ArnoCorps isn't a cheesy tribute band, it’s a philosophy. They may don military garb, camouflage paint and ooze bags of ballsy Arnold Schwarzenegger attitude, but this is essence of Arnie with a quirky Austrian twist.
 | | ArnoCorps (pic Andy Stubbs) |
Yes, their songs are all named after Arnie films and quote his lines verbatim but what these six sonic warriors are really trying to do is bring us music "inspired by the ancient heroic lore and mythology of the Austrian Alpine communities." Oh, and they want you to "feel the pump!". Confused? It doesn't really matter because resistance is futile. These affable guys chatted to and made friends with everyone in the room. Their charm offensive was deadly. Faced with the prospect of an extremely sparse Monday night audience, they employed guerrilla tactics. Disappearing out of the venue they returned soon afterwards with clutch of unsuspecting people culled from neighbouring bars who'd been seduced into shelling out a fiver to see a band they'd never even heard of!
 | | ArnoCorps (pic Andy Stubbs) |
It was easy to get hooked by their ridiculously funny patter. These guys aren't playing parts, they are living them. Drummer Gellend Adler said he'd chosen the instrument because he had an affinity with round things. He then revealed the original band members had been killed in a car crash in the deepest depths of Austria, but there were no bodies because they'd been eaten by wolves! For those immune to the entertainment value of such nonsense, the music more than stood up on its own. With two bass players and two guitars, the action adventure audio assault was relentless. Heavy Maiden-esque chugs gave all the songs a suitably maniacal intensity. Although lead singer Holzfeuer's vocal chords were obviously suffering a bit from his non-stop demonic growls. he poured enough energy into his performance and connection with the crowd to compensate. He had us all sprinting on the spot for their song Running Man and frantically bobbing up and down for their cover of Rebel Yell.
 | | ArnoCorps (pic Andy Stubbs) |
In fact, the whole band was a health and safety nightmare. They jostled and wrestled each other, frequently ending up on the floor in a dangerous tangle of leads and legs. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have ditched his movie career in favour of more Machiavellian pursuits but his cinematic legacy burns bright in the form of six sectionable Austrians. Don't worry if you missed them this time. They'll be back. | 
