Live Review from Planetrox China Final 2017
1. TGIF
2. Man On Steel Wire
3. Life Goes On
4. You Can’t Stop Me
The final act of tonight’s final is NastyDudes. They don’t look nasty at all, if anything lead singer Terry looks a bit nervous. I later find out that this is far from the truth. Their sound check bodes well and they feel to me like a ticking time bomb. No band has taken this thing by the scruff of the neck. It’s all to play for.
The crowd are fired up and praying for someone to come out and win this thing. Well NastyDudes kick off with TGIF and I already know that they have won. These guys are doing it right before my very eyes. They’re a throwback to the old bands of the 70s and 80s. This song is a combination of AC/DC and that song by Michael Jackson, They Don’t Really Care About Us, but I don’t care about that. Terry has even got a hat Brian Johnson or Angus Young might wear. Awesome high vocal solo, pitch perfect.
On Man On Steel Wire this guy has got the crowd in the palm of his hand, something none of the other bands have done tonight except maybe Carrier. They’re a perfectly tight group this band, I think guitarist Kim came out of the womb with a Les Paul in his hands. I love how nervy Terry looked before and now he’s owning the Doghouse. In fact, this is his house. The dog does not own this house any more. We’re in the NastyDudes house. I wish I didn’t have to sit and take notes on my phone and also wish I knew the words to this song so I could be up at the front going crazy. Kim’s solo very Kansas here.
Life Goes On is an old school sing along rock song. Bit of country and a bit of Bon Jovi, and I love the nah nah nahs at the end. I’m asking myself why aren’t these guys super famous? They seem like one of the best new bands I’ve seen in ages, certainly the best local band I’ve seen in Hong Kong. Terry nails this balance of strutting around like a rock legend, owning the place but being completely humble and appreciative of the crowd. Where other bands tonight have directed some love towards their own travelling support, these guys engage with the whole place. We feel like they are playing for everyone here.
An absolutely exhilarating set which has everything you want from a rock band. I’m now a NastyDudes fan, and can’t wait to have a drink at the NastyDudes House again. Worthy winners on the night by a country mile; send us a postcard from Canada boys.
– Simon Donald Jones
Live review from Heavy #12:
1. You Can’t Stop Me
2. T.G.I.F
3. Life Goes On
4. Step Right Up
Nasty Dudes??! Nasty Dudes! What a name. The most amusingly-monikered band of the night may have trudged in nearly too late for their slot, but they brought their A-game to the stage with a cheeringly OTT classic rock set that evoked KISS, Aerosmith, Van Halen and Whitesnake. A deceptively short setlist was puffed out with constant, frivolous musical embellishment – guitar noodling, solos, and hair swishing at every single opportunity. While guitarist Kim and bassist Warren teamed up for Steel Panther style for dual power stance rocking, vocalist Terry reached the upper echelons with warbles and wails that would make Axl Rose wince admiringly.
Opener You Can’t Stop Me was a grab bag of hair metal clichés: stickin’ it to the man lyrics, woah-woah-woah singalong sections, and shrieking fretwork. After second song T.G.I.F, Kim let rip with the first of many lengthy solos; his fingers a blur as they flickered over the notes. Terry sat back to admire the scene as Kim passed the spotlight to Warren and drummer Chris, who belied his niceboy bowl-cut ‘do with a rapid fire solo leading to an instrumental funk-rhythm duet.
Life Goes On was another melting pot of all-American retro rock tropes. The sun-soaked track allowed terry to reclaim the limelight with an outstanding, soulful performance. It was singalong time again as the band led punters into a wistful “na na na na” ending, before breaking it up with a barn hoedown solo. It was overblown, tacky, bombastic…and entirely in keeping with the genre.
The energy was ramped up one final time for closing track Step Right Up. A beefed-up riff punctured the nostalgia as the band shed its glam rock wings for something nastier. Kim’s face was a blur in scribble of hair as he delivered the final, triumphant solo of the set. Spinal Tap could never compete.
– El Jay
