I just got home from seeing their Melbourne gig and I have to say I was blown away.

I'm the first to admit I've got a soft spot for Japanese percussion and it's fair to say that I may be a little biased by the fact that it's one of my favourite types of acoustic music.

That said the fact that I love it means that I've seen a lot of drumming troupes (both Taiko and Wadaiko - Japanese in origin and otherwise) and these guys left everything else in their wake. Their drumming was powerful and exceptionally precise and, unlike several Taiko troops I've seen, the guys and girls from Drum Tao really went out there to perform. What impressed me the most however was the fact that throughout it all regardless of what they were doing the drumming maintained an exceptional standard.



The crowd loved every second and four encores later we made our way from the hall. It's probably a comment on the troupe's skills and showmanship that most crowd lingered well after the music had stopped.

If you get a chance to catch their current tour I highly recommend it.