Run

“On the rising tide
Rollercoaster ride
As the truth descends
You chose not to ride again

So you run
Whatcha holding on, holding on to
Run
Life is going on
All around you
Run
Whatcha holding on, holding on to”

Run – Shihad*

Welcome to New Zealand Music Month 2012! May is the month we come together and celebrate the awesome music New Zealand has to offer. I’m doing my part by dedicating the next five blogs to a different Kiwi artist and exploring some sweet home grown tracks. To kick off my Kiwi music blogs I’m dedicating this one to our long time rock stars Shihad. Run is, hands down, my favourite song by any New Zealand artist. It’s been around for a number of years but whenever it comes on the radio or my iPod I start singing along, because it’s such a kick ass song.

At New Years Eve just gone when Shihad played at Coromandel Gold and I stoked by the last minute ticket I had scored because it meant I finally got to see this amazing band live. My group of mates kicked off the New Year’s celebrations early at the beach house. I thought we had left enough time to get to the show and catch all the Shihad set. But as I walked across the field to the entrance of the concert, I heard those rocking tones of Run start up and started spitting in rage. I gave the evil eye to my friends and starting yelling out “I’m so fucking MAD RIGHT NOW!” The stranger next to me snapped back “shut up and enjoy Shihad!” to which I replied “THIS IS MY FAVOURITE NEW ZEALAND SONG AND I’M MISSING IT!!!” He promptly shut up.

There are two points to make about this little anecdote. Firstly, you now know the kind of treatment you will receive if you get in the way of me and live music. But secondly, and more seriously, it shows how great our New Zealand music is because it triggers such an emotional response inside fans. When we finally got in to Coro Gold and heard the second half to the Shihad set, we saw a crowd going wild with excitement as Jon, Phil, Karl and Tom gave a great live performance. Despite knee high mud, a range of not so fashionable ponchos and threat of torrential rain, Shihad rocked New Years Eve and gave everyone the buzz for 2012. And after the show, I conceded that it had still been wicked to hear Run live.

The month of May is all about celebrating home grown tracks, releasing Kiwi talent into the music market and proving we don’t have to head overseas to hear great music. So come on New Zealanders, get your listening mode on and your celebration face on for New Zealand Music Month!

*On a technicality, Run was released when Shihad were briefly known as Pacifier. But, as Run is an awesome song, it overrides any technicalities which might exist.

On a different but still Shihad related note, check out this trailer for their new movie, which looks awesome.