Live Review: Gizzfest

Walking into Luna Park conjures childhood memories. The glinting lights and the giant smiling face welcome you in to a veritable wonderland. When Melbourne's King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard come to town, however, this old feeling of innocence is blended with the anticipation of some dirty-bad fun.

This explosively eclectic and prolific band brought with them a host of equally zany and headbang-inducing musical acts who cut through the warm spring afternoon that turned quickly into evening. With the backdrop of the iconic harbour bridge and the ecstasy of childhood wonder, Gizzfest was in full flight.

The rides (included in the price of admission) riled up the revellers for the equally exhilarating musicians. Orb laid out the psychedelic red carpet for this rock-heavy festival, with songs like the noisy Sabbath-esque Migration. Victoria's Stonefield wowed with songs from their new album As Above So Below as well as older songs; the sister act showcasing earthen psych-rock vibes. Mild High Club brought dreamy overtones in re-imagining '70s soft-rock, complete with bittersweet synths, lackadaisical guitar and meandering bass lines. They showcased their hazy brilliance on songs like the title track from their latest offering, Skiptracing. The Murlocs found their groove somewhere between hard-hitting power chords and soulful melodies, topped off with the electrifying harmonica skills and cut through vocals of Ambrose Kenny Smith.

Boulevards showcased his jazz, blues and R&B roots, seamlessly blending pop stylings and funky bass lines, getting the party started with onstage shenanigans on songs like Got To Go and Patience reminiscent of The Sugarhill Gang and Prince.

White Fence took us back to the mid to late '60s with a performance bringing to mind The Who and The Velvet Underground, lead singer Tim Presley sending the crowd into a misty reverie with songs like The Wink.

Danish artist Dinner lulled the audience with some retro pop tunes that felt muggy and slightly at odds with the rest of the bands. Body Type completed a stellar travelling circus of local and international acts.

Penultimate act Pond gave a spirited performance, trawling through songs both and old and new and breathing life into a hot and heavy crowd. Crowd favourites like Moth Wings and You Broke My Cool enlivened the audience. The latter provided a choral cue that brought the crowd together in a moment of palpable good vibes; the former with a hair flailing, face melting riff.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard then thrilled us with tunes that have become a mainstay of the Australian rock scene. They gave abridged versions of a plethora of songs and created a sound that strayed the bounds between cherubic and demonic. Trance-provoking riffs led into unfettered eruptions of sounds in songs like I'm In Your Mind and Rattlesnake. Gizzfest was a bric-a-brac of lights and colour, narcotics and neighbourly love, the visuals adding a vivacious and phantasmagoric backdrop to an equally rambunctious litany of acts. This grouping of artists was a true testament to the indefatigable passion and poise of the Gizz. Luna Park's Big Top never saw a circus as mad and macabre as this.