August 16, 2021

Concert Review: The Hellbilly Hop at The Thirsty Dog, August 14, 2021

Hellbilly Hop! Saturday night was time to put your cat clothes on and get down to some serious rockabilly… NZ style.

Rockabilly, psychobilly, call it what you want, it’s all rock and roll to me.

The mood was festive on this Saturday night at Auckland’s Thirsty Dog…some were dressed to the nines…poodle dresses and embroidered cowboy shirts…others (like me) look like they just rolled out of bed…but all were ready to rock.

Of the three bands on the night’s bill, it was Durty Murdur, up first, who seemed to best embrace the theme of the night. If the outfits didn’t grab you (loved the “grass” skirt”) the music would. They set the tone with a version of they old Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee complete with a tribal stomp. Another early highlight was their version of Wooly Bully. Check the video clip to observe their dance moves.

Then Tony Daunt and The Dauntless took over and took the room on a slightly different musical trip, playing a set of tasty originals.

And taste was wonderfully absent from Deadly Sam’s set…the duo started with The Ramones and went wherever the hell they wanted from there…at one time going from Eddie Cochran’s 20 Flight Rock (billed as the greatest song ever written) to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song to Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance. If that don’t get ya hoppin’ on a Saturday night, nothin’ will!