• Reviewed by Comfrey Sanders, Eilish Wilson, George Winter and
• Ashton Wastney

Kids Of 88 Opened by: Recommended By Your Mom At: Nelson School Of Music March 10th 2011 Reviewed by Comfrey Sanders

When I think of The Nelson School of music I cannot help but be reminded of chamber music, choirs, orchestras, large scale musicals and very talented solo musicians because, being the best acoustic performance space in New Zealand it is perfect for showcasing these wonderful musical genres. But last night I also discovered that it is the perfect venue for a rock concert. The band was Kids of 88 and they were opened by Recommended By Your Mum.

Recommended By Your Mum were a great opener. They were lively and perfect for getting everyone into the screaming, dancing mood for what would turn out to be a great night. I had seen them play once before and as they are a Nelson based band this worked to their advantage.

They were on “home ground” so they did not have to work hard to get the audience on their side. They are a band of four young guys; a base player, drums, lead guitar and lead vocals and they are all very talented. I was impressed with their synchronisation with each other and connection with the audience. I think, on the whole, drummers don’t get enough recognition and I particularly liked the drummers in both bands; they kept the songs together and were both very skilled players. It must be hard being the opening act at a concert but on the upside its great exposure and experience and these guys definitely made the most of every minute they had. 

The main band for the evening was Kids Of 88. Talking to them before hand I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. They seemed relaxed and self assured and I wondered what their vibe on the stage would be like. Their set started with very high energy and didn’t come down for a moment. They seemed to be in their element and their energy was infectious to the already warmed up audience. The band is made up of four guy members; drums, lead guitar, computer synthesiser and lead singer. Together they created a full sound and I thought they made clever musical choices, using interesting riffs and melody lines that created colourful songs. Also their music was made to dance to, with rhythms that made me want to jump!

They had a good variety of songs, starting with well known ones and ending on a high note with their most famous single. In the middle they took the opportunity to play some of their slower songs which created a nice contrast and gave the audience a chance to catch their breath and sway on their sore feet. The changes between songs was slick and overall it was a very smooth performance. The general look of the band was great, they all had a very assured sense of style, not too clean cut and but still considered. I would have liked an encore but a lot of the audience left without trying to get them back on stage, so those of us who would have stayed got swept up as everyone headed for the door.

The only downer of the night was the lack of audience. This was very disappointing but it may have had something to do with the Nelson Boys Collage Senior Dance being held on the same night. However the relatively small crowd defiantly made up for its lack of numbers by the noise it made and I noticed that there seemed to be some big fans in the audience. One girl standing next to me knew all the words to all the songs.

I danced hard to Kids Of 88 and I loved it. Now I really want their album.

Kids Of 88 Opened by: Recommended By Your Mum At: Nelson School Of Music March 10th 2011 Reviewed by GEORGIA WINTER

This was the night of Kids of 88 performing live in Nelson at The Nelson School of music. On arrival Ashton and I were taken out past the double doors and were introduced to the other two ambassadors. After sitting and conversing with each
other we were asked for a photo so we were lead past the crowd of excited fans waiting to get inside. And as we were lead  all eyes followed us. Just saying, it was pretty awesome.

After a long anticipation the doors were open and the floor was flooded with kids (and a few adults too). Recommended By Your Mom was the opening act. I found that the crowed took a few songs to actually get into the music but after that a lot of people actually got moving round and having some fun.

Their music, not my cup of full blown tea, in saying that though. I still enjoyed their set. I found my foot was tapping. And for an opening act they did a really good job in warming up the crowed. Then, it was our turn, to do something awesome. So, we got led back to the Green room that held Kids of 88.
It was a general hand shake and "Hey man, I'm Georgia" This is where we sat for the next twenty or so minutes just chilling and talking about what there is to do in Nelson, I thought while I could I'd throw in some questions.

So, the band originates from Auckland where both Jordan and Sam lived. Sam went to Auckland University and Jordan also  attended a secondary education there.

Now for the piece you really wanted to know, the show. As soon as it went dark on stage, cheers started to rise and and screams were let out, especially the young lady next to me who I think may have defend me on one side. The crowed was clearly as excited as Ashton and I were. The opening was explosive and everyone almost instantly got involved.Throughout the whole show the crowed
was jumping, screaming, cheering and yelling "I love you"

Personally I loved that they were involved with the crowed, could have been more involved, occasionally they talked to us. Also mentioning it was Sam's father's 54th birthday back in Auckland, so a very happy birthday to him.

I enjoyed the lighting of the show, I liked how the there was lights on the crowd, and flashing lights, not what I would recommend for someone with epilepsy. But for someone without, very entertaining and adds to the atmosphere awesomely.

Right, as for songs three really stood out to me.The first was "Just A Little." I enjoyed it because it was high energy in the whole room and Jordan was playing behind his back, which I thought was cool. The next was "Everybody Knows" This one because Sam got out maracas and made some epic sounding funk, Mexican type sound. Which was funky. And of course their hit single, "My House"in
which the whole crowed went mental, truly, an awesome choice for a finale. Now personally, I am not a fan of that genre.
But I actually enjoyed the show. Next time we might see you there.
Georgia Winter

Kids of 88 Review – Thursday 10th March, Nelson School of Music

Reviewed By Eilish Wilson

Feet tapping, a crowd of keen fans, (made up of mostly teenage girls), poured into the Nelson School of Music, ready to dance and rave to the ‘Kids of 88’. The up and coming band, ‘Recommended By Your Mum’ kicked the night off, amping the audience up even more with their fresh talent.

As ‘Kids of 88’ walked on stage, a mosh-pit formed and the crowd was instantly energised. The atmosphere was amazing, and it felt fantastic to be a part of it. They played new songs from their album as well as some of their older songs like ‘Sugarpills’ and ‘Just a Little Bit’. Lead singer Sam McCarthy wore skinny jeans with a Hawaiian shirt, denim jacket, and brown boots. On backing vocals and guitar was Luke Van Hoof, on drums was Jaden Parkes, and Jordan Arts on keyboard, sometimes singing, and also programming.

The audience screamed for their favorite songs and clapped along as instructed in different songs by members of the band. The lighting for the band helped to create a strong dance atmosphere, ranging from blue lights to strobe lighting.
I felt like the microphones for the singers definitely needed to be turned up, but apart from that, it was an incredible show with great vibes from the audience. It was a good idea for them to end on the song ‘My House’, as it is a well-known song and was well received by the audience, who sang along with great enthusiasm. ‘Kids of 88’ definitely ended on a good note; a night to be enjoyed by all.

Kids of 88 Review – Thursday 10th March, Nelson School of Music

REVIEWED BY Ashton Wastney

The Top of the South Arts Touring Consortium presented "Kids of 88" and their supporting act "Recommended by your mom" on Thursday the 10th of March at the Nelson school of music.

The artists Kids of 88 including the use of a computer synthesizer, Guitar, Drums and vocals completely rocked the audience out of all they had on Thursday night. On the other hand their supporting act Recommended by your mom was very low energy to be supporting Kids of 88. There music had a great vibe and effect to it but the vocals and use of there talented band members was to repetitive and it felt as if there act was to long, there use of the stage was very poor for most of the gig but there were parts in their act that really stood out such as the drummer who felt the music and played a cheerful part in the band.

Kids of 88 sticking to the genre of "pop" music were phenomenal and there were certain songs that stood out by the audiences reaction was "Just a little bit", "Downtown" and "My house". all of these songs were amazing not only because they are inspirational songs but also because the stage presence of the band kids of 88 was backed up so well with the use of lighting techniques such as strobe lights and fluro spot lights not only this but the whole group was exciting to watch especially Sam who plays the vocals part in the band had an awesome groove that went with his music and it was easy to tell that he has a passion for music that he plays and performs.

The night was set at the Nelson school of music and the venue fitted in well with the acts playing. The huge organ made a perfect background for the performance it gave it an old retro look that went with the bands appearance also the venue had some great acoustics and this was perfect for how the music was played. Nelson sure showed the Kids of 88 how New Zealand reacts to their music and how they play.

Over all the concert was magnificent and was played perfectly by the Kids of 88, their support act let them down a little but showed they cared about the earthquake in Christchurch by making all profits from their Cd's sold would be given to the red cross to help out people in need down in Christchurch. the whole night was pumping with enthusiasm and i would rate it a 8/10.  Ashton