Guitar Wolf
25th November 2017
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review and Photography by Sarah Kidd.
If one was to look up the definition of Rock n’ Roll – one would find only a picture of the greatest Rock n’ Roll band in the world, Guitar Wolf. Last in Auckland in 2013 where they played a rather late-starting but blistering set at Cassette Nine; Guitar Wolf are back with a new bassist and the desire to melt some faces. Playing several dates around the country it is with much excitement that fans file down the staircase into the sanctuary that is Auckland’s Whammy! Bar. Such an appropriate venue for a band such as Guitar Wolf who love nothing better than to get up close and personal with their fans.
Arriving on stage just a little after 10pm, the crowd began to laugh as three leather clad, T-Rex head wearing punks wandered out onto the stage. As Bass Wolf Hikaru and Drum Wolf Toru began to provide a rolling wall of sound, the Guitar Wolf himself – Seiji – picked up a bottle of beer and promptly began to tip it into the mouth of his T-Rex head mask, not flinching an inch as most of it flowed out the sides and down his jacket. Moving to the mic stand he stretched out his hands, fingers clawed, the audience almost holding their breath. And then all hell broke loose.
If you have never attended a Guitar Wolf show, then you my friend are missing out on the most purest of Rock n’ Roll experiences. Guitar Wolf is no poser band. They play until the very end; and then some. And … then some more. Kicking off their set with ‘T-Rex from a tiny space Yojouhan’ from the album of the same name released just last year, the masks were ditched and the iconic dark sunglasses are on. High energy these boys play as if their lives depended on it, the capacity audience at first letting the music grow as they stood solid before letting themselves get carried away, throwing their bodies into the music with full force, bracing themselves against the edge of the almost floor level stage.
A cover of Eddie Cochrans ‘Summertime Blues’ was a particularly big hit as fans joined in on the chorus, the ceiling already beginning to drip onto people’s heads as the temperature inside the bar rose. Suddenly Guitar Wolf threw himself into the arms of the crowd – having previously taken his mic stand on a walk to the sound desk earlier in the set – having deemed them worthy enough of holding him. Everyone working together as one as they provided a carpet of hands and shoulders upon which Guitar Wolf clambered until he reached the middle of the room. Braced against the ceiling he screamed into the mic, sweat dripping from every pore. Meanwhile Drum Wolf was still working away on the skins, arms a complete blur as he powered through the track. Latest and youngest member of the band Bass Wolf spent his time striding up and down the stage, often leaning out into the audience and yelling expletives at them or climbing the small alcove next to the door, thrusting his tongue out at nearby patrons, never once missing a note.
Deposited back on stage in a heap, Guitar Wolf took a few moments to gain his bearings and put his guitar back on before he searched for the microphone, at first jokingly trying to attach a beer bottle to the stand before a fan in the front row quickly grabbed the mic, placed it back into position and then handed it to Guitar Wolf. By now the entire front row is gloriously covered in sweat and beer, but none more so then the wolves themselves. Guitar Wolf not content with the level of audience participation suddenly reaches out to a young man in the second row and pulls him on stage; placing a guitar round his neck he leans in close and relays instructions in his ear. What follows is a comedy of errors as the young fan misinterprets his instructions to jump on command; Guitar Wolf reaching out a hand and clamping it around the neck of the guitar signalling that the show cannot continue until he gets it right. The patrons in front frantically give instructions, advising that he needs to get down low and then jump on Guitar Wolfs command. Finally achieving the desired outcome, Guitar Wolf scoops the young man up and deposits him on the floor before removing his guitar; then with one fell swoop he picks him up again by the arm and swings him into the audience, everyone cheering as the band moves on.
“High School students” Guitar Wolf addresses the audience; “High School students – what is the biggest mountain in New Zealand?” perplexed by this random question, several answers are offered before a fan in the front grabs the microphone and shouts “Rangitoto!” “Wrong!” Guitar Wolf continues “Highest mountain … is in your pants!” he grins like a madman as the fans roar with laughter, nodding their heads in agreement. Watching these three agents deliver their form of ‘#1 Japanese Jet Rock’ music, it is with a sense of awe; not once do they slow down, barely taking a breath between songs. From their version of Mc5s ‘Kick out the Jams’ through to their own ‘Jet Generation’ not once do they ever stop giving it 110%.
By now Drum Wolf is down to just his leather pants, his traditional Japanese chest plate tattoos glinting under the sheen of perspiration giving him that ‘Rock God’ look; Guitar Wolf has ditched his drenched tshirt, however the jacket remains, while Bass Wolf has collapsed in a heap and yet he still plays; but only for a few moments before he drops his bass to the floor and grabs a second mic instead; bent over double he repeatedly howls into it before flinging it to the floor and giving everyone the fingers with a lopsided grin. As the band leave the stage the audience goes into overdrive, stomping their feet and cheering for an encore. Returning a few moments later, Drum Wolf cocks a leg up on the kit, leans back and combs his black coiffure into place; a wolf must always look good.
‘I love you, OK’ from Eikichi Yazawa has the crowd giving it all they have for these last few precious moments with these musical gods. Leaving the stage once again, several fans make a beeline for the exit, desperate to grab some fresh air only to madly run back down a few moments later as they hear the band once again return to stage for a third time. Unfortunately this second encore doesn’t quite go according to plan as Bass Wolfs equipment refuses to play ball. Frustrated he leaves his bass lying on the ground and after several loud “fuck”s he instead grabs the mic. Quickly flipping his shades back on – he is the only Wolf to take them on and off during the show – he regales the crowd with his singing before once again throwing the mic to the floor and flipping the bird. Meanwhile Guitar Wolf has decided to create one of his infamous human pyramids; pulling members of the audience onto stage – including Pic from the home grown band The Illicit Wah Wahz, who is pulled through the aforementioned small alcove by the door – he carefully moulds them into position before walking on them and perching at the top for a few moments as he sings. What a hell of an end to the night … well maybe not quite.
True to form this would not be the end as Guitar Wolf himself, the Tokyo legend that originally founded the band in 1987 in Harajuku, stepped back out, alone with his guitar strapped into place. Serenading the audience one last time with a “New Zealand, New Prime Minister” thrown in for good measure and he was gone.
This was one performance that will surely be talked about for years to come.
Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this intense rock n roll madness? Or have you seen Guitar Wolf perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
