Twosomes and Tea Towel Togas

Musical duos: unfortunately the category has spawned several cringeworthy creations. There was Sonny and Cher, who introduced the world to the combined horror of bell bottoms, badly groomed facial hair and the word 'babe'. And what genuine 90s kid could forget Daphne and Celeste, whose biggest hit 'U.G.L.Y.' not only insulted its many mindless adolescent listeners but also adequately described their so-called music. However, these blips on the name of the musical duo shouldn't blind the world from seeing what the power of two can do. The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Flight of the Conchords – these collaborations show us that two is better than one. Or six, in the case of the gut busting, psychedelic Christchurch rock duo Cairo Knife Fight, who will be rocking our toga party.

The band started out after a Wellington jam session a few years ago as a six-piece, but after releasing their first album Iron in 2009 and a self-titled EP in 2010, the line-up was pared down to drummer/synth bassist/lead vocalist Nick Gaffaney and guitarist of Weta fame, Aaron Tokona. Though their numbers are small, their sound is definitely not. Gaffaney's multi-instrumentalism leaves you wondering how he manages to sneak the other two musicians behind the drum kit unnoticed, and Tokona's guitar soars like the badass-70s-headband-clad eagle himself.

The creative process has its good and bad points with a two-piece according to Tokona, but overall it's a lot easier. "Some days it can be quite limiting with just two people but other days it can be just limitless. Two pieces are great. It's quite hard work as a big band trying to deal with everyone's fucking attitudes, you know? Human beings can be a pretty moody bunch."

Limitless seems like a pretty intense word to describe two Kiwi guys in a Christchurch band, but before you cock your eyebrow in cynical disbelief at the term, let's pause to verify the facts. In the past few years they've opened for some rather impressive names in the world of rock – Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and supergroup Them Crooked Vultures amongst them – as well as playing at the CMJ festival in New York last year.

When it comes to who inspired them to make music, "it all comes back to the greats really... all those people who have made a real dent in the history of music." With influences like "that thing with Jimi Hendrix and that thing with Kurt Cobain" it's easy to see why they're measuring up to the big names of the industry. Combine this with the way they create an edgy and enthralling onstage atmosphere of orchestral proportions with just the two of them, their four instruments and some more than skilful work with loop pedals, and limitless begins to look like a fairly accurate description of the future of this band.

Despite their big name affiliations, Cairo Knife Fight doesn't get picky about who turns up to appreciate their music. "I don't actually care if we're just playing to five people or mum and dad, nothing actually changes for us. We just do what we do, put every single part of our being into it and that's just the way that goes, you know?"

Although the crowd will consist of a bit more than five people, they're looking forward to the chance to play for us rowdy Christchurch students at O-Week. After the ground swallowed the music scene whole last year and only had enough courtesy to burp up the Dux Live and the Darkroom for live local acts, Tokona says that it's a privilege to be able to play at home for deprived music fans.

"I mean, Christchurch needs a music scene now more than ever doesn't it? Music is quite a good way to be able to express that stuff without sounding like a whining prick. All the most amazing music came out of times of adversity – like the Vietnam War when everything was fucked up in the 60s. Look at who came out of that. Then when everyone was against the corporation in the 90s Nirvana appeared. That's the extreme of it I guess. But you know, having an earthquake is pretty extreme."

Also pretty extreme is Tokona's take on a toga party. This being his first, it's safe to say that although the concept doesn't exactly ring bells of Grecian peploi or chitons, his impression of the modern toga is on the right track.
"We're playing at a toga party? I've never been to one actually. Is that the place where people wrap themselves up in tea towels and wear no undies? Haha, mean. Pretty sure we ain't wearing no fucking togas at your party though. I like wearing undies mate."

Tokona's a little better acquainted with the other acts at Rock My Toga than he is with the garment itself though. A fan of Midnight Youth and Knives at Noon, he loves both their music and the boys themselves. "It's quite good you know, coz sometimes you meet bands where they play stink music but they're nice guys, but those guys play choice music and they're nice guys so yeah, mean."

And as for advice for all the fresh meat out there, after a good thirty seconds of hearty laughter at the fact he was being asked to give advice to uni students, Tokona gave us this nugget of wisdom: "I guess all I can say is have a hoon and hope for the best." Although he seemed to feel like the wrong person for the job, I'm gonna say that that's some pretty solid advice.

A far cry from scarring twosomes of the dark side of ghost of music past, Cairo Knife Fight is definitely part of the list of music's duos to be celebrated. Come see them make the ground shake on our terms at O-Week in your tea towel togas. Undies are optional.