A packed out show with all ages tonight at the Enmore Theater to sample the many faceted delights of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard supported by Tropical Fuck Storm.

Tropical Fuck Storm

Tropical Fuck Storm is the new offering created by Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin from the Drones, offering the next phase of unpigeonholable tunes with lashings of passion. Tonight’s drummer was a subbie, played by Cec Condon from the Mess Hall keeping the pace.

The set was a seamless transition from one song to the next until it was time for a guitar change, which saw Gareth having a little wander around trying to find his other guitar. Some quick help from the backstage guitar techs and he reappeared with a fresh axe to torture.

It was loud, a little bit unpredictable, but tremendously satisfying to listen to and experience live – something you cant get from just the recording – its great to see that artists like Liddaird are still driving music in different directions. Lots of different directions. There was lots of body writhing, guitar wielding and squealing notes, propelling guitars through the air and all over the stage; imprinting the songs onto the crowd and attacking all the senses. The subtle but infectious bass lines just seemed to make sense and bring it all together. There was even a chilling rendition of The Divinyls’ “Backs To The Wall”.

Check out their album A Laughing Death in Meatspace here to give you a little taste – but back it up with a live show if you can – you won’t be disappointed.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard sauntered out onto the stage – all 7 of them. This tribe originating from Victoria’s’ Geelong in 2010 are now pretty much a global phenomenon, taking their 21st century version of prog rock around the world – and the world seems to be lapping it up.

Opening up with the ostinato driven “Rattlesnake“, their 2 (count ’em) drummers played down a percussive hypnotism and solidly drove and kept the 3 (count ’em again) guitarists to a promise and consistent rhythm. Transitioning from one song to the next in almost a free form jam style they moved through a jenga pile of musical styles from 70s prog rock; a touch of sabbath; more than a pinch of Metallica; a little grunge to oil the bits; and the a smattering of jazz fusion. Guitar riff progressions were heavily eastern influenced to round out some lilting medieval melodies.

There were plenty of on stage antics, mainly from frontman Stu Mackenzie, with some guitar acrobatics as well as some gargoylian grimaces. This, of course, delighted the young and enthusiastically sweaty crowd, who showed their appreciation with constant eddies of mosh whirling around in front of the stage crushing up against the front of house barriers; occasionally ejecting the enthusiastic beyond the barriers or out into the rest of the sweaty throng.

And the Brown Note – there was a trippy edging around it, but in all the confusion it got slapped back to the 70s.