The Checks revelled in playing to a home crowd who could sing along to every song. Photo / Chris Melville
It was an evening of North Shore's finest when the Checks came home last week, joined by fellow Devonport boys the Electric Confectionaires and White Birds and Lemons.
From the epic vocals of Stellar to the head-bopping rhythm of Secret Drug, White Birds set the tone for the
evening, performing a raw-yet-stylised set.
The Electric Confectionaires played a tight, polished set of swinging rock and pitch-perfect harmonies.
All the while keyboardist Haddon Smith's distinctive silhouette was uncannily reminiscent of a young Hendrix as he rocked across the stage.
It was close to midnight by the time the Checks went on, and a drunk and baying crowd was thirsty for the band's blues-driven rock'n'roll.
Gratification was instant when singer Ed Knowles screamed the intro to the 2005 single What You Heard.
Tired from Sleeping - one of the band's oldest songs and a hand-clapping anthem for fans - also featured early in the set.
The boys clearly revelled in playing to a home crowd who could sing along to every song.
But there was plenty of new material as well, which saw the spotlight shine on the band as a whole and away from just Knowles.
Where Has She Gone drew on the vocal talents of guitarist Callum Martin, while Hunting Whales made the most of Jacob Moore's drumming skills.
The blues-ridden Honest Man put guitarist Sven Pettersen front and centre, demonstrating a depth of skill and style that belie his youth.
No longer the booted and suited Checks of old, it seems time in a London flat without mum has transformed the boys from 60s mod to coffee house grunge, making dank and dingy K Rd nightclub 4:20 a somewhat fitting venue.
The venue did not, however, lend itself well to Knowles' infamous onstage antics, the small platform leaving little room for the singer's trademark swagger.
Ending the night with a genuine and well-earned encore, the band proved they are, and always will be, a force to be reckoned with.
Simply electric.
