The Cavemen – Whammy Bar: December 8, 2023

The Cavemen came storming back to Auckland’s Whammy Bar and The 13th Floor’s Aaron Christiansen was there with his camera and his pen.

“Hey ho, it’s Friday night at a packed Whammy Bar, and The Cavemen are back in town, bringing their uninhibited form of rock ‘n’ roll with them. With able assistance from the surf-rock echoes of The Cthulus to the frenetic power of Bloodbags, let’s go!”

The Cthulus

First up were the Auckland-based surf-rockers, The Cthulus. The lovers of Lovecraft set the scene for the night with their instrumental guitar rock rippling through the audience. The set was varied, with certain songs incorporating the influence of spaghetti western maestro Ennio Morricone. As is standard with this type of instrumental surf-rock, vocals and banter were kept to a minimum, a brief ‘thanks’ ending the set. And so, The Cthulus had set the scene for what was to come.

Bloodbags

Bloodbags lurched onto the stage, smashing it straight out of the gate with big power riffs and hollering lyrics. The energy and intensity were maintained throughout their entire set. Frontman Andrew Tolley’s veins looked like they were going to burst as he powered through. The Bloodbags provided a powerhouse second set, but would The Cavemen be able to deliver?

The Cavemen

The Cavemen stumbled onto the stage, quite literally. Frontman Paul Froggatt was sporting a crutch, which he’d use to propel his body around the stage, brace against the ceiling, and fling about in a rapidly growing mosh pit. With secondary support from the mic stand, he lifted himself off the floor whenever he ended up there. The band veered through the opener, “Tonight I’m Going to Rock It,” upping the excitement in the packed-out Whammy Bar.

The Cavemen lived up to their reputation for down-and-dirty rock ‘n’ roll. When drinks were finished on stage, they were ably supplied with shots and beers from members of the audience. At various points in the night, the set appeared to descend into shambles, with bassist Nick Armstrong’s bass falling victim to the night’s chaos, and Jack Beesley forgetting the opening chords to the catchy new single Without You. All these added to the rock ‘n’ roll allure of the night. The Cavemen provided a cocky, assured show. At the end, Jack addressed the audience: “If you like our music, buy an album. If you don’t, buy a T-shirt.” I’ll take an album, thanks.

Aaron Christiansen

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The Cavemen:

Bloodbags: 

Cthulus:

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