08/03/2026
Full Metal Orchestra
Live at Bowl of Brooklands
7 March 2026
Live Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
The Taranaki Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Tom Rainey, took their places alongside the rock musicians. This hybrid ensemble, strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion sharing the same stage, formed the beating heart of Full Metal Orchestra.
The pre show blast of Bohemian Rhapsody sent the crowd into delirium before Toogood kicked things off with “Enter Sandman.”
It was instantly clear why metal and orchestras belong together.
The symphonic swells elevated the song into something cinematic, transforming the familiar riff into a thunderstorm of sound.
Next up, Skulander returned in a skeletal black outfit to belt out “The Number of the Beast,” proving once again that her voice could peel paint off the amphitheatre walls.
When the opening chords of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” rang out, originally by Guns N’ Roses, the crowd erupted into a mass sing along that felt less like a concert and more like a national sporting event.
One of the evening’s most magical moments came during “Nothing Else Matters,” when Skulander asked the audience to raise their phone lights. Thousands of glowing screens illuminated the Bowl like a constellation.
Elsewhere, Milan Borich delivered a strong performance but spent too much time crouched at the front of the stage, fantastic for the first row, less so for the thousands behind them.
Then the legend arrived.
When Phil Rudd walked onstage the crowd erupted. The band launched into “Thunderstruck”… and immediately had to stop and restart after a technical hiccup. Rudd shrugged off his jacket after the first song like a man settling in for a long night.
Not everything ran smoothly. Video effects sometimes overwhelmed the stage, and monitor issues forced a restart during “Master of Puppets.”
But here’s the thing about rock concerts: perfection is overrated.
Watching Toogood sing that Metallica classic with obvious passion, even after a false start, felt more real than any flawlessly rehearsed show.
And then came the moment that stole the night.
Skulander’s rendition of “Sober” by Tool was breathtaking. She hit the towering final notes with apparent ease, sending shivers through the audience.
Concerts aren’t just about the performers. They’re about the little communities that form in the audience.
At one point I met two gorgeous ladies, Laura and Kate, partners of musicians onstage, who were equally fascinated and amused by the parade of staggering drunk punters weaving around us.
I’ve never quite understood why someone would spend good money on a concert ticket only to drink themselves into oblivion. But each to their own.
Later I ran into two fans Lyana and Alistair, who summed up the night perfectly. “The orchestra gives the music a fullness you don’t normally hear,” Alistair said. “It’s huge.”
If there was one universal verdict from the crowd, it was this: being close to the stage was worth every dollar.
From the front, the experience wasn’t just musical, it was physical. The drums shook the ground, the guitars buzzed through your chest, and the orchestra wrapped everything in cinematic grandeur.
By the time the final chords faded into the Taranaki night, the damp grass was littered with empty cups, hoarse voices and satisfied grins.
Full Metal Orchestra isn’t a polite concert. It’s a glorious, slightly chaotic spectacle where classical elegance and metal aggression collide head on.
And on this night at the Bowl, that collision sounded absolutely magnificent.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
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Link to the full review here:
https://writesaidpaul.com/home/blog/7725206/full-metal-orchestra-d343c32e-f45a-4038-adb8-c5c020c76e4b?fbclid=IwY2xjawQaAi9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzU1FtSllBWUd0TVhHUVFUc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnCmj7DQcfXDVVrUjQouOHl5i83ppCBDhf7T8OPlPfEEc3OVNCTxPZQNnDDA_aem_gTnh_nqYUNSoMmzno9QBVA
