Gig Review: Lunar Intruder at Dux Central, 3/5/2025

Cam Buyers
(All photos taken by Welcome to the Gig by Ashlea Harris. Please credit if used)

Taking to the small Jameson stage at Dux Central on a fine Saturday evening, Lunar Intruder had a gathering of devoted fans that sung and danced their hearts out for a very special reason: to celebrate bass player Matt Genet’s imminent departure from the band after six years in order to move his life overseas.

Lunar Intruder have been dominating the local music scene for a long time now and have gained a mass of new people in their circle due to the non-stop electrical currents in their veins that also shoot through the souls of those are receptive to these accomplished musicians.

Matt Genet

Starting their set with the explosive Outerworlds, Lunar Intruder set the vibes into the crisp Christchurch air for any passersby to envy if they were not already in Dux Central.

Lunar Intruder have gone from being a great set of musicians to superbly outstanding over the course of time that I have had the pleasure to get to know them, and this is due to their ability to turn up consistently and having the drive to never, ever quit, no matter how hard the circumstances in the industry of breaking into New Zealand music are.

Staying true to their roots and continuing to play different venues nationwide has left a true charm of Lunar Intruder magic among us, and they certainly bought that with them on Saturday night at the Dux Central show.

Majestically reeling us in with their ever-changing collaborative efforts, such as getting their friend, Bex, up on stage to join them for a cover of Crush Crush Crush by Paramore for a riveting, exciting performance, shows the connection they have to not only their audiences, but how they are open to collaboration with others.

Sam Shore

Heartfelt tracks such as much-loved Can’t Stay Here and Far From Shore are a couple of very treasured songs to me, so it was enchanting to hear these live once again. They take me back to quite the old-school Lunar Intruder days, something my millennial, nostalgic-loving mind can’t get enough of. (Yes, I understand the term ‘nostalgia’ is used more for a longer period of time, but that’s how these songs make me feel!)

Upon first encountering Lunar Intruder at a backyard gig nearly five years ago, they were still fresh out of the pond, so to speak, and while they were exceptional back then, they are even more remarkable now, with years of practise and refining their sound, they’ve gone and done it by hitting every note and turning their once pop-rock momentum into one of pure rock vibes.

Other notable tracks performed were Televised Minds, I Wanna Be Adored, their own Angel and closing out the set with Off to Nowhere.

What both surprised and impressed me the most is the robustness and increase in range of vocals from frontman and rythmn guitarist, Cam Buyers. The intensity of Cam’s vocalism has come a long way and even after showing a friend who couldn’t attend the show a video of the performance of Angel, this is one note that she also commented on, the sharpness and strength gained are relatively noticeable.

The evolution of Lunar Intruder is evident, and they’ve set a high benchmark in the scene, stamping their mark in concrete that cannot be jackhammered.

Angus Mossman

When a tide wants to come in, there is nothing that will stop that tide. That tide is determined to come in, whether it’s wanted or not, and that is exactly how Lunar Intruder operate. They showcase this with each show they do, each EP/record they drop and each interaction they have.

Lunar Intruder have a lasting impact and will carry on furthermore, even when the project eventually comes to an end and that, that makes them extra special.

Lunar Intruder at Dux Central were:

Cam Buyers (lead vocals, rythmn guitar)
Matt Genet (bass)
Angus Mossman (guitar)
Sam Shore (drums)

You can find more Lunar Intruder at the below links -

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Lunar Intruder x WTTG - A Day in the Life (2023)