Jimmy Jimmy

It kicked off before 9a.m. – the phone goes and the familiar tones of 95bFM‘s breakfast show host Mikey Havoc are buzzing in my ear. Sorry, Mikey, I just wasn’t ‘with it’.. first he reminds me I’d entered a competition, then he reminds me how, then he tells me I won..  then I indulge in a bout of extended coughing on national radio! Sound.

So tell ‘em what you won, John.. admission to the Thursday on-air afternoon session of Kiwi rockers Luger Boa (fronted by Jimmy Christmas, erstwhile leader of new rock revolution stars The D4). Now, I was (and still am) going to check out these fellas at the Big Day Out, but great, here was a chance to see ‘em in rather more intimate surroundings.. which I did.

Half an hour, six songs, wham bam thank you mam. The first thing I have to say is it’s hard, on a sunny day, in the mid-week afternoon, to show just how vital and necessary your new band is, transmitting the required energy from a concrete box, through the airwaves and into kitchens, front rooms and workplaces, to a public who are otherwise engaged and just might not have the time to latch on.

But I get the impression these boys don’t ever lack the motivation to show you how good they are. An audience of.. what.. less than a dozen people, behind a glass control room window? No problem, we’re going to play up to them like they were teeming arena thousands. All the elements were in place, sharp glam-tinged rock songs, committed vocals, nice bit of falsetto on the harmonies. Two guitars? Check. Rhythm section locked in? Check. Bit of lip and flash? Sure. A run-in with the police the previous night to enhance their rock credentials? No problem.

Three of the most-played tracks on their new album ‘Mutate Or Die, merged with some newer highlights. View the session right here and tell me later how the hook the ‘What Is Real?’ buzzes round in your head as you go about your day.

Nice, eh? Like Marc Bolan meets New Order? I dunno, whatever you think, I’m not gonna say that. Less familiar to me, but no less wonderful, was ‘Only A Moment Away’.. surf beat, squiggly guitar solos, real ‘pour it on’ – ness, if you catch my drift. Check out ’1000 Hooks’ .. it doesn’t have quite 1000, but who’s counting when you’re too busy leaping around?

Now I’m not saying these guys are the future of rock and roll (they’d probably tell you, with tongue only very slightly in cheek, that they are), but in a year when so many rock bands (to these ears) just didn’t seem to cut it, Luger Boa deserve a better chance at success than most. So go and buy their album. Don’t nick it or copy it, buy it. And see them on stage.

Because they’ve got something extra.. there’s sparkle, mojo, ‘the spook’, floating around these fellas. OK, you jaded cynics out there – when Jimmy’s on stage and going off on one, it’s not so much boasting, but confidence in their own abilities, which will stand them in good stead when the first flush of the new album has worn off. They’ll carry on believing in themselves, and still delivering fine songs and great live shows. And let’s face it, that’s all we can ask of our musical heroes isn’t it?

Play loud. With a big sloppy grin on your face.