Guitar Wolf + Cheap Time + Disablers @ Le Cabaret du Mile End

On Monday, May 16th, I discovered I was wrong in thinking leather pants couldn’t be cool. All the tight, glistening pairs of pants I once associated with thrift stores, venereal disease and general scumminess should be sent to Japan without hesitation. Why? Because apparently Japanese rock and roll bands like Guitar Wolf have figured out some mystical way to rock that shit.

When I arrived at Le Cabaret du Mile End on that rainy evening, the venue was a little over half empty. This made me realize I had very little grasp on the scope of Guitar Wolf’s popularity at this point in time, particularly after the death of Hideaki Sekiguchi (a name I obviously had to Google), aka the original Bass Wolf, in 2005. Little did I know that by the time the headlining act set foot on stage, the venue would packed with rowdy rock and roll enthusiasts, presumably with minimum wage or non existent jobs, looking to party hardy on a Monday night. I mean no offense in saying this, as I am one of these people.

I was actually scheduled to work that night at said minimum wage job. Once I had figured out a way to pawn off my shift effectively, I was already late for the show and, as a result, missed local openers the Disablers. After asking around, I discovered that this was no great loss. I did catch the second opening band, Cheap Time, who sounded like general overview of 1977-1979 in rock and roll, which was both decent and off putting. I mean, I really like The Clash, Sex Pistols, Ramones etc., as well as a good chunk of the bands they’ve influenced, but if there’s no hint of originality or intent to shake up the ‘classic punk’ formula in the least you’re basically just a cover band. Sorry. My advice to the members of this band (who probably make money and don’t give a shit about my opinion) would be to, uh, put on a show! If you can’t be particularly interesting musically, it might be a good idea to engage your audience on a base visual level. Maybe take some cues from the band you’re touring with and watching nearly every night.

Guitar Wolf are, essentially, the epitome of cool and have constructed the perfect live performance for their music. Their set was loud, aggressive and jam-packed with furious stage presence and energy without noticeably compromising the quality of the music itself. At one point in the set, I decided that the majority of songs played were undeniably good; they blended elements of punk and metal while maintaining a sort of pop sensibility. I also likened Guitar Wolf’s music to how the Ramones would have sounded had they adapted incredibly well to the more hardcore punk scenes of the 1980s. The crowd responded to the set with overwhelming enthusiasm by dancing, jumping around and eventually participating in the construction of a human pyramid.

In summary, if you pass up an opportunity to see Guitar Wolf live, you’re an idiot. If this review hasn’t convinced you (which is a possibility), check them out in the film Wild Zero, where they exude badass in every frame. If that doesn’t convince you, you’re probably in a vegetative state and don’t really feel anything.

-Kelly K hosts Cut Your Hair and Get a Job every Tuesday from 1-2pm