Gig Review: Burnt Out Graduate @ Underworld Tavern, Wellington – 4/07/2025

On an especially rainy 4th of July, far from the fanfare and fireworks of our American counterparts, another celebration was taking place in one of Wellington’s newest venues for live music, Underworld Tavern (formerly known as Boneface Tavern). Amid the sculptures and props of popular culture that decorate the walls of the cozy establishment a crowd of mainly twenty-somethings filled the venue in anticipation of three outstanding acts in the alternative music scene of Wellington, one who was hosting their album release party: the always difficult to define, (difficult even to name), Burnt Out Graduate, who are in the midst of changing their name, (formally) to bog – yes, all lowercase apparently.

bog (or Burnt Out Graduate) were celebrating the release of their nine-track album, Stuck Like That, an exquisite album title that solidifies their commitment to the bog moniker and whose album cover reflects the poster artwork for the night also (a giant monster truck in flames and stuck in mud respectively). Joining them as support was The World is Against You, a band I had not yet seen live, and Spiral, a band I’ve fortuitously and incidentally seen maybe a dozen times in one year. All three bands seem to have a common style in music and fashion sense – an alternative music aesthetic inspired by elements of shoegaze, emo, pop-punk and an irreverent approach to true pop music that utilizes complex systems of multi-levelled irony that defy comprehension. Local band t-shirts, rare thrift-store finds, flannel, skate-inspired-fashion and satirical tattoos seem to be found on all those attending. The crowd was friendly, loud and impatient for the live music to begin.

bog played with passion and a nervous excitement to play their songs, each of the five members (drums, bass, with two guitarists and lead vocals) adding to the rich mix of textures and noises that make their complex songs sound so good. With much crowd participation (dancing, encouraging, hollering between tunes) the band played a long set filled with a few classic cuts but leaning heavily on their new recording. Drummer Billy Bathgate performed some of the faster songs at a truly hectic pace, cramming incredible fills into the tiniest of spaces while keeping the members of the band in sync with one another. Bassist Sam White commanded from centre stage, joking with the crowd between songs and almost conducting during. Guitarists Brandon Gill and Jimmy Lindsay played very different roles, Jimmy strumming furiously on a high-strapped Telecaster, while Brandon created noises from his various effects and played sharp, angular leads. Vocalist Max McAlpine, (the newest member to join after the band had already existed as an instrumental act for a few years), sung sweetly with his thought provoking and occasional unpredictable odd-ball lyrics falling off neat lines to join the next stanza, then suddenly shouting with unbridled rage at other times. The band closed their set with the same surprising song they end their album with a cover of Gwen Stefani’s pop masterclass, Hollaback Girl.

bog certainly are an odd band. Defying neat categorization, they genre hop from post-rock to pop, noise-rock to edgy post-punk, all while retaining some sweet, nostalgic flavour that reminds me of many Midwest-emo bands such as American Football, The Promise Ring or Midwest Penpals. Despite their name (different again on Instagram: @skuxxrock) they have chiseled out a niche in the local music scene as they deliver high quality, intricate music filled with clever hooks, unexpectant twists, sweet melodies harmonized with clean, sparkly guitar tones with the occasional crushing heaviness or bizarre noises thrown in for good measure.

Night openers, The World is Against You, played similar songs to bog in as much as their music has taken elements of emo and grunge, but I was particularly impressed by the vocal range of lead vocalist Thomas. The band played with a primal urgency, utilizing harsh noise to contrast with soft sections.

Spiral once again whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their hyper emotional set of tunes that rise and fall, leaving notes drenched in reverb and overdrive drifting across the venue, only to be pummeled back into shape to create another interesting wave. Another fantastic band enjoying their rising fame. One to look out for.

Overall, the night was a great success and with bog’s songs ringing in my head I am looking forward to reviewing their album in due course.