“Tiger Army Never Dies!”… Yeah!
“Make some nor-orhise!” Hmmm, what? Am I in the right place? Are Hilltop Hoods on next?
It’s been three years since Tiger Army last played this fine city and there was a great deal of anticipation and excitement, evidenced by the early arrivals being in numbers not seen at The Zoo for quite some time. There was a line-up outside at 8.30pm and the room filled fast – it was an effort to get to the bar. Then the live music started and suddenly it wasn’t so difficult.
The night literally kicked off with a kick drum belting that shuddered not only the floor but the bar well behind and above it. Morning Tide washed onto the stage and delivered a tsunami of pounding sounds – hardcore black metal rasps and growls amply backed and intertwined with searing guitar and head banging bass. A valiant effort in front of a crowd that really didn’t expect to hear that type of music at this particular gig, each band member threw a lot of energy into their performance. Alas for them the rockabilly clique forming the majority just wasn’t their audience. There was one lone punter slamming around in front while the rest stood seemingly bewildered by the tangent departure of genre – considering the other bands on the lineup. A couple of songs in and many were seen wandering back outside to wait for the headline support.
If there’s one thing you can count on it’s the consistently entertaining shenanigans of Zombie Ghost Train. Their witty repartee, fun, infectious rendering of favourites Teddy Boy Boogie, Black White & Dead and infamous cover of Devo’s The Girl You Want remind us why they have such a large following. Double bass dynamo Captain Reckless verbally spars with guitarist and lead-singer Stu while removing layers of clothing to (as always) reveal his translucent skeletal figure. Stu acknowledged Reckless’ moves noting that “It’s all about getting your gear off” then asked the crowd to get him a beer, any beer… then hold them up for a photo. Near the end of the set there’s trouble with Stu’s perfectly pitched purple guitar (arguably the most beautiful ever made and understandably coveted by Nekromantics on their recent tour – “ Uh oh, left my guitar in the hotel again Stu, can I use yours?”), there’s no sound. Possibly it’s the preamp battery as nothing can be done quickly to resolve the issue and Reckless is left striving to entertain a bunch of increasingly restless fans. Without guitar Stu recommends they knock out the first verse and chorus of Graveyard Queen sans rhythm and call it a night, which they did. Not the best performance by ZGT, but they still manage to impress so are thoroughly enjoyable none-the-less.
From the outset it was clear Tiger Army were going to thrash out each track with a fury unheard in their studio recordings. New band members always add a different dynamic and this is definitely true here. The escalating tempo didn’t do their more melodic tracks justice. Nick 13’s eloquent tremolo vocals were often lost to the noise of a muddy PA (the sound guy was facing the bar and not the stage??), too much double kick and distortion over usually crisp guitar. Devil Girl, Santa Carla Twilight, Swift Silent Deadly, Pain and other tracks that unfortunately meld into noise get this sort of treatment and the songs from new album Music From Regions Beyond also seem a great deal faster and messier than the inspired recorded versions. Then mid-set there is a call to arms that polarises the crowd. Bassist Geoff Kresge shouts at the crowd “Make some NORRRISE!” his bent arm with index finger skyward starts circling, encouraging the small mosh to follow suit. While the hardcore kids respond, this attempt at crowd engagement just doesn’t seem to work on those with quiffs, meticulous sideburn stylings, corseted tattooed cleavages and shining raven hair. Most stand and become even quieter prompting a “Is this thing on?” as Kresge taps the mic and tries again repeating the shout out that we usually associate with purveyors of hip hop or beats. With expectations challenged, and some may say dashed, this evening’s show is more about hardcore than the anticipated night of consummate psycho-billy rock. The vibe is raw, aggressive and testosterone-fueled. For this much-saddened fan, losing the melodies and harmonies of the beautiful Rose of the Devil’s Garden to rampant noise became too much and when the set finished I joined many others as they headed down the red stairs with little concern for the advertised encore.
