Live Review: Vista Chino, Gay Paris

A bewilderingly small crowd were scattered around the cavernous Metro, deciding whether they could get away with sitting down up the back or leaning on walls the entire evening. However, if anyone was equipped to turn the awkward Tuesday-night-after-long-weekend vibe into a blistering rock party, it was local heroes Gay Paris, whose reckless, ultra-high-energy riffs and commanding stage presence shook the hesitant crowd to its core. The assault of dense, tightly-wound tunes as well as the onstage antics of the band (who made plenty of use of the stage's real estate) took what could've been an awkward opening slot and turned it into an intimate (like... sweaty, thrusting, beer-spat-all-over-the-front-row intimate) yet colossal party.
Vista Chino were formed out of the ashes of '90s stoner-rock pioneers Kyuss, with guitarist Bruno Fevery taking the place of original member Josh Homme (who has understandably been otherwise occupied), and still pack every bit of the power and character that characterised the band's original output. New tracks from the band's debut Peace blended perfectly into a well-balanced greatest hits set, which speaks to the unwavering quality of the band's hazy blues-metal tunes. And in spite of the rocky road that led to a show like this (Homme and bassist Scott Reeder had taken legal action against the band, who had been using the Kyuss moniker on a previous tour), all four members seemed thrilled to be back on stage, churning out tunes old and new. While Bruno Fevery is by no means Josh Homme, his chops and energy left no-one wanting, as he comfortably dished out the fuzz-coated riffs. However, it was the whirlwind energy of drummer Brant Bjork that stole the show – subtle and creative, while still gutsy and intense. A generous encore capped off the band's 90-plus minute set, leaving the crowd satisfied, even after a 15-year wait for some.