Watusi Zombie
31st May 2019
Whammy! Backroom, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review and photography by Sarah Kidd.
Thunder, lightning, fat heavy drops of rain that fell with a vengeance. It all descended on Auckland on a dark Friday night, a perfect storm it would seem for the arrival for Japan’s Watusi Zombie.
Inside Whammy! Backroom temperatures were tropical as garage punk band Chewy Gum were first up to entertain the ever-swelling crowd. The riff dropping trio of Robbie Pattinson, Jordan Lim and Ryan Brand, led by the vivacious Lucy Adams laid down some fresh material as well as a cover of Roidz ‘Do You Wanna Make Out with Me’, Adams vocals seeing the audience whooping with excitement. Following it up with ‘Tiny Tim’ their first ever live release, Chewy Gum had the crowd hooked and are destined to be one of the local scene’s hottest new acts in no time.
When it comes to favourite acts though it is nigh on impossible not to have Cindy permanently etched into your top five list. Vocalist Scott Brown (92) of infamous kiwi band The DHDFD’s leads a troupe of talented musicians who when combined in the live setting become the ultimate hellraising party band. Including not only James King – also of the DHDFD’s – who can shred like a man possessed, Cindy also features none other than indie-rocker Roy Irwin who can often be found tearing up both the stage and the middle of the crowd with his Gibson Flying V.
No two Cindy shows are ever the same, yet each one is as exhilarating as the next, the five piece which includes the stunning 237 on bass and Greyturent Sando on drums combining forces to create a whirlwind of punk rock that has not only seen them destroy local stages but just last year tour in Japan with none other than King Brothers themselves.
Exploding onto stage, 92 kicked it all off with ‘Dethamphetamine’, King throwing in a tasty solo as ’10 Hour Love’ then invaded the room before the audience had even had a chance to draw their next breath. The funky opening riff of ‘At the Beach’ is an instant classic that harks back to the days of Miami’s South Beach dance clubs, fans throwing themselves fully into dancing their hearts out while their souls simultaneously empathised with the bittersweet lyrics.
Crowd surfing, Irwin solos in the middle of the fans and an impressively fierce mosh pit were all features of their set last night; tracks such as ‘Hell’ and ‘Goodbye’ with its anthemic breakdown all adding to the overall unique live experience. But it is the beautiful monster that is ‘2 Star Restaurant’ that sums up a Cindy live show, the crowd howling their approval as soon as it is announced. Unpredictable, crazy and more fun than you can poke a stick at, Cindy are sweat soaked anarchy in a bottle.
Hailing from Nara, Japan, it is not the first time Watusi Zombie have shared a stage with Cindy, so to have the three-piece travel to our land of the long white cloud seemed only right. Led by Jugum Tanimara, Watusi Zombie are a sonic assault that encompasses everything from blues and punk to 1950’s horror, the band themselves not interested in truly defining their sound only making an impression on audiences and ‘disintegrating built up social factors’. Watusi Zombie want you to walk out the door feeling like something inside your very core has changed.
Renowned for shows that are chaotic and fraught with the kind of insanity only Japanese bands like Guitar Wolf, King Brothers, The Vottones and of course Watusi Zombie themselves can bring to a stage, the trio began with the traditional playing of the American guitarist Jan Davis track ‘Watusi Zombie’.
From there chaos reigns as Watusi Zombie almost turn themselves inside out, chugging out riffs like there is no tomorrow. Tanimara and fellow guitarist Anri Yaszuto (there is no bass here kids), are long time bandmates and former high school classmates who share the singing / song writing duties, their connection on stage one that feeds into their music. On drums Miyake Meguru is a flailing tornado of arms, hair and sometimes legs as he stands atop the kit and incites the audience to go wild.
Tracks such as ‘Do Shiteru?’, ‘Power Chord Power’ and some early highlights from their album Buddha Mask Experience littered their set but it was their cover of none other than ‘Bliss’ by New Zealand legends Th’ Dudes that saw a bond forged between the band and their audience, both parties singing along to a chorus that broke down the language barriers. In no time at all Tanimara was soon doing a round of the room atop fans hands, before the entire band dragged everything into the middle of the room for a finale that no one in attendance would soon forget.
Watusi Zombie may not have any interest in defining their sound, but as all parties could agree as they poured from the room to inhale the sweet coolness of the night air, Rock n Roll never felt so damn good.
Were you there at the Whammy! Backroom for this high energy j-rock gig? Or have you seen Watusi Zombie perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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