Words with: the D4

"Big dumb rock" was how The Datsuns recently (and unjustly) described their postmillennial punked up re-write of the classic rawk tradition. A sea of flailing hair and guitars that has delivered some of the most "muther ****in" fantastic live shows of 2002, The Datsuns might not have been such a firmly lodged musical fixture of the year if it wasn't for this Kiwi 4 piece, The D4, taking a between songs breather in a packed to the rafters pub in Leeds. Drenched in sweat with Iron Maiden lovin' drummer Beaver already stripped to the waist, theirs too is a simple plan, a starkly straightforward manifesto that seemed to get lost for some time amongst all the whining and self pity. "Ok, here's what's gonna happen" barks lead singer Jimmy Christmas as he leans into the mic. "We're gonna play some songs and you're gonna get pissed and dance, how does that sound to you?" Judging by the typically enthused response and projectile beer that greets the opening bars of "Running on Empty" it's fair to assume that The D4 is preaching to the converted.

So how did The D4 come to play such an important role in the garage rock renaissance from obscure Auckland beginnings? Jimmy sat down with Gigwise to look back at The D4 story and how it all began when he and fellow vocalist/guitarist Dion bonded over a shared love of punk rock at a place called the Frisbie Lounge.

"The thing about the Frisbie was that it was very insular and a lot of our main musical influences probably came from the people we were playing with and from the environment that we were in. We were influenced by a lot of other bands, y' know external stuff, but when we started playing we were heavily involved in that environment"

So was this was a local venue that bands congregated in?

"Yeah, it was like a venue but it went through a few changes, first it was an old bacon factory, then it was a bank, but basically it was a bit like a collective really. Bob Frisbie had a recording studio and then we had a space downstairs where we rehearsed and then there was somewhere where you could play shows and stuff like that. Totally unlicensed and totally underground, y' know that sort of thing. It was a really good place to begin".

Not dissimilar to the scene that developed out of The Bandwagon, with a tight knit supportive ethos and a shared love of rock n' roll resulting in the exciting melding of the old and the new, Jimmy agrees that by covering and name-checking Johnny Thunders, Guitar Wolf and Diamond Dogs they are turning the attention of a new audience to some great records.

"I'd like to think so. We get a real range of people at our shows from 18 and younger to 35-40, whatever. So we get a mix of people who have seen the rock n' roll thing before and are like, yeh, great, thanks a lot and then young kids who are really into it and I just hope that there are gonna be a few kids that get bit by the rock n' roll bug and investigate where we came from".
So as well as some cool garage rock do you think this delving into the past for undiscovered treasures has been another positive outcome of the "New Rock Revolution"?

"Yeah definitely, there's a ****ing huge back catalogue and a huge world to explore so it's a real buzz for us. Some of the best compliments that we've been paid as a band, y' know, I remember once after a gig a kid came up to me and said thanks a lot, after I saw you last time I went and formed a band. It's like woah!! You can't get any better than that; its what happened to me and it's what happened to all of us, its fantastic!

Joined by Vaughan on bass and Beaver on drums, after touring New Zealand, Japan and the US, The D4 finally came to the UK in March this year to play feverishly intense shows with The Beatings, The Bellrays, The Datsuns and The Von Bondies. Jimmy thinks its inevitable, wearing the expression of a man that's been asked this question far too many times, that these bands will be pigeonholed together.

"I would consider us, The Datsuns and The Von Bondies to be all very different bands, y ' know. We definitely share an ethic and we definitely share a very similar record collection. There's no sense of competition, it's a very supportive environment. I think it [the comparisons] is just the nature of the beast really. What's really good is playing with bands that you know and bands that you like. To play support to a band that you dig is a great thing and it just makes for a great night. To me, I'm just really interested in nights of rock n' roll where everything works, y ' know, the music that the DJ's playing, all the bands on the bill, the whole atmosphere is really tailored to suit that night".

Its hardly surprising that with a reputation for being one of the hardest working and best live bands with an impeachable rock n' roll ethic that America has come calling. An imminent big money deal with Hollywood Records, Jimmy cagily admits, is a "possibility" before going on to indicate that negotiations must be at a fairly advanced stage when discussing breaking that lucrative stateside market.

"Well, y' know, I just want to continue playing music, to continue making records and to continue touring places that we've never been before so its gonna give us an opportunity to go to The States and play a lot more shows in the States. If we can cover as much ground as possible, I'm into that for sure".

Later on stage, this hard earned reputation as a 100% live band, that gives it their all without fail, is completely justified as they race through an hour long set that perfectly weds crunching riffs to catchy pop hooks. An opening salvo of new single "Come On" and "Get Loose" struts like the bastard spirit of The Ramones and Blondie sharing a drink with Radio 4 whilst the highlight of debut album 6Twenty, "Exit to the City", seems to acquire an almost additional impetus and energy.

From a furious "Rock N' Roll Muther****er" that sees Dion crowd surfing, axe in hand without even missing a note, through to an entirely fitting encore of "Party" and Johnny Thunders "Pirate Love", it is undoubtedly one of the gigs of the year. What's next for the "New Rock Revolution", who knows? The dearth of bands, some good, some dreadful may eventually prove to be its undoing, but whilst bands like The D4 are still around the message should be to soak up the rock and enjoy it while it lasts.

Photo by Mark Burton