Live Review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Dr Piffle & The Burlap Band, West Thebarton Brothel Party

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s Gizzfest was an absolute blast. With diverse line-ups across the country Adelaide’s definitely had its own flair with the addition of a few members from BAD//DREEMS spinning tracks between bands. In a world where every band and their dog are sure to begin curating their own festival, King Gizz’s hand-selected crop is one worth raising your eyebrows over. 

Glass Skies opened proceedings with the most mature and hard-hitting sound of the evening, their material taking heed of the Deep Purples and Black Sabbaths of the past. Riffs flew through the air as the audience began to positively drip with atmospheric groove. Psychedelic visuals from a projector screen complemented the performance as it spanned from an authentic ‘60s sound to a crop of new singles purporting a heavy industrial ‘90s style. Glass Skies are turning heads and steadily gaining momentum. 

West Thebarton Brothel Party took the stage, their line-up now extended to a minimal eight onstage members. The chaotic pub rock certainly contained a sheer volume of energy and the charisma behind the vocals was great. It’s also interesting to see the band verge upon some obscure psychedelic sounds in a way that’s subtle and less colourful than the sheer vivid nature of, say, King Gizzard. 

Dr Piffle & The Burlap Band were the least impressive of the supporting bunch, sticking out like a sore thumb, their old-school country sound halting the flow of the evening. The excitement was low but their audience was by this point large. You know? Where’s the whammy bar, Dr Piffle?!

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard rocked from start to end. Transforming the concert instantly into a party they generated the kind of childish release that reduces grown men into positively-charged electrons, buzzing spastically around the room as the trademark sound of the band incited feelings of accelerating faster and faster through the universe. Inflatable alligators flew through the air as the sea of bodies heaved. Though they come across as slackers this mildly disguises the fact that they’re musical geniuses. Their rendition of The River, the first single from their latest LP, had King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard on the precipice of intangible musical discovery.