Live Review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Our local psych-rock heroes King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard take the stage, acknowledge Juicy Jay on the (swirly) visuals and then we're off! As are the shoes of many crowdsurfing enthusiasts: a Chuck Taylor gets some airtime and we later see the same/another stray Chuck Taylor comedically used as a shoe phone by one punter before Ambrose Kenny-Smith leans forward from the stage, grabs it and then holds it aloft before flinging it back into the crowd. As well as conjuring a continuous swell for the unofficial Crowdsurfing Olympics, there's also always at least one pair of crutches brandished skyward at Gizz gigs — their fans are fearless! The soundtrack for our mayhem is very much pulled from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's latest Nonagon Infinity masterpiece, there are some repeated sonic motifs from its title track and this multi-headed, face-melting beast has never been more ready for world domination — People-Vultures, YIEW!

A dude on his mate's shoulders in the throng stays up there throughout Mr Beat, seemingly claiming the song's title to describe himself as he punches the air while his mate barges through the crowd in circular motion. Has this band changed over a coupla band members or have they just grown beards/dyed their hair? A couple of 'em look unfamiliar. How it doesn't all sound completely shambolic is Gizz's very own secret herbs and spices recipe. You can tell these musicians all genuinely get their rocks off up on stage when allowing themselves moments of head-nodding appreciation as they lock into a groove and sound immense. It's as if they're the soundtrack to the party of your life and that's before they drop Cellophane, during which even the venue's mirror balls swing from the ceiling. They 'try out' a "new new song" as one punter crowdsurfs to the stage, jumps up to play air guitar and then launches into an epic stage-dive before a further 40-second crowdsurf — gold! Then in comes Trapdoor; it's a communal, 'FUCK, YEAH!' The song's title goes a long way toward describing what it looks like when crowdsurfers are sucked back into the throng.

A giant with a ginger beard pushes one of the speakers bordering the stage, it doesn't move. He leans in gently, listening, as if he can't get close enough to this music; he actually wishes he could inhabit the speaker. The River makes flotsam and jetsam of fans, ushering in some The Doors-esque sultry to break up the convulsing. And none can resist this song's "WAH-WAH!" shout-along. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard members do genuinely interact with the first couple of (crazy) rows, which is commendable.

They constantly break the 'Never play more than two new songs in your set' rule, but then again King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have always shrugged off rules. If hearing these songs for the first time you still couldn't help but get involved, but all in the house are well versed in Nonagon Infinity anyway. A chick stage invades for a bit of air flute and then masterfully stage-dives back into obscurity. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are the aural equivalent of Pop Rocks, creating the kind of buzz that makes you wanna stay up raving all night (and well into the following day).

Side note: NEVER WEAR YOUR BEST CLOTHES TO A KING GIZZ GIG.