Live Review: Guitar Wolf, HITS, Happy Times, Waax

Grunge rockers Waax open proceedings with a bold sound that really packs a punch. As well as solid vocal ability, frontwoman Marie Devita has a commanding stage presence and charisma, especially towards the end of the set when she throws herself around the stage, poses for cameras, unleashes pelvic thrusts and screams into the mic.
Up next it's Happy Times, who after tonight's performance should perhaps consider a name change to Nautical Times, as each member is donning a sailor's cap, the lead guitarist holds a pipe in his mouth for the duration of the set, and the drummer has a white and blue striped look going on. While a lot of their songs do tend to sound the same, the drummer really grabs your attention with his crisp, clean and energetic style and steals the show.
HITS' frontman sparks comparisons to Pete Doherty in the way he carries himself tonight – clumsy dancing, berating the audience, and wearing sunglasses which could possibly be hiding an altered state; all of which makes for a thoroughly entertaining set. The audience lap it up and become progressively more rowdy as the set wears on.
There's an immediate shift in energy as Japanese speed-punk trio Guitar Wolf take the stage. Seiji and UG are decked from head to toe in black leather, while drummer Toru is more scantily clad, showing off his impressive array of tatts. It's hard to understand what's being said or sung for the most part of the night because of thick accents, but really, who gives a fuck? It's all about the raucous and infectious energy they conjure with their loud and abrasive punk rock style. Even though the crowd is thin and Seiji has a broken hand, he opts for some crowd-surfing ventures more than oncet. He even takes it a step further by actually standing on the crowd's hands instead of lying down, which takes a lot of trust in the audience. Towards the end of the set, Seiji randomly sticks his hand into different parts of the audience as though he's trying to grab somebody's hand. This goes on for a while before he finally finds the right person to drag up on stage and give his guitar to. The funny part is he's probably chosen the most musically incapable person in the crowd, who stands like a stunned mullet for the most part, which is entertaining in its own way, and still heightens the energy further. Beast Vibrator is left for the end of the night and when the set finally does wrap up, you're left in a state of shock. So much fun!