Gig Review: Swallow The Rat + Friends @ Whammy, Auckland – 27/03/2026

Friday night’s lineup showcased some of New Zealand’s top-tier talent; I was invited along to an old haunt, Whammy Bar on K’ Road, to check out Erase Everything and was treated to a wall of sound, energy, and impressive musicianship by three post-punk, hardcore-tinged, noise rock bands, each bringing something distinct but equally engaging.

Nailfile, who released their debut single, Sink, earlier this year, opened their set with a distorted guitar tone that felt almost psychedelic – surreal and immersive from the first note. I thought, “Here we go, we’re in for a treat”, and I was not left disappointed. I got immediate Lemmy (Motörhead) vibes when singer and guitarist, Ben Ward delivered his lines laced with raw undertones. Throughout the set, whenever Milon Williams’ voice entered, it added a further depth and a whole new dimension, creating a dynamic contrast that kept things interesting; a great vocal pairing.

Adam Nicholson slammed the drums with precision, his playing sitting cleanly underneath. Adam Legget on bass reinforced the tight instrumentation, giving structure to the haze. Milon’s guitar work stood out in particular, shifting from high, piercing notes down into low, choppy rhythms with ease. Their sound moved fluidly between heavier, more technical riffing and slower, melodic passages, with ambient layers always carrying the subtle distortion beneath the surface. There were multiple layers at play, but it never felt cluttered – just well-balanced. Highly listenable!

As a fan of The Bleeders, I was looking forward to seeing Angelo Munro, vocalist, back on stage with Erase Everything.

Erase Everything came in strong with Shadows, an emotive, anthemic opener that immediately set the tone. Angelo’s strong, raspy vocals cut clean through the weight of bass and drums, giving the track a sharp, commanding presence. It was the kind of song that gets bodies swaying side to side without trying too hard; my favourite of their set and definitely one for repeat listens.

By the third track, Glass Souls, the band had settled into a groove. Another catchy, head-banging singalong tune which could easily cross into radio-hit territory. Matthew Berry on guitar delivered a solid performance, while new addition Amber Beaton settled in confidently on bass and backing vocals, and John Ropiha on drums held everything together with clean, consistent timekeeping that drove the rhythm.

Later in their set, a slower-paced New Year, New Idea presented a more melodic vibe and had me singing back the emotive chorus line “We only have ourselves to blame… what’s left will slowly fade away.”

Grant Sowerby on guitar put on his usual stage presence, hunched over his guitar with an old school Fieldy (KoRn) style, moving around on his designated spot on stage and then changed things up by playing keyboard in their final song of the night, Moving Target. It’s the kind of set that’s easy to get lost in, but just as easy to come back to – listenable without losing its edge.

Closing out the night, Swallow the Rat, a popular three-piece from Auckland, featuring Hayden Fritchley on drums and vocals, Jimmy Coldham on bass and vocals, and Brian Purington on guitar.

There may only be three of them, but they created enough sound to fill the space with ferocity. With Hayden on lead vocal duties while slamming away on the drumkit (impressive in its own right), there was a rawness to their performance that felt direct and unfiltered. Their sound leaned into dynamic post-punk, pushing forward with dense momentum before dropping into slower sections that still carry a thick, underlying bass presence. That push-and-pull between pace and weight gave their set a solid backbone.

Altogether, it was a night of contrasts done right – psychedelic textures, catchy hooks, and heavy minimalism, all brought together by great sound production (props to the sound engineer), coexisting without stepping on each other.

Photo Credit: Evana Patterson