The Dirtbombs & The Checks
@ the Kings Arms (Auckland) 6/4/04.
When I realised my business trip to Auckland coincided with the Dirt Bombs one and only NZ show I was pretty excited. Not roll the yoghurt truck excited but excited none the less.
In case you didn't know the Dirt Bombs are a great great band from the mighty motor city. They manage to pack a whole lot of Detroit into one band that's for sure. The Dirt Bombs possess a sound that is original yet bathes in the wide shadows of both the Motown artists and the MC5.
Mick Collins is a soulful black oasis in a predominantly white indie-rock world. He has had a major influence on the Detroit rock sound since the eighties, largely through his previous band the Gories. Not to mention other diverse acts he's been in like Blacktop and the Voltaire Brothers.
Asides from their great songs the Dirt Bombs have a double rhythm section which is pretty unique and makes a great publicity angle for the media.As if that is not enough one of the bass players is Jim Diamond.
Jim has through his Ghetto Recorders studio recorded some damned incredible music from all parts of the globe. I first saw Jim and the Ghetto Recorders name on the credits for the self titled White Stripes album. Undoubtedly we were in the company of some genuine card carrying members of the Detroit rock & roll 'been there done that' club.
The Kings Arms was packed with around 500-600 people which is a total pain in the ass unless you are a genetically enhanced alcohol warrior who never needs a piss. Or your part of the Velvet Tiger Detroit rock & roll mafia who put this gig on. Cheers to them and by the time you read this they will have brought you the 5,6,7,8's and the Soledad brothers as well.
First up was young Auckland band 'the checks'. These guys are real good for a high school band and the singer had some presence but it was all just way too fashionable for me.
Their sound was a pleasant enough cocktail of the Rolling Stones, Jet and the Datsuns served up on a 'Strokes with zits' sesame seed stage act. Not bad maybe they are the next big thing I just couldn't give a fuck.
The Dirt Bombs hit the stage, which has been elevated since I was last in Auckland. The crowd gave them a warm reception. I snapped a few photos during the first couple of songs but I wasn't really pissed enough to want to get in the front line all night.
Unfortunately I had my camera set to detect auras or something. Things came out a little weird. Nevermind. The band played a lot of material from the current 'Dangerous magical noise' as well as songs from the first 2 albums. My favourite track off the current album is '21st century Fox' and sadly it wasn't on the set list but the encore more than mad up for that.
I think this Tuesday night gig was the end of a 10 day tour or something and that considered they played a pretty long set. Mick and the boys looked pretty jaded but for about 2 minutes in the middle of the set Mick showed us what he was all about. Taken by the moment or something he launched into some big high kicks and the next thing you know he's playing guitar behind his back and generally getting down in a highly groovy most natural fashion. We got a brief glimpse of what an hour or so of a fully charged Dirt Bombs show must be like.
This was a great show and I loved it but for a band with 2 bass players I expected something more you know? They were definitely as good as their records but it was just that if you'd closed your eyes you wouldn't have known there was a double rhythm section.
Nevermind all was forgiven when they came back for an encore set of mostly covers. This was a ton of fun. I recall the Eurythmics 'missionary man (dont mess with the)' being followed up by Flippers 'Ha ha ha ha ha'!! I don't have think I've seen any band cover two songs by such different bands, it was great!
The band even stayed at the after party at the 'Please Please' club for awhile where by all accounts they proved to be mightily agreeable fellows indeed.
Not a bad Tuesday night by any standards. Next time it would be nice to see some of these bands do a NZ tour though. It seems a shame to me that all these visiting rock & rollers ever get to see is Auckland and the Grey Lynn ghetto. NZ could then be a destination to look forward to rather than something that has to be got out of the way before they can go home!
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