Gig Review: The Veils @ Meow Nui, Wellington – 22/03/2025

Tonight The Veils returned to the Capital to bring us tunes from their new album, Asphodels. It was a chance for many to catch a band, and their lead singer and main man, Finn Andrews, at the height of his song writing powers. We were in for a night of life, much death and destruction, hope and despair. Bring it on.

People on the door told me there’d be 250-300 punters in tonight. It felt like more. There was plenty of room to move around comfortably but no obvious pools of empty space. With a capacity house of 1000 you can feel overwhelmed, drowning in people. But tonight’s numbers were just right for the type of band performing. And that made the gig feel intimate and inviting.

Starting 15 minutes early, Mystery Waitress quietly began with material from their album Bright Black Night, starting slowly with the title track. The band trade in simple, slick and jangly student union rock-pop, punctuated with shade gothic tones on numbers like Hospital and raucous melodies of Tiger. Both, which I think I heard in the set.

It seemed only Olivia Campion on drums was doing any rigorous mahi. Tessa Dillion gingerly hovered at the mic, taking the lead vocals role. Xanthe Rook (bass guitar) – in a fabulous mohair top , by the way – and James Morgan providing the hooks on lead guitar, seemed mostly glued to their spots yet the energy through their amps seemed electric in contrast.

I’m not sure if it was their ‘thing’ or nervousness, but the quartet barely moved at all, their fingers gliding over the strings with the tiniest of motions. Yet the sound was epic at times, taking full advantage of the amplification.

The songs of Mystery Waitress are the fruits of songwriter and rhythm guitarist Tessa Dillon’s labours. Whilst delivered gently, her material has true conviction. I wanted her to come across stronger. I’m not sure if it was the mix or the band and her delivery, but her vocals were award and muddy. So, I missed the lyrics of fabulously souring Mountain and much of the cleverness in the jazzy-cum-pop of In A Shell. Their high streamer Nightbug also found its way into the set.

I like Mystery Waitress. I love their music. It’s unique, alternative, grungy, and yet familiar. I’m looking forward to seeing them develop on stage as their experience grows, especially on these high profile stages.

It seemed like deja vu. Only a week before I’d seen The Veils on the Bowl Of Brooklands Stage at WOMAD Aotearoa. Under a blood red moon, Finn Andrews (piano, guitar, vocals), James Duncan (Bass), Dan Raishbrook (guitar), Chris O’Connor (drums) and backed by the NZTrio opened the Festival. Seven days later the very same band (this time with regular tour collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Dave Khan replacing the trio) played at the Capital’s newest gig space, Meow Nui, under blood red lighting.

It was that lighting that created a warm, sometimes womb-like ambience during songs like folky and prophetic number The Tree of Life and the gentle Rings of Saturn, both from the new album, Asphodels.

In other moments that flood of crimson and black made the mood threatening and foreboding, especially during. Other times, especially during songs like the very Cave-esque Here Come The Dead and the literal fire and brimstone preacher onslaught of Jesus For the Jugular – appropriate given we were all gathering on the previously consecrated soil of a former Salvation Army citadel.

It also seemed like a moment of coincidence when I saw Dave Khan take up his violin, after hearing him on radio earlier in the afternoon talking about touring with Finn and crew. He put down his efforts to reproduce the beautiful string arrangements created by Victoria Kelly for the new songs from Asphodels but, honestly, I think he enhanced them for this dark, dingy club environment. Sure one violin can’t replace the pure magic of the NZTrio. Instead, he added a touch of Blixa Bargeld restrained menace to some of these songs. There was a great sparing and interplay between Dan Raishbrook (guitar) and Khan during the high energy moments.

Almost in recognition of this former House of God, the band all slip on quietly as the strains of a rousing recording of Les Baxter and Will Holt’s Sinnerman performed by voices from an old time spiritual group.

Finn started softly at the grand piano, with the sweet, yet disturbing Mortal Wound, the sweetness of The Dream Of Life and ‘yet another dong about death’, The Ladder (the ancient Greek mythical bridge between life and the underworld). Moving up in mood, O Fortune Teller had a slight air of carnival darkness about it. Do we really want to know what’s coming next? And the unspoken question: how will we deal with the answers?

Moving to centre stage, Finn picks up his electric for a deliciously anxious, grungy Swimming With The Crocodiles. The audience are now swaying with nervous recognition. Birds is beautifully done.

Not Yet is a thundering freight train of evil with the drums and bass cantering down the tracks, blood splashing indiscriminately in its wake and Khan’s violin howling like a demented banshee. A brilliant highlight.

We are only a minute into the barrage of Here Come The Dead when the band stop and, Finn looks to an incident at the front of the stage where someone has fallen, perhaps fainted. He’s empathetic, checking that the punter is ok. Security have moved over to provide first aid. Fortunately, it was just ‘a turn’ and the individual eventually moves off to the side to recover. No harm done.

Looking to carry on, Finn moves back to the piano and announces: “I’ll just play something a little bit more relaxing.” He plays Rings of Saturn with just a touch of benevolence. Finn’s personality often exudes the caring of a parent after a child’s fall or injury. It’s this side we see now and it’s endearing to the crowd, many who are parents themselves, I think.

“Back to hurting you with sound”, Finn acknowledges as he moves back to the centre stage to start …Dead again. And it is a full-on assault, full Cave and NIN rolled into a single tune. On violin Khan and Raishbrook on guitar provide the sniper fire with Duncan on bass and O’Connor backing up with the artillery barrage.

The mood is lighted by the buoyancy of A Birthday Present (from the Nux Vomica album), and then the quietly confident title track from Asphodels. That one finishes to pin-drop silence. In awe we are, it seems. Then polite applause. “You are rowdy, yet reverent,” Finn quips, “Quiet appreciation. Haha.”

Next is Finn’s personal favourite from the new album. And Mine. It’s Concrete after Rain. One of the most beautiful numbers. It always reminds me of that scene from ‘American Beauty’ with the plastic back swirling around in a windy corner. The simple beautiful moment in the chaos of the modern world. O’Connor accompanies with a tick on the rim of his snare following a sparse bass line and some melancholic slide from Raishbrook.

In contrast the gothic strains of No Limit of Stars feels almost darkly victorious. Sit Down By The Fire tempers the vibe before the finale. A ranting eucharist of nervousness anxiety in Jesus for the Jugular. The song howls like a tempest in a wall of sound swelling to its devasting climactic conclusion.

The band take their leave but Finn is soon back, mumbling that he’s the one that never gets a break. But it’s with genuine gratitude that he performs at the Gran a delightful, very English version or The Tide That Left and Never Came Back and a gentle Nux Vomica.

Khan pops back to help out on Axolotl, his violin screeching with malevolence and Finn banging the bass notes on his keyboard as if he’s trying to shake down the roof with the vibrations. It was like the stomping of giants, the echoes ringing around the high beamed rafters – a beautiful and fitting end to the night’s proceedings.

During the night, Finn told his audience how special it was to be back in the Capital. That he hoped to be back for 10 more album tours. Then he stopped himself. “Oh, No. That means only 10 more shows here.” Based on tonight, I hope we see way more than that!

Photo Credit: Stella Gardiner
The Veils Photo Gallery
Mystery Waitress Photo Gallery