Summer is over, and like migrating birds, band members flock back and prepare to shake things up a little. This weekend has a lot of great acts playing in Taipei, with new rockabilly bad boys Full House excited about their upcoming show The Way to the Route 66. “We are going to rock. The three of us have been saving up all our rock all week long. That’s a long week for a teacher itching to play a Taipei show with some great bands,” drummer and back-up vocalist Adam Goring said in an interview on Tuesday.
Goring is traveling up from laidback Tainan with fellow band members and vocalists Kyohei Takahashi (高橋恭平) on “slap” bass, and Akira Jingbing (黃俊彬) on guitar. He’s looking forward to performing, though he says he is “sick of getting shit for wearing flip flops to shows. That’s how we rock down here.” Best not try to get into Luxy or Primo, my dear.
Jingbing, who hooked up with Takahashi, one of the only locally based musicians to play electric stand-up bass, founded Full House. Goring also drums for punk band Divebomb, and said their sound has “sped up a bit” since he joined the act.
Their music is a heel-kicking mix of rockabilly, psychobilly, ska and punk, and their stage show is full of high-energy antics. “Before playing with Full House, I didn’t know I could keep a beat and do a shot at the same time,” said Goring. He gets “a little jealous” when his bandmates get to jump around on stage while he is “stuck behind the drums.” This could explain the drumsticks that occasionally get lobbed at the crowd while Jingbing climbs up on the bass as Takahashi plays.
When the crowd gets into the act, the band has been known to keep sections of songs going, which has led to “some really long thrashing guitar solos.” When I ask how far it could go, Goring replies: “If we’re asked to take off clothes ... well that could be funny right?”
These rockabilly jokers will be playing with a great lineup of crowd-pleasing acts: 130 Dollars, Auto da Fe, New Hong Kong Hair City, and The Deadly Vibes.
130 Dollars serve up 1950’s inspired greaser rock — vocalist and guitar player Michimori Shiroma said that they took Chuck Berry and “added some punk.” Shiroma is one of the organizers of the night, and said he chose the bands he thought would “let people shake, twist and jive.”
This will be the last chance to catch Auto da Fe, which means “an act of faith” and refers to the burning of heretics, before they go on hiatus. Their sound is classic punk with a new wave edge, and band members include musicians from former bands the Unrelentless and the Deported.
New Hong Kong Hair City plays funk, punk, rock and saxophone-metal.
To give credit where credit is due, I have to add that rockers The Deadly Vibes put on a stylish, killer pulp-fictionesque show with some of the best merchandise I’ve seen: g-string panties, flasks of whiskey and condoms all emblazoned with their logo. It’s like a pre-made package for a great night.
Come prepared to tear up the dance floor, sweat like a pig, and rock your heart out.
I’ll be the one at the front yelling “take off your clothes!!”
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