Cut Off Your Hands played at the San Francisco Bath House last night as part of their album release tour for their debut full-length album, ‘You and I”.

Wellington band Thought Creature opened the gig, entertaining the crowd with their notoriously weird brand of psychedelic rock. Appropriately for Halloween night, the music was a little strange, but they held the crowd’s attention well with their bass driven, reverb drenched tunes. At times their sound was a little to bizarre for my liking, and they failed to capture the enthusiasm of the audience, but overall it was not too bad. The set was well received by the crowd, and it was good to see a local Wellington band supporting the main act.

However, what Thought Creature lacked in enthusiasm, Cut off Your Hands made up for in abundance. This is a band that has worked extremely hard over the last few years to make it big in the music industry, and their hard work is really starting to pay off as they continue to become better known here in New Zealand.

They opened with their latest single, Happy As Can Be, kicking off a very good set. From the zombie costumes and make up, to the multiple confetti drops from the ceiling throughout the show, Cut Off Your Hands made the gig one to remember. It was a tight, energetic and professional performance, impressive for a band so young. The night was topped off when they extended an open invitation to the crowd to join them on stage to dance during the final song of the evening, Expectations. My only criticism was that the show was rather short, lasting just under an hour, but other than that it was great. I would highly recommend going to see them live if you have the chance, especially if they are playing at a small venue.

Here is a list of future gig dates for you to check out:

6 Nov 2008      8:00 p    Gaelic Theatre     Sydney
8 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Hi Fi Bar     Melbourne
14 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Fowlers Live     Adelaide
15 Nov 2008     8:00 p    The Zoo     Brisbane
20 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Prinzenbar     Hamburg
21 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Batschkapp w/ Foals and Friendly Fires     Frankfurt
22 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Columbiaclub w/ Foals and Friendly Fires     Berlin
23 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Luxor w/ Foals and Friendly Fires     Cologne
24 Nov 2008     8:00 p    59 to 1 w/ Foals and Friendly Fires     Munich
25 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Club Tivoli w/ Foals and Friendly Fires     Utrecht
29 Nov 2008     8:00 p    Custom @ Nouveau Casino     Paris
29 Dec 2008     8:00 p    Rhythm and Vines     Waiohika Estate Vineyard
30 Dec 2008     8:00 p    Falls Festival     Marion Bay, Tasmania
31 Dec 2008     8:00 p    Falls Festival     Lorne
3 Jan 2009     8:00 p    Southbound     Perth
31 Jan 2009     12:00 p    Laneway Festival     Brisbane
1 Feb 2009     12:00 p    Laneway Festival     Melbourne
6 Feb 2009     12:00 p    Laneway Festival     Perth
7 Feb 2009     12:00 p    Laneway Festival     Adelaide
8 Feb 2009     12:00 p    Laneway Festival     Sydney

Check out Cut Off Your Hands on NZ Beats Show 19
Reviewed by Luke
You can buy their album at Amplifer and check out their myspace.