San Diego trio The Schizophonics have landed on their first Australian tour and are on a mission for madness and mayhem. Joining them at the Marrickville Bowlo are Grinding Eyes and Sk8ergrrrl.

Sk8ergrrrl

Self-described as an indie rock band from Kings Cross, Sk8ergrrl are 5 young grrrls that are obviously fans of fuzzy, indie, pop tunes…. and Avril Lavigne. Their line-up of drums, bass, guitar and vocals pump out a full sound that takes you back to the jangly, indie, guitar sounds of the Sydney scene in the 80’s.

With that fresh out of the school auditorium look, they performed a set list that was smattered with covers and original poppy tunes, but only really started to get animated when hitting some harder edge tunes which seemed to let them loosen up a little. And then they stopped.

Grinding Eyes

The lights went out, psychedelic projectors came on and whole bales of incense were burned, enveloping the stage in an aromatic mist. Stepping onto the stage through the gloom came local Sydney psych rock troupe Grinding Eyes.

Amps were set to over-overdrive and every flanging and phasing pedal ever made was turned on as they brought their sonic onslaught to the Bowlo. Playing as a trio, they had everyone’s attention, not only in this venue, but also in the next couple of suburbs.

It was swirly, it was sonic, psyched out and droningly hypnotic. Picture a cauldron with some bubbling Jimmie Hendricks purple haze, throw in a robust handful of dirty Sonic Youth, some I don’t care Jesus and Mary Chain feedback; and then stir it all up with a solid branch of My Bloody Valentine – that will have your Eyes Grinding.

Schizophonics

From the moment the Schizophonics stepped onto the stage, you knew that the handbrakes had been ripped out of the roller-coaster.

With Lety Beers nailing down the solid drum beat for Blake Lindquist on bass to hang on to; a wide open gate is left for Pat Beers come out swinging and bucking like a bronco with a tack under the saddle.

Pat moves and sounds like a combination of Mick Jagger, James Brown and the Psychotic Turnbuckles. He wields his guitar like a wrecking ball, occasionally smashing away at it and producing ridiculously amazing sounds, riffs, licks…all while swinging it around his neck, waist and around the stage. And all this time also on main vocal duties!

The whirling dervish that Pat becomes, just does not let up for the whole show…..bouncing, jumping, rolling, with more energy than a Tesla industrial battery array.

We find out after an hour of wild psychedelic action and an amazing show, that he’s fighting a bit of sickness tonight & not firing on all cylinders. I can only imagine the chaos if he was fighting fit.

Check out their first album, Land of the Living, here for a little insight to the energy packed groove filled garage that makes them jump. Better still, keep an eye out for when they are coming your way – NOT TO BE MISSED!

And that Brown Note…I think it was in that bubbling cauldron that Grinding Eyes were simmering, but was blasted away by a Schizophonic onslaught.