Downunder with The Datsuns
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:04 am

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Yesssss!
They're coming home soon!
I saw these guys play at The Yellow Submarine a while back...

Bursting out of the mighty Waikato in 1998, The Datsun’s success has seen them travel the world over. Lucky for us they haven’t forgotten where their home is, treating the Tron to two shows in a space of a week or so. Their second show was held on Thursday night at The Yellow Submarine along with a couple of super supporting acts from London and Detroit.

The New Telepathics had almost finished their funked up set as we made our way downstairs into the hot wee cave. Knowing that all hell would break loose later on, being greeted by people lounging around to the island-ish beats was a dreamy way to slip into the evening.
We were lucky enough to hear the last three songs of what must have been an outstanding set full of intriguing instruments. My personal favourite were these standing steel tubes beaten with drumsticks making it feel even more like a tropical resort – hot!

Continuing on with the island theme, The Dirtbombs’ Ben Blackwell appeared on stage first beating the drums to draw in the crowd before the rest of the Detroit rockers danced on enthusiastically. Jumping into their latest and greatest, it was awesome to see everyone dancing and singing along loudly to their set. Of course, it wouldn’t be a show at The Yellow Submarine without someone in the audience of 50 trying to crowd-surf, which turned out to be short and sweet – much like The Dirtbombs show.

Feeling abit more like a sauna now, most of us headed upstairs to cool off under the street lights which are so incredibly bright they could wake the dead. None-the less it’s always a good pick-me-up when you’re feeling a little more like a wilting lettuce than a fresh flower! After ten minutes of white lights and second hand smoke it felt like I’d downed at least two energy drinks making it about time to head back inside for rock n’ roll action.

One by one the long-haired Datsuns walked on stage ready to put on a Christmas sized feast that I was happy to indulge in. From the get-go these guys rocked up the crowd opening with two new songs, Your Bones and Such a Pretty Curse. Singer Dolfe de Borst headed into the crowd for some lovin’ when they performed Human Error - making the bald guy next to me so excited that he dove into the centre for a piece of the fun. While all this was going on the rest of the band were throwing themselves around the stage, bending in ways that surely only a yoga instructor should be able to do!

Sweet treats of the evening were radio favourites Harmonic Generator and Stuck Here For Days seeing people getting tossed around like rag dolls. This truly was one of the messier shows of this size I’ve been to and when MF From Hell was performed all hell broke loose – I knew it would! The crowds increasing enthusiasm was like watching greyhounds at the races with arms and legs going in all directions. Finishing with another newbie, Eye of The Needle the much loved Datsuns walked off stage before being yelled at for a delicious encore.
Strolling back, we were treated to one of my favourites off their self-titled album Lady which was performed with smiles from the crew knowing that they’d put on a fine feast for the Tron.

Amanda Ratcliffe

The Datsuns return! New record Headstunts
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:43 pm

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Hellsquad Records, Isaac Promotions and Universal Music are proud to announce the imminent release of the fourth album by rock'n'roll powerlords The Datsuns.

From full throttle rock'n'roll to psychedelia to pop melodies, The Datsuns have written a magical follow up to 2006's Smoke & Mirrors.
With the dirgey throb of High School Hoodlums as our first introduction, followed by Human Error, a song which harks back to the balls-to-the-wall simplicity of their self titled debut and the sixties pop feel of Cruel Cruel Fate, Headstunts feels like this band have poured every ounce of musical goodness they have into it. Recorded early 2008 at Svenska Grammofonstudion in Gothenborg, Sweden and self produced, the album plays through with a relentless vigour and sparkle...

A conversation with Dolf de Borst (vocals, bass) about Headstunts:

Lyrically it’s about mind games really, “Headstunts” is an anagram of The Datsuns. We were aware of it all along but we didn’t want to make it too obvious, I suppose that’s out the window now…

We got a new member of the band on drums, Ben Cole, so it was like making our first record again, with new influences and new abilities. With a new person, we were able to feed off each other in different ways, and also revive some old ideas that did not click before. Taking those ideas, and then flipping them around, just like you do with an anagram. So I suppose there is some kind of clumsy poetry there.

I’ve known Ben since we were kids– he comes from the same town, Cambridge in New Zealand, as us. So it’s useful to have someone else with the same reference points but also someone who is fresh to the touring and recording process.

We produced the album ourselves - by the time you make your fourth record you’re pretty comfortable in your own skin as a unit, and it doesn’t matter about people’s preconceptions or what they expect of you. It’s like, ‘This is what I am and the kind of music I make.’ You’re less self-conscious.

When we started making this album we played a lot together, and we were doing long, drawn out songs, but we ended up making a power pop record: it’s a lot more pop than anything else we’ve done, but it still sounds heavy. It began as a series of meandering instrumental jams but the songs got shorter and shorter. Maybe we’ll leave the stoner album for next time. We like messing around in the studio with long playing but that punk rock thing naturally comes to the fore. We’ve got short attention spans. Are we a jam band in punk clothing or vice versa? I’m not sure.

When we rehearse we mess around a lot and swap instruments. I play some guitar on this record, Phil (Buscke, guitar) plays some drums, Christian (Livingstone, guitar) plays Hammond organ, piano, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes and Mellotron - I associate the Mellotron mainly with The Beatles, but yeah also with progressive groups. They say it’s the postmodern age, you take pieces of what you like, and it doesn’t matter what movement or time it’s associated with, you can cut and paste small bites of what inspires you.

Maybe it’s a failing of my generation that we want to romanticise periods of time we haven’t lived in but I think every generation has done that. And maybe there is a sense of homage in what we do. You can sit and debate that; it’s a perfect Head Stunt. We just do what comes naturally when the four of us sit behind our instruments; it’s a spontaneous development. Certain parts are calculated but most of them are instinctual. It’s honest.

Lyrically, this album is far less personal and more general in its themes. Is it the best Datsuns album? It’s the album I can listen to without cringing or being fucked-off! I’m like one of those filmmakers who make a film then can’t bear to watch it or go to the premiere. This time I’m more comfortable about who we are and what we do and who I am as a singer – although even saying that out loud makes me feel uncomfortable, thinking of myself as a musician or singer. But I’ve been doing this for over a decade – three of us have been together for 12 years, and we’ve been making records since 2002 – so it’s obviously what I do. We’ve made four records in six years, which is pretty fast. The gaps between albums have been 18 months, 18 months, two years and two years. I’d like to do another one next year.

I’m really bad with hyperbole. I can’t sell myself well: “it’s bigger-faster-harder-stronger-but-also-sweeter”. Some people can pull it off. It must be nice to be able to give complete sound bites. But I definitely feel more comfortable with this one compared to the other three. This time, I didn’t go, “That part sucks” or “I hate the production on this part!” There were still the same questions: is the Datsuns a collaboration, a four-way democracy or a four-way dictatorship? It’s hard to define whose perspective is biggest. Even if I write the song or the melody it bears the influence of the others in the band; we’re very collaborative, and it would be wrong to say it’s Dolf’s band or Christian’s band. It’s a collective. If it was just me, or just Phil, it would be completely different.

What are we? We’re just a rock’n’roll band playing music the way we want to do it. It can be too light for people into heavy metal, and too heavy for people into straight garage – we purposefully make it so it doesn’t fit into one place. That can alienate people. Prog, punk, rock – I like them all; I don’t see them as conflicting.

Rock music can be very snobby. Some people only listen to rock music from between 1956 and 1966, or between 1975 and 1980. That seems very narrow-minded to me.

Headstunts will be released on October 13th on Hellsquad Records through Universal Music

The Datsuns Announce New Album!
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:26 am

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The Datsuns release their brand new album “Smoke & Mirrors” on 2 October 2006. The band’s third album, “Smoke & Mirrors” at last establishes the breadth of what The Datsuns are about musically on record. Here is all the manic excitement of 2002’s debut “The Datsuns” with a bigger, bolder, more “classic” sound, but without losing touch with the trashy, poppy kicks of old.. “Smoke & Mirrors” was written and produced by the band themselves with help from engineer Nick Abbott and mixer Cenzo Townshend.

The Datsuns have spent the last year beavering away , playing live and writing songs. For various reasons, including the fruitless search of a producer, the band had more time to write than they’d bargained for. By the end of 2005, they had amassed 40-odd songs and were itching to record them. “Smoke & Mirrors“, however, features just 10 tracks. “Waiting For Your Time To Come” is described by guitarist Christian as “Led Zeppelin meets the Who musically” while “Stuck Here For Days” (the title track of their ltd edition EP that came out in June) features slide guitar which was a first for the band as is the inclusion of gospel singers on the awesome stomping blues of “All Aboard” and the eighth minute, mind-blowing closing track “Too Little Fire“.

The full 10 tracks are: WHO ARE YOU STAMPING YOUR FOOT FOR? / SYSTEM OVERLOAD / WAITING FOR YOUR TIME TO COME / STUCK HERE FOR DAYS / MAXIMUM HEARTBREAK / ALL ABOARD / SUCH A PRETTY CURSE / BLOOD RED / EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES / TOO LITTLE FIRE

The album will be available on CD and a limited edition CD/DVD will feature a special DVD of documentary footage of the band and the videos for ‘Stuck Here For Days’ and second single ‘System Overload’. The single and album will also be available as a download on release.

The band are touring the UK in September with dates in Europe in October. NZ tour dates will be announced soon.

‘Smoke & Mirrors’ – released in New Zealand on 2 October 2006

New EP Out Now!!
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:25 pm

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The Datsuns new EP 'Stuck Here For Days' has finally been released in New Zealand. Available from Monday the four track EP is available in a limited edition Digipak. The four-tracker, which includes the slide-guitar-tingling lead track 'Stuck Here For Days', also features the more traditional 'Kick & A Bang', the 1:22 blast of high energy that is 'Sky Is Falling' and the psych-rock waltz 'One Eye Open'. This self-produced EP will be the first UK release from the band since 2004.

The Datsuns on tour with Velvet Revolver
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:21 pm

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Anyone in the UK hankering for a bit of home should get along to a Datsuns gig that will no doubt be happening near them soon, as the Cambridge quartet continue their worldwide touring fresh off support gigs with Velver Revolver and the Pixies (the bloody Pixies people!) in the USA. Velvet Revolver are apparently so taken with the boys that they invited them along for the UK leg of their tour, so, across the Atlantic it is, for the following dates...

09-Jan - London - Hammersmith Apollo
10-Jan - London - Hammersmith Apollo
12-Jan - Dublin / IRE - The Point
14-Jan - Glasgow - SECC
15-Jan - Newcastle - Metro Radio Arena
16-Jan - Manchester - News Arena
18-Jan - Birmingham - NIA
19-Jan - Cardiff - International Arena
21-Jan - London - Brixton Academy
22-Jan - London - Hammersmith Apollo
23-Jan - London - Hammersmith Apollo

RE: Datsuns On Letterman
Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:39 pm

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Yes well - you know what I mean

RE: Datsuns On Letterman
Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:26 pm

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Printing?

RE: Datsuns On Letterman
Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:22 pm

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They were on the late late show - not the late show, it was on at 1am so effectively was on Saturday 25 September.

Unfortunatley the information we receive sometimes is correct at the time of printing and then changes...

RE: Datsuns On Letterman
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:44 pm

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they were not on this

Datsuns On Letterman
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 8:53 pm

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The Datsuns are to appear on American chatshow Letterman. The Prime network in New Zealand will show the episode on Friday Sept. 24. Also guesting on the same episode are actress Sara Rue and comedian Franklin Ajaye.

support for the datsuns?
Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 11:16 am

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does anyone know whos supporting the datsuns on their two NZ dates is it tokyo dragons and mint chicks like their english and european dates?

RE: nz tour
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 4:59 pm

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does anyone know who will be supporting them on the NZ dates?

Datsuns Tour Australia with Fur Patrol
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 9:04 pm

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- Saturday August 28 - feat Fur Patrol and Degrees.K - Enmore Theatre, Sydney

- Monday August 30 - feat Fur Patrol and The Daybridges - The Arena, Brisbane

- Wednesday September 1 - feat Fur Patrol and Degrees.K - Bar On The Hill, Newcastle University, Newcastle

- Friday September 3 - feat Fur Patrol and The Specimens - The Forum, Melbourne

- Sunday September 5 - feat Fur Patrol and The Specimens - Heaven, Adelaide

- Tuesday September 7 - feat Fur Patrol and Capital City - Metropolis (Fremantle), Perth

nz tour
Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 8:52 pm

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the datsuns are returning to nz in september. check them out:

Sept 10 Wellington @ VUW

Sept 11 Auckland @ Bruce Manson Centre

Datsuns Overseas Tour
Posted: Sat May 8, 2004 3:26 pm

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UK:

27 May - ICA, London
25 May - Garage, Glasgow
24 May - Academy 3, Manchester

Europe:

9 June - Le Boule Noir, Paris, France
8 June - AB Club, Brussels, Belgium
7 June - Geboude 9, Koln, Germany
5 June - Rock Im Park, Nuremburg, Germany
4 June - Rock Am Ring, Nurburg, Germany
2 June - Logo, Hamburg, Germany
1 June - Mudd, Berlin, Germany
31 May - Pinkpop, Landgraaf, Holand
29 May - Festimad, Madrid, Spain

UK:

12 June - Godiva Festival, Coventry
10 June - Sheperds Bush Empire, London

Northern Ireland:

14 June - Limelight, Belfast

Ireland:

16 June - Am Cruisin Lan, Cork
15 June - Music Centre, Dublin

Dolf Datsun rushed to hospital
Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 8:21 am

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Dolf de Datsun was rushed to a London hospital on the weekend after an accident during the filming of a video.

The Datsun were working on the clip for their new single 'Blacken My Thumb' when Dolf fell off stage and split his head. He was treated with stitches and then released from the hospital with no serious injures.

'Blacken My Thumb' is the first single from their second album 'Outta Sight/Outta Mind' due in June. The album was produced by John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin.

Datsuns Back In The Studio
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 10:53 am

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The Datsuns have entered Surrey's Jacobs Studios in the UK to begin recording their sophmore album with ex-Led Zep bassist John Paul Jones.

The studio has previously been used by some big names, the likes of Radiohead, Robbie Williams, Stevie Wonder and The Smiths.

"It's going really well considering that we've been on the road for two years and had no time to write or rehearse," says Dolf de Datsun.

"We've got eight songs written. It's a pretty much a rock and roll record but there's going to be songs on the new record that are actually older than the ones on the first album.

"We're ready to try out some of the old songs that we maybe didn't think worked live so we'll try and work on those in the studio."

Metallica's Lars Urlich Fan Of Datsuns
Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 12:38 pm

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The Datsuns, currently finishing off their latest US tour, and now due to hit the European Summer Festival circuit, have apparently won a fan in Metallica's Lars Urlich, who is reported by UK music magazine NME as saying "I also love The Datsuns - they showed up on my radar about a year ago and I've been a champion of theirs... We have to do something with that band real soon." Question is, who would open for who?

Here's the latest tour dates for The Datsuns:

European Festivals:
Friday 13 June - Hultsfred, Sweden
Saturday 14 June - Provinssirock, Finland
Saturday 21 June - Hurricane Festival, Germany
Sunday 22 June - Southside Festival, Germany
Thursday 26 June - Effenaar, Eindhoven
Friday 27 June - St Gallen, Switzerland
Saturday 28 June - Werchter, Belgium
Sunday 29 June - Roskilde, Denmark

UK:
Tuesday 1 July - Sheperds Bush Empire, London

Europe:
Thursday 3 July - Vera, Gonigen/Holland

European Festivals:
Friday 4 July - Les Eurockeennes, France
Saturday 5 July - Forest Glade, Austria

UK Festivals:
Saturday 12 July - T In The Park, Scotland
Sunday 13 July - Witness, Ireland

North America:
Friday 18 July - Theatre Of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Saturday 19 July - Siren Festival, New York, NY
Sunday 20 July - Ozzfest, Tinley Park, IL
Tuesday 22 July - Ozzfest, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Wednesday 23 July - Opera House, Toronto, ONT
Thursday 24 July - Ozzfest, Clarkston, MI
Friday 25 July - Ozzfest, Clarkston, MI
Saturday 26 July - Southgate House, Newport, KY
Sunday 27 July - Showplace Theatre, Buffalo, NY
Tuesday 29 July - 9.30 Club, Washington DC
Wednesday 30 July - Ozzfest, Burgettstown, PA

Japan:
Saturday 2 August - Summer Sonic, Tokyo
Sunday 3 August - Summer Sonic, Osaka

North America:
Tuesday 5 August - El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

UK:
Friday 22 August - Carling Weekend, Reading
Saturday 23 August - Carling Weekend, Leeds

European Festivals:
Friday 29 August - Pukkelpop, Belgium
Saturday 30 August - Terremoto, Germany
Sunday 31 August - Lowlands, Holland

The Datsuns In SARs Scare
Posted: Wed May 28, 2003 9:53 am

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The Waikato Times reports that Datsuns drummer Matt Osment was at the centre of a SARS scare in Brisbane last month. After a flight from Japan (via Singapore), Matt reported he had a few sniffles, resulting in a doctor being called to the band's hotel, and then a fully-fledged SARS scare. Matt was taken to quarantine in a local hospital and eventually cleared of the virus.

Datsun Tour News
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2003 11:36 am

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Australian fans in Adelaide and Perth can catch The Datsuns this week, as the NZ rock'n'roll band wraps up their latest whistelstop tour to our fair neighbours across the ditch. The band then heads to the USA for an extensive tour there (starting in Boston mid-May, before zig-zagging their way across the country to San Fransisco in early June). As if that wasn't enough, the band are then teed up to hit the European music festival circuit, with gigs at seven festivals in as many countries over the last couple of weeks of June. Here's the full date line-up:

AUSTRALIA:

Friday 2 May - The Globe, Perth
Thursday 1 May - Enigma Bar, Adelaide
Tuesday 29 April - Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne
Monday 28 April - Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne

NORTH AMERICA:

May/June 2003

Tuesday 10 June - Fillmore, San Fransisco, California
Monday 9 June - Boardwalk, Sacremento, California
Saturday 7 June - Glasshouse, Panoma, California
Thursday 5 June - Casbah, San Diego, California
Wednesday 4 June - Marquee Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona
Tuesday 3 June - Skrappy's, Tuscon, Arizona
Monday 2 June - Launch Pad, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Saturday 31 May - Bluebird, Denver, Collarado
Friday 30 May - Bottleneck, Laurence, KS
Thursday 29 May - Trees, Dallas, Texas
Wednesday 28 May - Emo's, Austin, Texas
Tuesday 27 May - Engine Room, Houston, Texas
Sunday 25 May - Cotton Club, Atlanta, Georgia
Friday 23 May - Rosebud, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
Thursday 22 May - Double Door, Chicago, Illinois
Wednesday 21 May - Znuk's Lounge, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Tuesday 20 May - Emerson Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
Sunday 18 May - Irving Plaza, New York, NY
Saturday 17 May - Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
Firday 16 May - Met Cafe, Providence, RI
Thursday 15 May - Paradise, Boston, MA

EUROPEAN FESTIVALS:

June 2003

Sunday 29 June - Roskilde, Denmark
Saturday 28 June - Werchter, Belgium
Friday 27 June - St Gallen, Switzerland
Thursday 26 June - Effenaar, Eindhoven
Sunday 22 June - Hurricane/Southside, Germany
Saturday 21 June - Hurricane/Southside, Germany
Saturday 14 June - Provinssirock, Finland
Friday 13 June - Hultsfred, Sweden