Jon Toogood is best known as lead vocalist and guitarist of rock band Shihad but is also a prominent and passionate voice in the New Zealand music scene, Photo: Chris Cuffaro
He’s best known for fronting rock band Shihad, but musician Jon Toogood says playing acoustic solo shows is now where he feels most “human”.
Toogood – and Shihad – were among the biggest names in Kiwi music in Aotearoa in the 90s. As well as being in another band, The Adults, Toogood has been playing acoustic solo shows for about a decade.
Playing acoustic shows provides more chance to connect with the audience, Toogood told Culture 101.
Listen to the full interview
“I love playing in Shihad, but I’m almost like an MC, I’m sort of the guy saying, ‘jump up and down now’, ‘let’s rock’, blah blah blah, but in a solo show, I can actually talk to people in a room. It’s a much more human experience for me. So I love doing those shows.”
Later this month Toogood takes his solo show on the road to Gisborne, Napier and Taupō, where he’ll “try out” some of the music he’s been writing over the last 18 months for a new record.
“When I first started doing acoustic shows, I'd play a couple of Shihad songs, maybe a couple of Adult songs and then play a bunch of stuff from my childhood, like from my brother and sister’s record collection that I loved, like Bowie and The Exponents and stuff like this,” he said.
“Basically it was a chance for me to meet people, play music and just learn how to put on a show without any of the bells and whistles and a band turned up to 11 behind me… It was just me and a hunk of wood with some strings on it, and I've got to make a show happen.
“It was thrilling to me to do it in the way that it was thrilling for me when I first played Shihad at the Clarendon Tavern in Wellington all those years ago.”
- Related: Jon Toogood and Liam Finn play live at RNZ
- Related: Jon Toogood on finding love and Islam
- Related: The Sampler - Jon Toogood and Haja by The Adults
Next month, Toogood and Shihad will take to the stage at the Auckland Town Hall in support of independent Auckland radio station 95bfm. The band will be playing their 1993 debut full-length album Churn in its entirety for the first time as a way of thanking the station for its support.
“It was so important for us as an up-an-coming band to have bfm there to support us, and even now it’s still important for up-and-coming Aotearoa bands to have a place to be played and promoted,” Toogood said.
“There’s always new talent coming through. New Zealand is absolutely chock-ful of talent.”