Guitar Wolf – Whammy Bar: March 30, 2023 (Concert Review)

Guitar Wolf, Jet Rock ’n’ Roll kings, returned to Aotearoa/New Zealand after six years to perform at Whammy Bar last night as part of a six-date tour, bringing the sound of Japanese punk, rock, rockabilly and garage to our bleeding ear-holes.Tipping their hats to one of their spiritual mentors, The Ramones, the members adopt the Wolf moniker for their surname. Thus, Guitar Wolf are founding member, vocalist/Guitarist SEIJI Wolf, Bassist Gotz Wolf (since 2018) and a mystery Drummer Drum Wolf (Toru Wolf left in 2022)

Guitar Wolf have played and toured with waiata royalty the likes of Joan Jett, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and The Cramps, but the Aotearoa/New Zealand connection is strong, not just touring here multiple times, in 1999 they dragged The D4 to Japan (where rumour has it a member of the band paid $500 dollars for a pair of jeans by messing up the conversion rate) and have suffered the blight of Auckland Noise Control when they were far too loud for the middle classes.

The large crowd is made up the usual suspects, punks, a modicum of elder punters, and members of the Auckland Japanese community. It is also infested with mutated humans, the really tall ones, which made taking close up photos hard, so apologies for the distant shooting.

Sadly, RATSO drop off the bill last minute, supposedly Thursday night is hair washing night for the band. It was a pity, I’ve heard so many good things about them and am yet to catch them live. Another time hopefully.

The Ideas

First up were The Ideas, whom I knew nothing about, so was keen what these hardy fools look like that were prepared to risk life and limb by sharing a stage with the members of Guitar Wolf. Actually, it turns out I had seen them pre-covid, at a Powertool Records gig, and remember them blowing me and my significant other over. A two piece, drums and guitar + vox, they perform dirty punk and 70’s influenced psychedelic roll, reminiscent of The Hasselhoff Experiment circa 1990’s, and bordering on scene darlings Warm Leather. Tight, loud, young, good-looking and brash… watch this space as they threaten underground stardom.

Guitar Wolf

Ramones playing before Guitar Wolf take the stage. Check!
Dual beer sculling on stage. Check!
Audience members at the front waiving a Japanese flag. Check!
Guitar Wolf members strike a Rock ‘n’ Roll pose. Check!
SEIJI Wolf growls out “Rock ‘n’ Roll” in a heavy accent. Check!
Guitar Wolf onstage sound-check jam. Check!

“Let’s do “Rock ‘n’ Roll” as Guitar Wolf dressed in their obligatory Rock ‘n’ Roll leather jackets and sunglasses after dark launch into a 50’s style Link Wray/MC5 song for first their first tune. Through an hour plus set, that vibes between Dead Kennedys circa 1980’s American Punk to a darkened and gruff version of Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues, there is an amazing and amusing dialogue and interaction between band and audience. SEIJI Wolf at one stage rails audience members at the front about having a girlfriend or boyfriend. But in his thick accent he reverts (resorts) to Japanese-English, much to the delight of Japanese-speakers in the crowd.

The energy level through the show is extreme, music and actions on stage in duality, and the crowd at the front is in bliss (another reason for distant photos) Towards the end of the show Guitar Wolf play a magnificent run of songs, a Led Zeppelin flavoured tune (actually it could’ve been a Led Zeppelin song, but reinterpreted by the band), a blues-rock jam song was a definitely a personal highlight, an almost grunge-sludge rock marathon, followed spritely by another shot of Americana Punk 1980s. Based alone, on the amount of sweat flowing from SEIJI Wolf face and hair, truly, Jet Rock ’n’ Roll kings Guitar Wolf are the living up to their trademark slogan tonight.
This was “Rock ‘n’ Roll”

Simon Coffey

Guitar Wolf’s NZ Tour continues:

Friday 31st March – The Green Room, Thames (all ages, new date)
Saturday 1st April – The Yot Club, Raglan w/ The D4*
Sunday 2nd April – Big Fan, Auckland w/ The D4^
Tuesday 4th April – Valhalla, Wellington
Wednesday 5th April – Space Academy, Christchurch

Tickets available HERE via UTR
*Tickets for Raglan show HERE via UTR
^Tickets for the Auckland gig with The D4 HERE via UTR (all-ages, licensed)

Click on any image to view a photo gallery: