Headless Chickens, much-loved barnyard strutters of New Zealand rock of the nineties, are returning to the stage for the first time in over a decade when they perform at the Powerstation on Friday 28 November.
Reuniting in the guise of the line-up that recorded their multi-platinum second album Body Blow, the Chickens camp can reveal exclusively to whoever is reading this that they have been delving deep into their rich catalogue in putting a setlist together for the Powerstation show.
Songs dating back to the band’s self-titled debut on Flying Nun and 1988’s Stunt Clown have been dusted off for a set that will feature such classics as “Monkey Jar”, “Slice”, “Donka”, “Soulcatcher” and “Do the Headless Chicken” along with the hits like “Cruise Control”, “Gaskrankenstation”, “Mr Moon” and of course their brilliant number one single, “George.”
And getting these tunes together has been an interesting task for the band’s in-house archivists. Using what was advanced technology at the time they wrote these songs has almost proved a stumbling block for the Chickens in their quest to recreate their sound.
But resorting to all sorts of trickery – including the application of CRC 5.56 aerosol lubricant to two and 8-track tapes that have been baked in a temperature controlled oven for 24 hours, retrieving computer data dumped from actual floppy discs, resurrecting old drum machines and EMU samplers – has resulted in the perfect recreation of the Chickens of old for what promises to be an incredible show.
The Headless Chickens can also announce that they will be joined by two somewhat younger support acts at the Powerstation – Brand New Math and Codeine Like Candy.
It’s a show not to be missed – the Headless Chickens in full flight for the first time in over a decade!