Although I have come to expect anything from the Annandale Hotel, the last thing I was prepared for on a Wednesday night was to be confronted with a band of disgruntled Ninjas from the planet Ninjitsu.
Ninjaz With Attitude consists of Shinoko (Vocals), Jintu “Hammermoto” Moto (Guitar/vocals) and Jubei Kibagami (Drums), and as soon as they take to the stage they represent what is lacking in live music these days, namely velvet capes, a spear for a mic stand and… well… shitloads of attitude.
With a set design that you would expect at the Metro rather than a $5 gig at The Annandale, Shinoko takes to the stage in a mist of dry ice with theme music similar to what I imagine played as Christ rose from the dead.
Immediately, the crowd sat up and paid attention as the ninja clad warriors smashed out their odes to blades, babes, the love of their dead sensei, and general self-adoration. And if 50 Cent and his rapper mates still believe they hold the monopoly on being bad-ass wankers, these guys would rip them to shreds leaving them whimpering like little girls in the corner. The tracks ‘You Wanna Fight?’, ‘You’re About To Get Owned’ and ‘Propensity For Violence’ clearly demonstrate the fearlessness of these masters of martial arts.
Shinoko’s sermons set the mood for each track, preparing the crowd for what it is exactly that’s about to hit them. “If there are any ladies in here that have not had sex with me yet, raise your hand” Shinoko instructed, as hands were raised in the air “Well, I’ll try and get through you all tonight, but I’m pretty jetlagged from touring Europe, and my bed’s not big enough for you all – I’ll probably have to cap it at eight” – cue ‘Polygamy’.
This unexpected set was littered with an immense amount of snarling, crotch grabbing, groin thrusting, shirt ripping, guitar licking and nipple rubbing – what else could you want? The night culminated when the Ninjaz unleashed their anthem of personal empowerment ‘I’m Awesome’, a tale of foursomes with chicks, triple homicide, attempted (and failed) humility and general awesomeness.
You could compare these guys to a Ninja version of The Darkness with their eccentricities, fabulous outfits and classic rock style – but I’m sure they’d rather you didn’t. I will be sleeping with one eye open after this experience, but at least I will be safe in the knowledge that the Ninjaz With Attitude are here to fight to the death in “the war against mediocrity”.
