I have always been a fan of ‘Shihad’. Many years were spent on the street outside Aucklands now defunct Powerstation, milling about with other teenagers after a Shihad concert, freezing in the night because few clothes were worn and we were still wet after being mauled in the middle of the mosh pit.
They were a group who would always give a passionate performance and were destined to become one of the most successful bands internationally that New Zealand has ever created.
So what happened to them? They changed their name to ‘Pacifier’. In September 2001, the four piece arrived in LA just about to record their fifth LP and make a dream come true when the States and rest of the world became gripped by terror on the advent of September 11. Because the name Shihad was relatively similar to that of Jihad (the militant organisation thought to be responsible for the tragedy) the group decision was made, and they changed their name to the completely opposite – Pacifier.
Although the story seems simple enough, it was one of the hardest decisions the band had to make – hence the fact they don’t like talking much about it. But the name change will remain as one of the defining moments for the band, and they returned to New Zealand with a different view on the world.
‘For a week or so, if Phil had got to fly he would have gone, and I probably wouldn’t have been far behind him. I’d never been that close to a war zone before. I wanted to get home to my family. That was all that mattered.’ says Tom Larkin, drummer for the group.
But as fate would have it, they couldn’t fly so they were stuck in the States – the origin of rock ‘n’ roll. Thank goodness for this because the resulting album, ‘Pacifier’ was one of the most well received of their career.
The name change is one that is a point of constant discussion between musos who knew the band before they returned from the US with a new identity. ‘As a band you grow, and the people around you grow, and you find that people move on to other things, or stop going out to shows, and you find a new group of people come in. It’s just a normal process, it happens everywhere to a band. They still chant ‘Shihad’ at us before gigs though, and I love it, I think its fantastic’ comments Tom.
The first single from the band now known as Pacifier off their self titled album was ‘Comfort Me’, a song that came directly out of the September 11 tragedy. It has been described as ballistic in sound and nakedly personal in content and reflects a change for Shihad/Pacifier.
Produced by Josh Abrahams of ‘Korn’ and ‘Limp Biskit’ fame, ‘Pacifier’ was the album that Shihad had always promised to make – ‘a glorious, melodic, metallic rock n roll beast with its heart in its hands and its hair standing on end’. And their latest album, ‘Pacifier Live’ is a double CD, live mix of new songs and old classics and one that transports me back to the days when I was jumping around screaming to the best live band in the world.
So what is in store now for New Zealands’ own rock gods? Currently based in Melbourne, they made the move before other kiwi bands followed suit (and were spotted at a ‘Cassette’ gig while I was over there). They are pursuing the rock’n’roll dream – which hopefully means a new album out soon but until then, their version of a ‘best of’ is ‘Pacifier Live’ – out now on Wea Records/Warner Music.
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