The D4 fucking rocked and I was rapt for them. I had seen them at their going away gig in March and to be honest it was pretty pedestrian with a by the numbers sort of feel. With hindsight I guess they had just played Auckland too many times.
The act I saw on Thursday night was super tight (as always) and packed to the brim with super high energy dirty rock. I had a ball and so did everyone else. The D4 looked to be having a real good time themselves and boy did they have their moves down.
I can totally see why John Peel and the English media have been lapping them up.
Some cats in the scene have criticised The D4 for sounding too much like their influences. I don't think those people would care about that now because the strength and power of the performance just took things to the next level in the same way that Datsuns shows do.
This was the Thursday night of a 3 night sell out at the Kings Arms. There wasn't quite the atmosphere of The Datsuns show but it was only the first of three gigs. $16 pre-sale was okay I guess if you like Pan-Am and Betchadupa.
Andrew Tolley told me the Saturday night was brilliant with Dion getting up into the rafters to 'roost' with his guitar. That didn't happen here but it was still a great show from the word go.
The die hard fans up the front were probably at all 3 gigs and they looked like they were having the time of their young lives.
It seemed to me like Jimmy was doing more singing than when I saw them in March. Either way Dion & Jimmy were giving a 1000 %. Vaughan looked real cool and laid back in his own little bass world and Beaver was looking pretty happy with things.
I saw 'Pan-Am' for the first time and to be quite honest they weren't as bad as some folks had warned me but they still pretty much sucked. There were a couple of songs that were okay but that was about it. The crowd didn't even really dance to the songs that are used in those adverts which surprised me. The power just wasn't there you know?
I didn't watch Betchadupa but Matt Alien saw them on the Saturday night and was not impressed. Comments such as 'A high school band, they sucked, you can quote me on that' come to mind although he was still pissed when I saw him the next afternoon. Though a fleeting acquaintance with their videos leads me to think what he said is probably true.
Anyhow I had a ball, go The D4. It was a bit silly they weren't headlining but I guess you get that. I heard a rumour this tour was Creative NZ funded which sucks since these bands are pretty fucking well known and on a commercial label.
