Ninja Sex Party, Auckland NZ, 2019

Ninja Sex Party

17th February 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.

Next month they celebrate their ten-year anniversary, but in Auckland last night the celebrations were all about the fact that Ninja Sex Party had finally made it to New Zealand. Bringing with them not only tales of dinosaurs and friendship but the avocado of trust – a none more sacred object could there ever be – Ninja Sex Party were welcomed with wide open arms by an almost sold out crowd.

Suitably warming up the stage with their own unbridled affection of music, ladies, Japan and … ladies; Tupper Ware Remix Party or TWRP for short travelled from the future backwards through the constructs of time (also more commonly known as Canada) to reach NZ and the fans were ecstatic. Resembling a modern day GWAR but with far happier overtones, Doctor Sung led his band of Havve Hogan on drums, Lord Phobos on lead guitar and Commander Meouch on bass through an epic set that included not only killer tracks such as ‘Synthesize Her’ and ‘Life Party’ but nunchucks effortlessly twirled by Sung and a Tae Bo routine that would make Billy Blanks blush.

While Doctor Sung serenaded the audience with his keyboard and mouth box which lent an overall futuristic synthed-out sound to their music, both Meouch and Phobos impressed with the guitar skills, Phobos shredding several solos much to the audience’s delight. A Kool and The Gang cover of ‘Celebration’ unsurprisingly had the entire venue singing and dancing, TWRP matching their energy, the in between song banter between Sung and Meouch just as entertaining. Finishing with ‘Pale Blue Dot’ which followed an inspiring rendition of ‘Body Image’ (seriously ladies, listen to this song. On repeat. Stat.) TWRP said their farewells, only to return a few moments later to support Ninja Sex Party as they have been doing throughout the Tour De Force shows.

As the letters NSP were licked by the flames of fire on the big screen behind the band, Ninja Brian (aka Brian Wecht) who was dressed…well, like a ninja, appeared to euphoric applause which of course he responded to by flipping a double bird. But when Danny Sexbang (aka Dan Avidan) glittered across the stage in full length spandex and a fur lined cape that would make Elsa turn green with envy, the venue shook under the simultaneous stamping of hundreds of feet.

It may have taken them ten years to reach New Zealand, but that mattered not to the fans who embraced them and their songs so wholeheartedly that Danny seemed at times almost overwhelmed by it all; his emotions made all the sweeter by the fact that his parents were also in the crowd. Their set was an interlaced story of battle – Lasersaurus at one point himself making an appearance before finally being defeated – comedy and song, the interplay between both Brian and Danny at times side-splittingly funny.

But while the songs are steeped in comedic glaze, there is a musicianship that holds it all together; from Danny’s vocals that are truly showcased on some of their cover tracks through to Brian who impressively plays the keyboard one-handed while staring at Lord Phobos the entire time. Huge kudos also goes out to TWRP who held down double sets while barely breaking a sweat.

‘Cool Patrol’, ‘Unicorn Wizard’ and the sultry ‘Heart Boner’ were all revelled in by the fans, their cover of ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) by Dead or Alive prompting hundreds of voices to join as one. ‘Release the Kraken’ provided Brian a momentary chance to break free from his Ninja silence as he cavorted about the stage in alternative character form adorned with a green squid hat, while ‘Danny Don’t You Know’ took the night home in style; hundreds of arms waving in time to the heartfelt ballad.

Ninja Sex Party are comedy gold, their cult like status now forever carved in stone; but there is also a more important element to their music, one that runs like a quiet current under the waves of costumed hilarity. Theirs is the music of the underdog, the nerds, the kids in school who day-dreamed about laser touting dinosaurs and time travel and who grew up to not only chase but catch their dreams without ever having to forgo who they truly were on the inside.

In other words; be you, because it’s the only person you can be.

Were you there at the Powerstation for this hilarious Synth based comedy rock show? Or have you seen Ninja Sex Party perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Ninja Sex Party Setlist:

1. Cool Patrol
2. Unicorn Wizard
3. Butt Love
4. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) [Dead or Alive cover]
5. Dinosaur Laser Fight
6. Heart Boner
7. Release The Kraken
8. No Pants Dance
9. Danny Don’t You Know
10. Everybody Wants To Rule The World [encore] [Tears for Fears cover]
11. The Hit [encore] [TWRP feat. Ninja Sex Party]

TWRP Setlist:

1. Head Up High
2. Synthesize Her
3. Rock N Roll Best Friends
4. Japanquest
5. Atomic Karate
6. Celebration [Kool & The Gang cover]
7. Life Party
8. Body Image
9. Pale Blue Dot

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