It all started with the videos. Striking, cinematic, breathtaking, they’re stuffed with sweeping helicopter shots of deserts, mountains, and men playing instruments high up on rocky outcrops — not unlike those Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses videos from 30 years ago. But there’s no sign of Richie Sambora, Slash, or a Gibson Les Paul.
Instead, the scenery features a Mongol warrior on horseback and four musicians in traditional Mongolian costumes playing traditional Mongolian instruments, singing in Mongolian about their heritage, their history, their culture, their respect for nature, their message of unity.
Released four years ago, the clips for Yuve Yuve Yu and Wolf Totem have amassed over 104- and 81-million views respectively. But the band behind them, The Hu, are no YouTube flash in the pan — even though they dabbled in cooking videos (Hu’s In The Kitchen) during the pandemic. The striking visuals and initial curiosity of rock conventions being reimagined certainly provided a launchpad. But without the songs to back them up, the quartet wouldn’t be in London tonight, two albums later, wrapping up a five-month world tour at the Roundhouse. And they certainly wouldn’t be playing to such a devoted (and diverse) audience.
By blending the hard rock and metal that they came to love while growing up (Metallica, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Slipknot) with the authentic music and instrumentation that they studied at the Mongolian State Conservatory, their “Hunnu Rock” has broad appeal. Going by stereotypes, tonight there are the teenaged girls with Slayer T-shirts, balding men in their 40s wearing battle jackets (and the occasional mullet), hipsters in their hoodies and caps, the ageing hippies of the WOMAD set, and those who clearly listen to Radio 4 instead of Kerrang. All are united — albeit some more vocally than others — by the chants of “Hu! Hu! Hu!” that frequently rise up, and those seismic songs performed with such vigour and theatricality.
Even without the visuals of those two breakout videos and the even grander follow ups, The Hu and their four backing musicians put on an epic show. Jaya, in a band T-shirt and leather jacket, a fan blowing his long hair, dresses and behaves most like the conventional rock frontman. When not playing the tumur khuur (jaw harp), flute, or tsuur (traditional flute without a mouthpiece), the throat singer’s gestures and body language are classic James Hetfield or Robert Plant. Temka on tovshuur (lute) is far more low-key, focused on creating the crunchy, sludgy, and sometimes playful riffs, while Enkush on throat singing and lead morin khuur (horse-headed fiddle) gets on with bowing the two-stringed instrument that can sound not unlike a herd of horses.
As the night progresses, it becomes clear that Gala is the real showman and cheerleader in the Gene Simmons mould. Despite playing the morin khuur, he spends a lot of time with arms (and horsehair bow) up in the air, gesturing rhythmically. He’s also the chattiest. But his biggest contribution is as lead throat singer, with the rumbling, droning vocal style of khöömei adding even more heft to The Hu’s already colossal live sound. That sound, in turn, reinforces the impact of and connection with the entirely Mongolian lyrics.
Very few in the audience tonight follow what’s actually being sung, but it’s impossible not to feel or understand the determination of Shihi Huti, unbridled joy of hard-rock jig The Triangle, celebration of This Is Mongol, fist-pumping euphoria of Bii Biyelgee, or battle cry of Wolf Totem. It’s equally difficult to be unmoved by the majesty of Black Thunder, the confident march that is Shireg Shireg, or the sheer ambition of The Great Chinggis Khaan saga.
By the time The Hu wrap their Roundhouse show with their translated makeover of Metallica’s Sad But True and those men in battle jackets sing along in English, it’s clear why these musicians, whose fans include The Rock and Elton John, whose name comes from the Mongolian root word for human being, recently became the first rock band named a UNESCO Artist for Peace.
The Hu
Roundhouse, London
9th December 2022
Photo: Naomi Dryden-Smith
- This article originally appeared on Louder Than War.
