Gig Review: Dead Cherry @ Underworld Tavern, Wellington – 22/11/2025

As I walked into Underworld Tavern it was filling up with people ready for a good night of rock, and The Favoured sounded good as they finished their soundcheck. A pole was being set up to the side of the room, which was intriguing, and I was told this was for Dead Cherry’s set.

The Favoured took the stage again and started off strong with a catchy song that had a great guitar riff, already getting the night off to a good start with their funky vibes. There is a song with some hard-hitting drums and the room enjoyed it. Their set was full of upbeat rocking songs and some great instrumentals from Shay on Bass and Laegh on Drums, along with frontman Lochie on guitar. They announced their final song of the night, and it was a real banger – literally – as the drums slowly built up to a hard-out drumming session! It was a bit hard to hear the vocals over the epic drums but it was still very enjoyable. Just as we all thought it was over, they played one last song, “that was the final song before the final song” laughed Lochie as they finished their set. The Favoured were a great opening band that had the crowd warmed up and ready for more.

Next up we had the amazing How To Human who came ready to blow the roof off the Underworld Tavern. They started with Baller which had hearty vocals from Lars. Symbiotic was also a great song to rock along to – catchy and fun. People who were still sitting at tables got up to rock out to Hold the Phone, which had some freaking epic guitar! This song feels like heavy metal from the 80’s/90’s and I loved it!

As the set continued so did the heavy vibes – I really enjoyed the drumming by Joe. How To Human gave Metallica vibes with their absolutely insane drums. I looked up and Lars was in the crowd, pointing at people while singing “Can you feel it”. The best song name of the night went to Pierced Penis Man which had a funky beat and some crazy guitars, while Fiver started hard, fast and heavy. Lars got back into the crowd, and in front of me the sound man vibed as he danced along.

Swiper is about “swiping right when you should be home with your fiancé, naughty naughty,” declared Lars before they launched into another great song. It was so good to hear long hearty rock songs, as you don’t get them as much anymore. I would love to hear these guys in a bigger venue.

Dead Cherry then took the stage and started with their debut EP’s namesake Mother, while their “unofficial 5th member” Holly took to the pole. Mother was an amazing song to start with, with epic drums and guitar, and Jodie’s vocals were insanely good.

Hold On was funky, catchy and made everyone dance. Is that some cowbell from drummer Andy? You can’t go wrong with some cowbell. Time for a cover – Queens of the Stone Age’s Make it Wit Chu. Andy primarily sang this one with Jodie assisting and he’s not just a good drummer, he’s got a great voice too. It was a very good cover and the audience lapped it up.

Jodie told us that the next song Neverland was mainly written by her dad and she stole it. It’s about how no matter how old you are, you should live your life and don’t stop. Jodie’s voice actually gave me chills here. It had a more casual vibe but was still great – I was transfixed. “Oh I wanna welcome you to Neverland”. This really showcased Jodie’s vocals and the highs she could reach. 

The next cover was Bitch by Meredith Brooks and it was a great cover! Everyone’s vibed along to it, singing along and rocking out to the chorus. Jodie said that the next track Don’t Run was “the slow sad song of the set which is good because she’s knackered after that amazing performance of Bitch“. The range of songs that Dead Cherry played were impressive, and House of Cards had raw vocals, was funky but also so beautifully written. 

They played Rocket Man by Elton John, and this was the rock version of Rocket Man I didn’t know I needed! Sharp guitars, pumping drums, and great vocals – the crowd was amped and it definitely hyped everyone up. It was fast and fun at the end, and Jodie’s voice didn’t falter.

It was Andy’s time to shine on Wench, as drums were the main focus. More cowbell, drum rolls, and a brilliant instrumental with a killer guitar riff. Andy’s drums went hard and stole the show on this one.

Jodie informed us that this next song Quirk features Holly in the music video and she got back onto the pole to perform epically as Dead Cherry played. This was followed by Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, with more chilling vocals and an outstanding moment as Jodie held that super long note! I tried to focus on the music but I’m not gonna lie, Holly took up my attention as she continued her pole dancing.

Sadly it was soon the final song. Control started with some simple guitar and Jodie’s beautiful raw voice before getting into a rock beat. This song comes with hearty guitars as it is now bassist David ‘Chops’ and guitarist Beau’s time to shine. Control is a huge song to end on, but it also made me want more, and the crowd agreed with calls of encore! 

One more song – because why not – and after a quick discussion, the band decided to play No Doubt’s Just a Girl which is a millennial classic and made me happy! Such fun vibes and everyone rocked out! We were all sad when Dead Cherry finished their set but everyone definitely had a great night, and I left in pure awe of Dead Cherry, especially with Jodie’s voice.

Photo Credit:
Dead Cherry Photos by Olivia Lloyd for Muzic.NZ
The Favoured and How To Human Photos by Andy Russell for Muzic.NZ