Deaf but so very, very happy

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So there I was at Karma Gentleman's Club for last weekend's The King Brothers and The DHDFD's with Threat.Meet.Protocol gig.

The big shiny pole on stage, the sparkling hula-hoop dangling from the roof and giant mirrors on the back wall reinforced the notion that this was not to be your run of the mill show.


The King Brothers and The DHDFD's sharing the stage for the last song of their Tauranga show. Photos: Baz Mantis Photography/BazMantis.com

Cramming three bands known for their wildly raucous behaviour into a shoebox venue was always going to be a recipe for chaos – in the good way of course.

But I think it's safe to assume that everyone who showed up probably has an inclination towards all things weird, strange, and most importantly, loud.

T.M.P were first up and while they gave us only four songs they delivered, and then some.

Bassist Austin was at his screaming, stage wandering, pole climbing best, drummer Stefan worked his kit like a deranged octopus, and keyboardist Luke tickled those ivories until they wailed and sung.

They absolutely killed it for me, T.M.P were tight and cohesive, showed their ability to switch from melody to noise easily, and the sound they created punched me in the face like Joseph Parker.

Next up, Auckland garage punkers The DHDFD's, who I'd heard little of before the show and now funnily enough, since their set I've been struggling to regain hearing in my left ear.

These guys are loud and played as if their lives depended on it. On top of that, they have a remarkable fascination for really tight pants and short-shorts.

If the Energizer Bunny formed a band with Animal from The Muppets and a small block 365hp Chevy engine, I can imagine it'd sound like The DHDFD's.

Scott Brown has a strange voice I really dig, an at-times banshee like howl working perfectly with guitarist Wee James King, who surprised with mix of nimble fingers and chunky chords.

In the background Pete the Drummer bashed away like a metronome and worked well with bassist Joel Beeby to create a back bone that was nothing less than solid.

I can appreciate the garage punk tag The DHDFD's receive, but I also got bits of funk, metal, and a dose of the psychedelic, which may have been due to the disco lights.

They then made way for Japan's The King Brothers who donned impressive black and white suits and absolutely tore Karma's and the audience a new one.

This three-piece ‘hardcore-blues' outfit were an absolute privilege to witness, you didn't need to understand Japanese to know these guys came to town to specifically go to town on the audience.

The King Brothers are rock and roll in all its sweaty, punchy, power-chord glory; creating the type of music that would not only raise the dead but get their booties shaking too.

Guitarists Masafumi 'Marya” Koyama, Keizo Matsuo, and drummer Taichi write catchy music coupled with a brilliant stage presence that keeps an audience enthralled.

Within five minutes of starting Marya stared at the audience earnestly and pleaded with us all to come closer. As soon as we obliged, with microphone in hand we became his playground.

It is the first time in my life that I've had a sweaty, lithe Japanese man who happily sung and screamed and writhed around while draped over my shoulder. It's my new treasured memory.

The show's climax came when The DHDFD's joined The King Brothers on the dancefloor for the last foray, and is also the other unforgettable memory of the night for me.

The drummers stared each other down as they bashed away in the middle of the dancefloor, while guitarists and bassist littered the stage with chords and noise.

All the while both singers are right in the middle of the mayhem, with crazed smiles and cracking voices, feeding off of each other to go harder, go wilder, get louder – and they did.

And we, the audience, loved them all the more for it.

This was certainly the loudest gig I've been to in a long time and while I don't want to condone hearing loss, the ever present ringing in my ears today is a small price to pay.

It's the most fun I've ever had in a strip club and my favourite gig of 2014.

Were you were at last weekend's The King Brothers and The DHDFD's with Threat.Meet.Protocol show? Post your comments below.

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