Winston Watusi Music Plus

There's a new music video from Tauranga. But first, a gig.

And not just any gig. An international act, here from Japan for the fourth time; they're wild.

King Brothers, four high-energy Japanese punks, are touring to celebrate their 25th anniversary. They formed in high school in 1997, were banned from playing at nearly every club in Osaka, and continue to cause mayhem wherever they go. Live shows are legendary.

They were here in 2014, playing a strip club off The Strand; in 2016 there was the unforgettable Booze Cruise on Tauranga Harbour; 2018 saw them return for the final Woodcock Festival.

Now they're back, with support from Auckland's Cindy and local skater punk siblings Grown Downz, at Totara Street on May 26. Tickets are $40.

You might be asking, what do these guys actually sound like? I suggest you check out a video, just one. Pop along to YouTube and search ‘King Brothers – XXXXX'. Then expect to have your mind blown during two-and-a-half minutes of absolute energy. If you thought rock music was dead then this is your defibrillator. You will immediately know whether you have reached rock ‘n' roll heaven or been plunged into musical hell.

It also adheres to my number one rule of video which is: trust your fans' imagination.

King Brothers. Photo: Supplied

Video woes

I have a deep dislike of music videos; they destroy an individual's relationship with songs.

Songs are wonderful things. They can free your mind, take you to exotic places, plunge you into the heart of relationships, inspire you, stimulate you; they can paint pictures in your mind, and create worlds, from ‘Old Joe's Barroom' to outer space. But here's the thing: it takes two to tango – the song and you.

Images in a song react with your individual imagination, moulded by all your particular life experiences, and together they create a visual landscape for the song. That's how the best songs 'paint pictures in your mind”.

Each of us create our own unique pictures which gives us our own unique connection to a song.

But what if, instead of listening to a song, your first experience is watching a video? Your mind's eye will forever be locked in to the video.

If the video is a performance video – the band playing – then there's little damage, since what you're seeing is essentially a variation on a live show.

But too often, the video is illustrating the lyrics. Love songs will show lovers, a song mentioning a bar room will show you a bar room. The problem is, it's their bar room, not yours.

You can't create your own individual imagery because you're being shown someone else's. And so you never really make the song 'your own”.

Rehaab

A new video released for New Zealand Music Month by blues rockers Rehaab gets it right. In fact the song, ‘Fat Boy', a biker ode to the Harley-Davidson of the same name, avoids many possible pitfalls for this type of song.

Inspired by a riff from guitarist Mike Furness (perhaps influenced from touring Europe with Mr Rudd), singer Roy Hudson originally began writing in a typical manner, as a Harley-rider-bloke, but then thought: ‘No hang on! Why does this have to be about a bloke who rides a bike and not a woman?' So this is a woman's song. Roy says: 'We also wrote the storyboard to the video to take away the typical motorcycle stereotype rock video”.

They were also clever enough to film in an actual Harley-Davidson workshop.

If there's one thing Harley lovers are going to love, it's having a look round East Coast Harley-Davidson while the band play.

I like it: not too much messing around and a fun cameo from Lucian McDermott, the teenage guitarist from Taupo band Sonorous. And there's nothing visualised that will stop your own imagination taking ownership. Musically, it's great to hear Roy really stretching out on the vocals; he is a fine singer with an excellent voice. And good production work from Evan at the Mount's Studio 11b. It sounds, yes, fat.

You can find ‘background' videos and links on the band's Facebook page.

Or just google Rehaab's ‘Fat Boy'.

Rehaab's 'Fat Boy' video at East Coast Harley-Davidson. Photo: Supplied