It was a nice hot day in town and Christmas was on the horizon. Guitar Wolf had played during the week at the Espy and now it was going to be on for young and old at the Tote. The Spazzys walked on to stage and played to a crowd that was still in its infancy. They didn't seem to mind and in what turned out to be their second show for the day weren't going to be distracted even when the lights went off. "It's nice in the dark" said one.
"Can someone please shine a light" said another. "I need to see where the dots are on my guitar."
An obliging punter held up his mobile and shone a light so she could find her spot for the next song.
After a short break Mach Pelican made their way on to the stage. The singer/guitarist took his spot in front of the microphone and they were off racing through the next few songs.
"Atsu sick cunt" came a cry from the crowd.
There was some drama as the bass player's strap came undone and he had to make a few adjustments. One of the punters was staring to make himself known air punching his way from one side of the stage to the next. He climbed up face level with the singer and air punched a long to the music to the alarm of the roadies. After awhile it became apparent that he wasn't going to connect with the singer's face so there a was a lowering of the tension. Julian Wu stood next to him slumped over the fold back. It didn't look like he was going to indulge in the same kind of hysterics. At the end of the set a group of beared men started chanting over and over:
"Whoa Mach Pelican
Whoa Mach Pelican
Walking along
Singing a song..."
The air puncher turned and stared. After a few repetitions of the same verse, he started to chant along with them.
With what appeared to be great disdain, the bass player from Guitar Wolf walked on stage with his bass which only had three strings and tuned up before, with a flick his hair, he walked off the stage. The drummer in his Hawaii shirt set up, played a few beats on the drums and then followed. Like creatures from another planet they set the tone for what was to come next... If that was possible. A large number of big boys with beards and short pants were already staking their claim at the front of the stage. By the time Guitar Wolf joined Bass Wolf and Drum Wolf on stage the crowd was thick and the band took advantage of the build up and just played slabs of noise. The bass player paddling away on his three strings as the guitar showed what you can do with power chords and a fuzz box. To start the show he skulled a stubby full of beer. Once that was down the hatch he cleared his throat grinned at the crowd pointing at them with his fingers before taking aim with his guitar and subjecting them to a barrage of sonic fire.
"Have you been to Japan" Guitar Wolf screamed several times. "I bet you haven't been to Mars." With that off his chest the guitar was cranked up again, the crowd surged and the scene for Tokyo Trashville in all its glory was set. Air puncher made his way onto the stage a few times but when he started pawing at Guitar Wolf who was flat on his back on the stage the roadie threw him off to the delight of the crowd. One woman in the crowd had already slapped him a few times with his own snapback. An intense looking man with an Asian girlfriend suddenly walked off leaving her with a look of consternation on her face. Late he too was thrown off the stage, this time by the bass player. The disdain he had worn before the show had well and truly been left behind as the intensity of the show picked up.
"Do you know baseball?" asked Guitar Wolf. "I don't think so. I think you know cricket." With that he took off his guitar and hit a ball into the crowd. A bottle was thrown narrowly missing his guitar. Either he didn't notice or he didn't care. Guitar Wolf unfazed, sent ball after ball into the crowd before strapping on his guitar again and hitting the fuzz box.
The big boys in short pants were taking it in turns to stage dive by now and there was plenty of crowd surfing going on. A Japanese woman with some impressive tattoos joined the Aussie boys before Guitar Wolf himself got in on the action. One of th4e crowd surfers tried to take his guitar and was then given it. Guitar Wolf sang the word Driver over and over pointing and prodding the punter when to play the guitar. he put his arms around him a few times and said something into his ears. Whatever it was the punter still looked confused. He looked to the bass player to get some idea of where to play on the frets. Guitar Wolf started to wrestle him to the ground. At some he must have injured himself because his hand was covered in blood. The roadie looked in in confusion. A young woman dressed in a big KISS t-shirt climbed up next to the speakers to take photos. By the end of the show the crowd were surging to and from the stage. There was lots of fist pumping and photo action happening. After the set there was a short encore and then it was all over for Guitar Wolf for the night. The punters looked shocked if not delirious.
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