Live Review: Shonen Knife, Za!, Glass Skies

Shonen Knife make their return to Australia after a whopping 18 years with one of the most eclectic line-ups on the face of the planet. Writers use the word 'eclectic' a lot when they are stuck for an adjective but this bill really applauded the word's true definition, being ‘deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources’. This was done in great taste and legendary fashion. 

 

Glass Skies are one of the seminal live acts in Adelaide, turning heads with their enormous yet calculated sound and drawing equal inspiration from Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd while abstaining from actually ripping them off. The enormity of their sound is esoteric as it also feels self-contained within a uniquely subterranean bubble, in most part due to the unique vocal sound of the band. Twisting and turning through the soundscapes of their debut EP, which can be found free of charge online, the band can sound as gentle as Tame Impala (who Glass Skies just so happened to support years ago at the very same venue) on tracks such as their single, Lemonade. Next thing you know there is cumulative heavy riffing bringing in the set expertly on a ten-string guitar, and it is over as quickly as it began. 

 

Za! made their Australian debut quirkily and astoundingly with their Spanish brand of genre creation, blending elements of vocal looping, afro chants, jazz trumpets, dirty electronica and huge guitars riffs  together to create some poly rhythmic funk behemoth. And that is seriously but to name just a portion of the influences incorporated in their sound. They began their set outside the venue, where the drummer created a rhythm by banging on the floor and walls of Jive as his multi-instrumentalist partner ran around spurting sporadic trumpet sounds. They proceeded to make music that could not possibly have been rehearsed but totally was for the next hour or so. 

 

Shonen Knife ensured that an ear-to-ear smile was stretched across the faces of all in the crowd, unless they were dancing their hearts out as the band delivered a relentless set full of classic punk and traditional rock and roll tunes. There was even a dash of heavy metal later in the set. True stalwarts of their genre Shonen Knife have their song writing down to a fine art, with such essential repetitious lines as ‘Banana Lips’ and ‘I love green tea ice cream’ making the lyrical content of their music; it was a jovial night of absolute fun and joy. They closed with a beautiful cover of Blitzkreig Bop.