It’s an awkwardly mixed assortment of classic funk, disco and rare groove that gets heads nodding as 170 Russell starts to completely pack out with fervent fans and followers who jostle for pole position in front of the stage. No one here doubts that Good Friday is about to even get better.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic get the party well and truly started when they unleash their unique brand of funked-up musical goodness. Since his last Australian tour a couple of years back, Clinton has shaved off his rainbow-coloured dreads and lost the flamboyant clothes. Barely recognisable, but looking dapper in a double-breasted suit and red tie, Clinton looks more like he’s leading a jazz big band than a psychedelic funk outfit that is about to beam itself in from the outer reaches of the chocolate milky way. 

Admittedly, we approach tonight’s show with trepidation. Over successive tours Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic have dealt Australian audiences some mind-blowing moments, but the legendary funkateers have also hit plenty of wonky notes along the way. In what seems like unbridled chaos, the grooves that emerge are tightly wound and irresistibly funky. Mothership Connection feels as gloriously deep as it ever has with Parliament Funkadelic dropping a completely on-point set. The hits of the ‘70s extend into wild and furious jams effortlessly morphing from candy-coated pop into free-jazzy vibes and hard-grinding rock. But the music feels as joyously fresh and funky as the day it was released. They even mix in tunes from Funkadelic’s latest album, which features contributions from Sly Stone, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Fred Wesley in amongst a cast of thousands. 

At 74, Clinton is just as keen as anyone to party well into the night as anyone else, but he has also learned his limitations, relying on backing singers and guest vocalists to help him get through the evening. Over the years his voice has evolved into a thick, deep growl, which, although less agile, is still good for a decent scream or howl. Parliament Funkadelic has now become an intergenerational thing with Clinton’s granddaughter dropping Something Stank; an ode to weed that has the crowd throwing plenty of roll-your-owns at the stage. Garrett Shider, son of the deceased starman Gary Shider, plays guitar and a couple of the backing vocalists are introduced as granddaughters of the brides of Funkenstein.

The swagger of Bop Gun (One Nation) certainly frees our minds. We have seen them do it before, but tonight cuts such as Flashlight and Atomic Dog simply power-drill themselves into our brains. Clinton becomes a preacher in the revival church of funk when the surreal spoken-word poetics of Maggot Brain cross his lips. The tune’s searing guitar solos are generously provided by Ricky Rouse and the legendary Blackbyrd McKnight, and they reach for the heavens to provide a truly out-of-mind-and-body listening experience. Starting just after 9.30pm, this gig epically rolls on for an exhausting-but-spellbinding three-and-a-half hours. At 1am the crowd screams, “We want the funk!” Clinton and his funky gang of about 17 players certainly tear the roof off this sucker.