LIVE REVIEW: THE DATSUNS + WILLIE J’S 6V6S @ CROWBAR 26/03/26

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi Photos Steph Ure

The Datsuns and the Willie J 6v6s brought the spirit of true rock ‘n’ roll to the Crowbar. It was all thrills, and no fills, as both bands delivered their gritty and authentic rock ‘n’ roll sets. It has been 12 years since The Datsuns have been back in Brisbane to reunite with fans. And the Willie J 6v6s are a band at the beginning of their musical journey.

The Melbourne, based three-piece band Willie J 6v6s had a real rock ‘n’ roll swagger as they walked onto the Crowbar stage. The opening song of their set was ‘Mad Woman Boogie’ and it had a 1970s raw blues rock style with huge guitar wails. The bassline and drum rhythm kicked in hard. The second song ‘Don’t Tell Me’ followed with big guitar riffs and a guitar solo that flexed.

Then, the powerhouse band: Willie J Maxwell (guitar/vocals), Seb Robertson (bass) and Cal Leavey (drums) addressed the crowd and then tore through ‘Rocket Ric’, ‘Night At The Gem’ and ‘Safe Delivery’. The short fire 10 song set established the tone early for the night. It was going to be all about pure pub rock ‘n’ roll. Willie J Maxwell had a great and gritty rock voice and he got his cutaway guitar to really sing as the band performed ‘Take The Wheel’ and ‘Sinner’.

Willie J 6v6s revealed and revelled in their love of high voltage pub rock, and their origins, when they covered the Rose Tattoo classic ‘Bad Boy For Love’. The band showed that all you need to create real rock music is bass, drums and guitar as they delivered ‘Chant’. The drummer delivered a great solo piece and then the band closed with ‘Baby I Like’, that is a great melodic rocker of a song.

Willie J 6v6s left the stage with the crowd well and truly warmed up. There had been some singalongs, lots of dancing and the stage was starting to steam. Then, the waters, something blue, and beers were put into place. The setlist was laid down. And the crowd waited patiently for Cambridge, New Zealand rockers The Datsuns to take the stage.

There was an introduction piece played as the house lights went down. It didn’t take The Datsuns long to remind the crowd why rock ‘n’ roll still matters. They walked onto the stage and exploded with the most dynamic sound. Their 18-song set spanned all seven albums from ‘The Datsuns (2002), ‘Outta Sight/Outta Mind’ (2004), ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ (2006), ‘Headstunts’ (2008), ‘Death Rattle Boogie’ (2012), ‘Deep Sleep’ (2014), and ‘Eye To Eye’ (2021). The band played with intent, humour and precision. It was a joy to behold and listen to those raw and dynamic rock sounds.

It has been over 12 years since The Datsuns have played in Brisbane. So, they didn’t waste any time as they launched into ‘Gods Are Bored’, ‘Other People’s Eyes’ and ‘Sitting Pretty’. The crowd of seasoned fans at the Crowbar were in the mood from the first chord as the beer flowed freely. However, the band remained restrained as they addressed the crowd and commented on their liquid refreshment and the heat. Dolf De Borst picked up the blue drink and said: “What the f@#k is it?”. The band had a quick laugh and refocused as they delivered ‘Bullseye’ and then they performed their new single ‘Ugly Leather’ for the crowd. They also let slip that a new album was on the way.

The Datsuns are Phil Somervell, Christian Livingstone, Dolf De Borst with the Swedish drummer from Dead Lord, the Blue Oyster Cult t-shirt wearing Adam Lindmark. While the buzzing guitars, squalling solos and catchy vocals infected every track it was the tight and controlled thunder of the drumming with the bass that was the engine room underpinning every song. It was electrifying!

The orange amps were getting a work out as the songs straight off the shelf of classic rock riffs kept coming: ‘So Long’, ‘Caught In The Silver’, ‘Axethrower’ and ‘Girl’s Best Friend’ were delivered with meticulous precision. There was even some banter about being “together...and all in tune and time”. It was the next set of songs that demonstrated the melodic rock The Datsuns have perfected in ‘Bite My Tongue’, ‘Helping Hands’ and the fantastic ‘Harmonic Generator’.

Dolf Borst is a consummate front man who was helping to drive the rhythm with his bass playing or he was taking the lead on vocals with some dynamic microphone moves. It was amazing how he kept up with the drummer. The band’s delivery was heading to a crescendo, and the crowd was singing along to ‘Goodbye Ghosts’, ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ and ‘Gold Halo’.

Then, the band let us know that: “This is usually the end of our set, but we are just going to keep playing okay”. It was totally okay as they played ‘Humaniser’ for a fan who made the request to hear the Sci-Fi inspired song. Then, The Datsuns followed with the fun ‘Stuck Here For Days’, the Blue Oyster Cult influenced ‘Brain To Brain’ and they closed out their set with their classic ‘MF From Hell’.

It had been a marvellous night of straight up rock performance: honest, real and muscular. The Datsuns just lit up on the stage. Even after most of the band left the stage, one member hid behind the curtain, and we weren’t sure what he was up to, but he was trying not to encourage an encore – as the band had played with heart and swagger – and left everything out there for fans to soak in.

The Datsuns and Willie J 6v6s delivered a joyful night of primal rock ‘n’ roll: and it was a joy!