Festival Review: Go Live Festival Part 2 @ Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch – 22/08/2026

Dig the Gig winners Kenring were the first to take the stage at Christchurch’s Go Live Festival. Rather than introduce themselves in the traditional manner they let their music do the talking and it spoke well!

Their first song drew us in with tribal drumbeats and a heavy, polished overall sound reminiscent of the Stone Temple Pilots. Lyrics such as “Satan lives in a palace” reinforced the feeling that this was going to be one hell of a ride, and that ride sure was glorious! Their songs were dynamic with a hint of many different musical influences such as Soundgarden, Black Sabbath and Nirvana.

Going by the personal style and attire of all band members it appears many varied interests and influences have worked together to create an exciting manifestation of their creative flow. It’s a joy to watch Jono, Nathan, Tobey and Harvey interact. They communicated with each other on stage without words; just body language and fantastic facial expressions.

Impressively mulletted front man Jono Manning has a repertoire of covetable dance moves including a stylised funky chicken executed deftly after screaming for “fried chicken” during the second song of the set.

The only words spoken were to thank the organisers and sound and lighting crew when our time with Kenring came to an end. These young men are edgy, innovative and gracious, making this band the whole package, and then some.

The Go Live Festival is made up of four separate stages at the Christchurch Town Hall with a delectable smorgasbord of acts to choose from. In some cases, bands I was keen to see were playing at the same time so the best option was to watch part of a set and then slip into the next room to see another. That’s how I got to see the last few songs performed by The Eastern.

Formed in 2006 by Adam McGrath and Jess Shanks, this folk band has a fluid lineup of musicians. On this night they were a six-piece including banjo, mandolin and double bass. As usual their renditions were executed beautifully, charismatically and with their unique brand of infectious joy.

The highlight was at the very end when front man Adam realised they still had five more minutes allocated to them after finishing the last song. They high-tailed it to the sound desk located at the centre of the room but alas, the sound tech seemed to have vanished. Not to be deterred the band spontaneously played a raunchy acoustic number on the spot surrounded by a foot stomping, hand clapping audience. Moments like these remind us of the magic life can deliver at any unexpected time.

I had the pleasure of reviewing Caitlin’s latest release Guardrails earlier this year. Having particularly loved the expansive, atmospheric vibe of the album I was stoked to have the opportunity to see her in a live environment.

Caitlin took the stage with a four-piece band made up of spectacular musicians straight after the entire building had been evacuated for a fire alarm. She gave us a warm welcome back stating that we (the audience) were “so hot we set the building on fire.” What’s not to love about this talented lady? Each soulfully rendered song gave me another layer of appreciation for her music. Topping it all off was her beautifully tailored outfit with a perfectly balanced mixture of old school design paired with modern innovation.

The Boondocks are one of the best examples of genuine audience connection and participation I have seen. Formed in Auckland in 2022 this duo push boundaries and make an impressive amount of noise with just two instruments. I had to keep reminding myself that there was no six string guitar consistently throughout the set as the sound was so rounded it felt like there was!

Scott Parker on bass and vocals had an electric rapport with both the audience and his bandmate Branden Pritchard. At times he played a modern-day Moses, parting the audience so they could rush each other and create a wild, writhing mosh pit. But wait there’s more! Branden jumped into the crowd during adeptly articulated bass solos thrashing around joyfully with us all. If this is where modern music is headed, I am all in!

I nipped in for a quick taste of Saint Peter’s Thursday. I’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about them and was keen to see what they’re about. They delivered a high energy performance with a style that alternates between phat grooves and thrash. Anand Yogananthan delivers adept vocals which range from melodic funk through to spine-tingling growls.

Something that struck me is the fact that most of the crowd were very tall! Perhaps a steady diet of Saint Peter’s Thursday’s unique brand of stoner/ metal grooves satiates more than just the soul.

Topping off the night were Otautahi noise legends Into the Void. This 6-piece eclectic and eccentric band delivered a doom-laden, shoegazing, ear-piercing journey into the unknown. Enigmatically, they describe themselves as “a band that six people on the planet are in.” They’re more than that!

One member sits at an old trestle table with a record player and an array of effects pedals looking like a wizard concocting many of the atmospheric sounds that weave through the mix.

One of the guitarists has a penchant for facing the back of the stage rather than the audience and there was a moderate amount of confusion between songs in relation to the setlist as well as what was going on in general.

The crowd were generally shoe gazing and bobbing heads in unison although there were some anomalies such as the lady vogueing and the gentleman with his hands raised beseechingly to the heavens while bowing his head reverentially. These people clearly march to the beat of their own drummer and I love them for that!

A particular surprise and absolute delight during the set for me was Ronnie van Hout’s vocals. His varied singing style includes Jim Morrison like melodies and tone as well as ear piercing screams delivered in such a nonchalant fashion I wondered if I was imagining them. Last but not least is his unique vocal fry technique creating a sound akin to what I imagine a feral praying mantis might emanate. I dare you to enter the void. I’m sure glad I did.

Main Photo Credit: There’s A Tuesday by Nina fon McMillin
Gallery 1 by Nina fon McMillin
Gallery 2 by Rahil Uddin