Live Review: Guitar Wolf, Drunk Mums, Gentlemen, Face Face

A nice crowd is assembled at The Public Bar when Face Face kick things off. The duo aren't as loud as the rest of the bill, but there's something infectious about their skuzzy, indie-rock numbers. Next, Gentlemen inject a bit of danger into the line-up. The local outfit are dark and swampy and sound dangerous as they careen through their set.
Drunk Mums follow and play like they're out to prove their title is a misnomer. The way the band deftly handles the complexities of their dynamic three-way vocal interplay – and remain as tight as they do, even when they find themselves in the middle of big, garagey jams – is anything but impaired.
Tonight sees the welcome return of Japanese rock gods Guitar Wolf. Their decision to take to the stage as the PA plays an assortment of cuts from their spiritual forefathers Ramones is a great move, the perfect homage to leather jackets and rock'n'roll. When those Ramones tunes fade out, frontman Guitar Wolf Seiji smashes a beer and gets the crowd yelling “Hai”, seemingly for no reason, before the trio launch into their set. From the outset, Guitar Wolf make it clear that they're ridiculously great, or that they're great because they're ridiculous; it doesn't really matter one way or the other, because what's undisputable is that they're great. For all the synchronised guitar windmilling and playing their instruments while pretending they're guns (à la Lemmy), the Guitar Wolf catalogue would still stand tall devoid of the antics. Jet Generation, Can-Nana Fever and Fujiyama Attack are punchy and gloriously fuzzed-out. The cuts are quick and the three-piece remain totally in sync with one another as they barrel through the set.
The crowd responds to the band's frenetic energy and, mid-way through the set, a pit breaks out and everything gets even sweatier. You can see the perspiration drip down the sunglasses that Seiji, Drum Wolf Toru and Bass Wolf UG do not remove throughout the set. But the heat doesn't dissuade the crowd's movement and the room is moving until Guitar Wolf leave the stage.
When that does happen, the three 'wolves' walk out of the building; Seiji is still clutching his guitar and Toru isn't wearing a shirt. They sit down on the footpath behind a parked car to hack, cough, sweat and high five one another. And it's a fittingly awesome finale to a goddamned awesome show.