Wan Chai Warriors

AUG01039.JPG Live review from Heavy Unplugged #1:
1. Dog eat dog
2. Don’t let go
3. Warriors
4. Bloodlines
5. Park Bench
6. Lost soul
7. Born to be wild

A night of heavy rock aficionados outside of their comfort zones is kicked off by Wan Chai Warriors. Usually a four piece, tonight they’re a three – drummer Jamie Edwards seemingly surplus to requirements for the unplugged version of the band. Cain on vocals is joined by Vincenzo and Dave both playing acoustic guitar, normally electric and bass respectively. Their approach is already unusual with seemingly no need for bass on their songs tonight.

The Underground’s Heavy Unplugged gets underway with Dog Eat Dog and my first feeling is already that this song needs more noise. There’s a great contrast between the simplicity of the two acoustic guitars and Cain’s rock voice. They seem to be playing the same chords to me but they’re bang in time and keeping it simple. There must be a big temptation to try to completely recreate your sound acoustically, which these guys seem to have resisted. The bridge works well with the aggression of the vocals and with the gentleness of the guitars.

All three of the Warriors are on stools tonight, which I get the feeling is particularly unusual for lead singer Cain. On Don’t Let Go he seems dying to stand up and move his body. Loving the licks by Vincenzo on lead guitar here. As I predicted Cain has got to his feet; it must be intimidating being this close to the crowd but if he is, he doesn’t show it. Really showing off his vocal range here, I’d love to hear him sing some old-school blues or soul.

Bloodlines is a cracking song. Hints of Bon Jovi in this acoustic arrangement with a nod to Dead or Alive. The guitars combine beautifully for the solo, with a little country feel in places. Love the top notes Cain is hitting. “Bang bang you’re dead now”; pretty dark lyrics form another nice contrast with the straightforward acoustic arrangement.

So far tonight Park Bench feels like the most naturally acoustic based song. Again, a country feel comes through at times, which really works with Cain’s huge voice. He’s back up on his feet and we now descend, or ascend is probably more fitting, into what feels like a Ho-Down – wish I’d brought my hat. A real down and dirty song. Cain makes a couple of “R” rated actions with the microphone, which draws a big cheer from my girlfriend stood next to me. Worrying.

What really brings the Morrison Café crowd to life is their cover of Born To Be Wild. They don’t do anything unusual with their version, it’s just Cain’s powerhouse voice doing its thing which is more than enough. He also doesn’t need to do much to encourage everyone to sing along. A good start to the night, the crowd suitably warmed up for more unplugged magic.
– Simon Donald Jones


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Live review from Heavy #13:

1. Darkness Dawns
2. Dog Eat Dog
3. Park Bench
4. Waiting For A Sign
5. Don’t Let Go
6. Lost Soul
7. Warriors

“I don’t know the words,” said Wan Chai Warriors singer Cain McInerney sheepishly as he started to soundcheck. It was a rare moment of bashfulness for the shaven-headed rocker, more accustomed to onstage mischief and thrusting to the music. The Heavy show was one of new bassist Tommy Chu’s first outings and, though he played with precisely half the strings of the band’s last bassist, he seemed like a good fit with the other musically skilled members.

Though McInerney has always been a natural frontman, this set showed him to be a skilled and magnetic entertainer. Who cares if his singing was occasionally off-key? His dancing, facial expressions and onstage shenanigans – particularly during the sordid singalong, Park Bench – were proof of his showmanship. Vincenzo Nardelli – surely one of Hong Kong’s finest metal guitarists – set his neon axe to stun with finger-blurring fretwork and a heavy sonic onslaught.

Opener Darkness Dawns combined jagged guitar rips with steadily building Nasheed-style moans that built to a roar. It was darkly brilliant, and set the tone for a more serious kind of WCW show than they’ve become known for. Then it was business as usual with the biker rock Dog Eat Dog and its guttural Eddie Vedder vocals, and the raucous Park Bench. The softer Don’t Let Go allowed for a moment of contemplation, before the roaring Warriors, a triumphant ode to the movie 300 and fist-pumping closer.

-El Jay


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Live review from Planetrox China Final 2015:

1. Dog Eat Dog
2. Don’t Let Go
3. Park Bench
4. Warriors

 

承繼Bamboo Star的騰騰殺氣,Wan Chai Warriors決不讓樂迷們的身體停止搖擺。〈Dog Eat Dog〉開始了一連串的hard rock歌曲,主唱Cain的聲線狀態甚佳,情緒亦非常亢奮,精彩絕倫的guitar riff更是讓人過耳不忘。接下來的情歌〈Don’t Let Go〉整體稍為降低侵略性,輕巧的鼓點雖增加不少輕盈感,旋律卻多是低厚而長的吟唱為主,難道是非常轟烈又悲壯的愛情?〈Park Bench〉原來取材自六年前的活塞男事件,副歌一再重覆「Penis in the Park Bench」,主唱帶點淒厲的腔調彷似那位當事人的呻吟,搞鬼得令人發笑。呼應樂隊名字的終曲〈Warriors〉似乎是要把怨氣怒氣通通發洩,不加修飾的吉他噪音,配上不能自控、時而怒吼的唱腔,以赤條條的力度抒發青年的積鬱。主唱不時遞咪或指向觀眾,互動非常熱烈,而吉他手的技巧亦極為超卓。
Lily Sung

Wan Chai Warriors, newly formed in November of 2014. I am again, delighted to see some real traditional style rock / hard rock. No themes of teenage broken relationships, or happy bubbly nonsense songs that don’t make any sense musically. Just good old kick your ass rock and roll about drinking and sex!

As they open their set with Dog eat Dog, you know that you’re going to dig the next twenty minutes. Right out of the gate like American Pharaoh, you can immediately see and hear well-schooled professional musicianship from all the players, with raw, dig deep down inside vocals. The guitar player Vincent instantly catches your attention as a fantastic player with great technique, great chops, lots of fun flashy tricks that keep your full attention. I would describe Dog eat Dog as bitchin’ traditional rock.

The next song Don’t Let Go again in general, very straight forward. With a very interesting composition and arrangement with some unusual guitar chording and patterns which added uniqueness to the song that set it apart from your standard kick your ass type rock song. Next up was Park Bench, which for all practical purposes should have been called the Penis song. Cain, the singer always seems to have a way of turning something maybe as mundane as song about a park bench into a sexually driven song about ones penis. Combine that with a rock-punkish style, staccato vocals, and some very “unique” theatrical stage antics, you have a recipe for anything can happen… Very fun and amusing to watch!

Finishing the set up with Warriors, totally straight forward, hard rock, cool interesting chord patterns, a bit of a Stone Temple Pilots feel, and strangely enough a chorus that felt like a 1960’s Small Faces or something. It all fit together really well. I enjoyed the different styles all mixed together for a great outcome.

Overall the Drums and Bass holding down a very solid bottom hard rock foundation, the guitar adding color, texture, style, uniqueness, and the vocals: Cain always sings and rocks from deep in his heart, great control, and always sounds great.
Gregory Tancer


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Live review from The Underground x Parsons Music Battle of the Bands FINAL 決賽 2015:

1. Paranoid (Black Sabbath Cover)
2. Enter Sandman (Metallica Cover)
3. Dog Eat Dog
Wan Chai Warrior一直在初賽及準決賽都只以Cover歌曲參賽, Cover Metallica <Enter Sandman>時主音的唱腔酷似James Hetfield, 加上結他手的高超的技術令人留下深刻印象。決賽當日, 他們像平常的先表演兩首Cover分別是 Black Sabbath的 <Paranoid>, 和Metallica 的<Enter Sandman>。 因為進入決賽的樂隊必須表演一首原創歌曲, 所以Wan Chai Warrior最後的歌曲必定是原創。當<Enter Sandman>完結後, 主音沒有特別介紹便開始奏樂, 表演這首專為是次比賽而作的<Dog Eat Dog>。 一直都在模仿別人的主音亦揭開自己的真面目, 副歌部分一他聲嘶力竭的唱腔接近Screamo, 這唱腔從來未於其他歌曲展示過, 相信是應付決賽的祕密武器。
– Dicky Kwong

Neon guitar lord
Singer with many voices
Next week at The Wanch
– Brendan Clift

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