Call of the Wild

The second instalment of the Stevie Gee gig review from last Friday's Guitar Wolf show in Islington. First instalment here.

Guitar Wolf , Bass Wolf and Drum Wolf are the trio that form GUITAR WOLF! A leather-clad Japanese garage rock/ punk/ rockabilly trio formed in the 80s. They walk on stage sweating under the lights in black leather boots, jeans and jackets, all wearing sunglasses. Mr. Guitar Wolf walks on stage and spits on the floor. We’re in for a treat.

I am standing right by the speaker as the first distorted guitar clash almost rips my face off. I feel like I have been punched in the face by Satan’s own leather gloved fist. It’s raw power at its very rawest. The energy pours off the stage and hits the front of the crowd like a wave of blood, which is where I’m being thrown around deep in the pit. I am grinning from ear to ear. This is pure pleasure.

Mr. Guitar Wolf raises his guitar and shoots the crowd with a flurry of machine-gunned strums. It’s speedy speedy rock and roll power punk unleashed over distorted blues riffs. It’s hard to make out what Mr. Guitar Wolf is screeching about but it sounds incredible, it’s frenetic and dirty like a demolition derby. The guitar sound is smashed up wild and so so loud! Suddenly, Mr. Guitar Wolf starts pulling people onto the stage and climbing on top of them, it’s degenerating into a funny kind of carnage.

I bet they all carry switchblades and drink whisky out of leather boots, like I used to. I know for sure they are all riding their fire-spewing motorbikes straight down to hell and it seems the crowd here in North London is happy to follow them down. See you there.

Photos and Words by Stevie Gee