Reverend Horton Heat, 6 October 2016, Bodega, Wellington

It was damn cold outside but the Heat was turned up and there was fun to be had. The majority of the crowd weren’t obviously hardcore rockabilly fans––though there was at least one set of braces, a couple of coifs and the occasional western shirt dotted through the crowd––but they were there to enjoy the energy that The Reverend Horton Heat was sending their way. And this three-piece did not disappoint.

Standing still was impossible. The enthusiastic crowd were appreciative of the Reverend’s performance. A man with a smile that splits his face from ear to ear, Jim Heath clearly loves to play. The room exploded with joy when the trio tore up Psychobilly Freakout. The slap bass of Jimbo Wallace is something special and Scott Churilla’s stick twirling throughout a fantastic drum solo was awe inspiring.

Let Me Teach You How to Eat was greeted with an appreciative singalong. The crowd gave back the energy of each song in spades, but the moment of the night for me was listening to the Reverend sing the classic Johnny Cash masterpiece, Folsom Prison Blues. By the time they finished with the furious CC Rider, we were exhausted but gloriously happy.

 [Posters appropriated the following day from a local cafe––they wouldn’t need them, right?––after I chickened out of stealing the one at the venue after the show. Girl needs a souvenir!]