It was a few months ago that a friend recommended King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard to me. I’d never heard of them and going by the name I figured they would be pretty out there. They are. However, it’s fantastic to hear their blend of hard/progressive/psychedelic rock in 2018 and they do it so well. Whether it’s with 8 minute wonders or the use of distortion and infusions of jazz and folk, these guys know how to get it done. So, when I heard they would be playing here I said I’d get myself a ticket, despite only hearing two of their records at the time. That gig was in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin last Friday, and here’s how it went…
Venue
The Olympia Theatre is my favourite venue in Dublin. From its wonderful decor to the closeness you feel to the act, it’s got it all . Oh man if those walls could talk. I was seated in the circle which at first I was worried wouldn’t be ideal but in fact it was actually perfect. I wanted to catch some videos and luckily they came out as best as possible, devoid of any fuzz.
Support
Mild High Club support King Gizzard and although I haven’t heard much of their stuff, I really enjoyed them. Really chilled, their an ensemble put together by Alex Brettin who and they’ve featured on the record ‘Sketches of Brunswick East’ with King Gizzard. It’s not as far out as the King Gizzard sound but they were the perfect act to get everyone in the mood.
Main Act
Fantastic show. Two drummers, two lead guitarists and largely shared vocals, they really know how to get the most from their diverse talents. They played all the favourites, ‘Rattlesnake’, ‘Nuclear Fusion’, ‘Crumbling Castle’ and ‘Robot Stop’ to name just a few. I didn’t keep track of how many tracks they played but the set was pretty much non stop. Lead singer Stu Mackenzie wouldn’t have been the most vocal and interactive lead singer I’ve ever seen but who cares, they were there to play music. They didn’t miss a beat and with songs such as ‘Nuclear Fusion’, a personal favourite, they had it down to a tee. ‘Rattlesnake’ in particular got the crowd going wild and you could see the band respond. Sadly, there was no encore as a few members had taken a short break about 2/3’s of the way through. Nevertheless, a brilliant show. I should have more to say on it and the songs but I was too bust enjoying myself. Sorry not sorry.
Sound/Visuals
It’s the Olympia. What else would you expect but crystal clear sound? Mild High Club opted not to have any visuals but King Gizzard did have some funky projections, such as barren lands, various shapes and honestly, a collection of random images and colours that I don’t think anyone was supposed to understand. Worked just fine for me though!
Overall
Savage. Great live act, they get you going and squeeze as much as possible into the set. They gave us a good 1 hr and 45 minute show that consisted of some songs that were just run into each other. Great stuff. Oh, and I got the t-shirt!
G.M
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