The Hipper Critters - 2010-2013 band archive site
4 of the 5 Critters plotting the overthrow of capitalism at Fred's, 2011
Formed in 2010, The Hipper Critters are a four-piece plus vocals band playing original music in Wellington, New Zealand.
Possibly the only true jazz-punk band in the world, The Hipper Critters comprises members of former early-mid 80s post-punk bands from Dunedin and Wellington and younger musicians who weren't even born when that shit was going down. The line-up features vocals, sax, keyboards, drums and a Warr guitarist - John Costa.
The Warr guitar is a hand-built, eleven-stringed beast that combines the functions of bass guitar (played by tapping the strings with with the left hand) and a six-string or lead guitar (tapped with the right hand).
Bruce Mahalski's sometimes spontaneous lyrics are full of attitude and plenty of cutting humour. Newest Critters recruits Katie Morton (keyboards) and Michael Hall (saxaphones) bring a high level of musicality to the band - jazzy but with a hard edge. Hall's power-sax playing is an amalgam of free jazz style and hard riffing.
Drummer James Gilberd is a veteran of the Wellington early 80s post-punk scene, bands like The Neoteric Tribesmen and Condemned Sector, and has more recently grown a beard and played in jazz and country bands. He brings various aspects of this experience to Critters' performances, depending on how he's feeling.
The original songs change every time they're played, with each musician working both inside and outside the script, totally in the moment. Anything can happen at a Hipper Critters gig, and it frequently does....
Possibly the only true jazz-punk band in the world, The Hipper Critters comprises members of former early-mid 80s post-punk bands from Dunedin and Wellington and younger musicians who weren't even born when that shit was going down. The line-up features vocals, sax, keyboards, drums and a Warr guitarist - John Costa.
The Warr guitar is a hand-built, eleven-stringed beast that combines the functions of bass guitar (played by tapping the strings with with the left hand) and a six-string or lead guitar (tapped with the right hand).
Bruce Mahalski's sometimes spontaneous lyrics are full of attitude and plenty of cutting humour. Newest Critters recruits Katie Morton (keyboards) and Michael Hall (saxaphones) bring a high level of musicality to the band - jazzy but with a hard edge. Hall's power-sax playing is an amalgam of free jazz style and hard riffing.
Drummer James Gilberd is a veteran of the Wellington early 80s post-punk scene, bands like The Neoteric Tribesmen and Condemned Sector, and has more recently grown a beard and played in jazz and country bands. He brings various aspects of this experience to Critters' performances, depending on how he's feeling.
The original songs change every time they're played, with each musician working both inside and outside the script, totally in the moment. Anything can happen at a Hipper Critters gig, and it frequently does....
THC 2013 - James Gilberd? Katie Morton? John Costa? Mahalski? Michael Hall?
Recordings - original songs
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Links to videos - original songs
Michael & Bruce preparing to film Photospace gig
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Posters & merch
Contact
The band is not currently active, but still, try James Gilberd on j.gilberd at xtra.co.nz You never know..
Links (some now defunkt)
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Facebook pages
Venues we like/d
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