When taking a trip down memory lane to the greatest concerts you’ve been to, its hard to forget your first Pacifier gig. This is a band that charges with a full bore energised fury when they hit the stage. Finally that ecstatic, frantic experience has been captured to CD.
Electrically charged to make the hairs on your neck stand on end, this is a tank of an album ready to destroy all in its path, it’s a wonder the concert’s venues stayed upright after the bands performances. With a motto of ‘Play Loud’ found on the inside sleeve, make sure your speaker system can cope with the powerful chords and mad drum sets. Pacifier: Live, has definitely got the grunt, taking their music harder ‘live’ than in the studio. Recorded live at four massive gigs in Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton and Wellington, if you attended any of these events, there’s no need to explain how much it went off, or how the band sent every sweaty crowd member into a spasm of delirium. If you didn’t go, stop moaning and grab a copy of this puppy, close your eyes and you’re there.
Pacifier are, and will always be, the hardest working rockers on this planet, with this latest production containing tracks spanning throughout the bands 15 year history, including Home Again, Comfort Me, My Minds Sedate, Deb’s Night Out, plus a spine chilling version of Run, where the crowd sing the chorus giving extra depth, a new dimension and an incredibly emotional feel.
Pure, raw and hardcore, grass roots rock that the whole world is trying to copy, these guys love their audiences and its obvious the band are having a mad time while on stage. They’re the band that keeps your neck sore ‘cause knocking your skull to these tracks is an automatic necessity. Sure they copped a little slack from the fans with the name change, “stuff the American radio stations” many kiwi fans said. But Pacifier felt more nostalgic about the situation than any of us about wanting to keep the ‘Shihad’ name intact, it meant more to them than it could possibly mean to the fans. "The impact September 11 had on us was immense," says drummer Tom Larkin. "It impacted on us so much we had to change our name”. But they bit the bullet, and channeled their frustration and anger to create an even more powerful sound, generating further kick-ass kiwi music.
Pacifier is now based along side other kiwi bands such as Fur Patrol in Melbourne, but they know who they are and where their from, saving their killer performances for their home country. The Aussies may continue to try and claim the Pavlova or the Anzac biscuit as theirs, but there’s no need to protect this band, they fly our flag high.
Even if you’ve collected a range of Pacifier/ Shihad album’s over the years, hearing them play live blows the studio versions out of the water. You won’t be disappointed.
When taking a trip down memory lane to the greatest concerts you’ve been to, its hard to forget your first Pacifier gig. This is a band that charges with a full bore energised fury when they hit the stage. Finally that ecstatic, frantic experience has been captured to CD.