end of the show) channelled an energy that would’ve made Dimebag Darrell smile. At the rear, drummer and founder Josh Exler seemed to be orchestrating the performance leaving room for frontman Ari Zwitser to maintain the energy, kung fu moves and post grunge vocal tones that gave this performance its unique flavour. 

Next up, Pōneke-based band Spiral brought their self-described 5th wave emo, shoegaze and post hardcore blend to the stage with an intimate intensity. The rawness of this performance could be felt instantly in the band’s opening song Landslide as the vocalist/guitarist half-screamed half-spoke what sounded like a disconcerted confession into the thickening air. As the entire band moved with a synchronicity that can only be achieved through complete surrender to their music, it was clear Spiral were there as much for their own cathartic release as the crowd’s enjoyment. 

It was clear Spiral had an unforced connection to their roots in shoegaze, post hardcore and emo not just by their music but also their dress and demeanour. The band’s diverse line-up adorned a style that ranged from the plain yet expressive indie roots of the emo sound to the more esoteric reflection of the modern shoegaze scene. Suited in a dark transparent top the second guitarist’s reverb-laden sound seemed to intertwine through the stripes in the frontman’s top up through the Vans that stomped the ground to the point where it was hard to tell the sounds apart. This was driven by the relaxed fits of the rhythm section that transformed the chaotic energy into the aforementioned synchronicity. While Spiral have a modern sound, their performance was reminiscent of key emo and post hardcore bands such as Title Fight and Citizen but in a uniquely Kiwi way. 

Despite the stress being well and truly cleared from the room at this point it was time for the head of the S Is For Stress tour to appear – Adult Friends. This band had notably lost their second guitarist and decided that their irreplaceability on the six-string meant they would not recruit another guitarist but instead a keyboardist, Charmort (who also played his solo set next). This decision was an interesting one for a band whose sound ranged from deathcore to post-punk but Adult Friends executed this in a way that seemed to reinforce, not dilute their sound and ethos. 

Like the artists before them Adult Friends hit the stage with a hiss and a roar opening with two of their newer and generally heavier songs to maintain the energy that had been steadily building at the venue throughout the night. Despite heavy moments it would be a stretch to call Adult Friends a metal band, especially in the traditional sense. Modern genres such as post-punk and rap tend to be leaning towards more unconventional song structures and the merging/dilution of genres, a sentiment reflected and amplified by Adult Friends. With a bassist and drummer as adept at changing the direction of a song through unexpected, but satisfying grooves the rhythm section alternated between a safe base to an experimental driver of the songs. The aforementioned keyboardist found his place in the band not just by filling into the space a second guitar would have gone but leading the band down a more synthwave route that leant into their gothic roots. The frontman capitalised on all of this with an authentic performance that channelled a mixture of vocals reflecting bands like Placebo and the Buzzcocks to screams that almost brought 2005 back. 

As Spiral had been alongside Adult Friends for the tour it was clear these bands shared a connection that added to the performance. This was exemplified during the song Ryan Gosling where Spiral’s drummer played with Adult Friends and also the frontman’s acknowledgment of how moved he (and the rest of the crowd) felt by Spiral’s earlier performance of their song Grave. The set was topped with an encore where the song Bloodhail was performed with an energy only capable at the conclusion of a tour. 

To close the evening Charmort provided us with an unfamiliar yet surprisingly fitting sonic palette in the form of an experimental tech house set. The production quality created a moment of clarity hard to place between the conclusion of a night of energy and chaos or the start of something more. Clear drums and stirring samples translated well to the live speakers that had been powering through the room all night. 

The songs in this performance had a tendency to blend into one another and created a soundscape with the depth of traditional electronic artists such as Aphex Twin and the uplifting introspection of more modern artists like Mall Grab. This set felt like it may just have the energy to resurrect the dead witch herself. 

Having played the keys in Adult Friends the change of style reflected in this concluding set tied together the seamless and subtle switching between genres that seemed to be a theme of the evening. With the traditional rules of music slowly dissolving this entire show which ran close to four hours reflected a promising and exciting future for music in New Zealand and worldwide.