King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard @ The Croxton
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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard @ The Croxton

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Walking into a King Gizzard gig is like preparing for battle. The looming sense of danger translates into a giddy thrill for most punters, and when the house lights go off it’s every person for themselves. All you can do is get swept up in the music and hope you don’t sustain a serious mosh pit injury in the resulting frenzy.

Label mates Orb kick off the night’s proceedings with their signature brand of progressive hard rock. The three-piece looked tiny on The Croxton stage but what they lacked in members they made up for in a wall of impressive sound.

Miraculously King Gizzard show no signs of weariness despite tonight being their third consecutive night at The Croxton. Storming through the first four tracks of Nonagon Infinity, it surprisingly takes the rowdiest of the audience three songs to start hurling themselves off the stage, with Gamma Knife serving as the perfect catalyst. Mr Beat gives the audience a brief moment of respite before the band launch into the Mind Fuzz suite that makes for a wild ride each time it gets a live airing. Cellophane proves to be a resounding favourite, taking things to the next level even when you thought things couldn’t get more out of control.

Throwing a few new songs into the mix for their test audience, it’s clear that King Gizzard could play just about anything and receive a raucous reception. Trapdoor and The River are the band at their most experimental, with the latter shifting gear seamlessly throughout the song to keep everyone on their toes. A reprise of opening track Robot Stop rounds out the set and demonstrates the band’s unparalleled ability to loop their music. Just when you thought it was all over, Orb return to the stage for a supercharged version of Hawkwind’s Silver Machine. It’s the perfect shambolic end to a gig that proves once again that King Gizzard are the most exhilarating live band in the country.  

While their legend may proceed them, King Gizzard show no sign of stopping anytime soon. Delivering mind blowing live shows comes naturally to them and it’s a testament to their talent that you’ll always bump into the same people at their gigs. What’s around the corner for them is anyone’s guess but when it comes to King Gizzard, one can safely assume it’s going to be something of epic proportions.

WORDS BY HOLLY PEREIRA

IMAGE BY IAN LAIDLAW

Loved: Seeing a guy spend most of the set crowd surfing.

Hated: The weekend catching up with me mid set.

Drank: Carlton – what else are you meant to drink at The Croc?