(words by TimelandIsWacky, art by grey_locke)
Welcome to the second annual KGLW.net Gizzies!
This year we’ll be releasing the results in a set of five batches over the next five days, all on this very page, so keep your eyes peeled!
2025 was a big year for King Gizzard! While things were quiet on the album front with only one major release, their touring schedule was wild with a second residency tour in Europe, a North American orchestral tour, the band’s inaugural Field of Vision festival, a return to Europe for a split rave/orchestral tour, and the first Australian tour in a few good years! So much happened that we can’t put it all here, but thankfully we have a way of figuring out the cream of the crop. Last year we did our inaugural Gizzies, an end-of-year retrospective trying to find the best of the best. This was a lot of fun to put together and it created a lot of discussion. With that response, a second installment was inevitable. Instead of doing a repeat of last year, however, we’ve made some big changes!
Some categories such as “Best On-Stage Mishap” didn’t reappear this time due to a lack of nominees, while “Best Live Transition” was too hard for us to define. However, many new categories were added. Some focused on the orchestra and rave shows while others, like “Best Drag Outfit” and “Best Magma,” were more general. All of this comes together to create the largest roster of categories yet! However, the biggest change was regarding how we got the votes. Last year we split voting between a public and private ballot, with the public ballot only having two questions while the majority of categories were limited to KGLW.net members. This year we went in the complete opposite direction, allowing anyone to vote for their favorites. 613 of you submitted ballots this year, which was far beyond our expectations and far beyond last year’s count of 268. It was very exciting to watch, and while some categories were extremely close, only one required a tiebreaking vote from us.
Let’s start with some show-specific questions.
Round #1
Best Orchestra Intermission: 2025-08-01 (Magma)
While the orchestral part of the Phantom Island tour brought a lot of speculation in the lead up to the first show, the intermission tracks were a true guessing game. Each night King Gizzard gave a fifteen to twenty-minute break to the orchestra after “Grow Wings and Fly,” allowing the band to jam and go wherever they wanted to. Some nights were microtonal, other nights were metal, so pretty much everything was on the table (except, ironically, anything to do with Nathan). With sixteen intermissions total, there was a lot of variety, but we wanted to see what everyone’s favorite was. With 18.6% of the vote, the Forest Hills “Magma” takes the title.
The jam out of “Grow Wings and Fly” was a bit ominous and mysterious, but it became clear relatively quickly where things were headed with Lucas’ bass entering the mix, leading to an extended intro which Stu settles right into. Things take a bit of a turn with a disco rhythm from Cavs, resulting in a massive jam with some teasing from Stu. Stu skips the “a rumble” section and instead goes for a blues rock riff which the band follows, giving the audience a quick moment to breathe before Cavs brings it right back to the heaviness, now with some sneaky “Dripping Tap” teases from Lucas. After an intense double time jam, things go full thrash metal to close it down. As one final gift, we get a tease-filled “The River” outro, bringing everyone back to the orchestral mindset.
Best New Orchestral Arrangement: Crumbling Castle
In addition to all of Phantom Island and the intermission, Gizzard brought six classic songs to the setlist with new orchestral arrangements. These spanned the band’s entire history, going from their early years with “The River” to the present day with “Dragon.” We asked you what your favorite new orchestral arrangement was and you overwhelmingly responded with “Crumbling Castle.” In fact, a little over half of the vote (51.2%) was just this song. It’s one of the biggest blowouts this year!
I think “Crumbling Castle” stands out for a few reasons. It’s one of the big Gizzard songs, of course. If there was ever a “greatest hits” album for the band, this would have to be on there. It’s also grand without the orchestra. From day one it seemed like this was locked-in as an orchestral song. However, I don’t know if any of us were prepared for how brilliant this new arrangement ended up being. It’s as if “Crumbling Castle” was always meant to have an orchestra on it. They kept up with the band, hitting hard for the big moments and getting mellow and mysterious for the middle. And then there’s the moment: the outro. For those out of the loop, the outro of “Crumbling Castle” was rarely ever played live, and it was never played with “Crumbling Castle.” For some reason it was paired with “Doom City,” of all songs, back in 2017. While a transition into “The Fourth Colour” isn’t bad by any means, the absence of the song’s outro has always been a lingering question, and a potential return has always been a hope for diehard fans. The Phantom Island tour brought that. For the first time ever, “Crumbling Castle” was played in its entirety, and it was glorious. A few people have said it's like that moment in a Godzilla film where you see him rise from the water. That’s a perfect description. It’s a standout moment of every orchestral show and you can tell by the audience reaction. You can even look at the band ducking out of view as a sign. This was special.
Best New Electronic Arrangement: Sense
There were a few categories this year where things were extremely close, but this was the one that required a tie-breaking vote. “Kepler-22b” and “Sense” both got 11.5% of the vote after trading off throughout the voting period. After a quick internal vote, “Sense” was crowned the winner.
This arrangement debuted during the band’s Plovdiv residency on 2025-06-09 and became a fan favorite over the year, ultimately making five appearances in total. While live performances of “Sense” typically switch between acoustic and electric versions, 2025 was the only year since 2021 where they stuck with a certain arrangement. Hard to blame them considering how funky this was. The driving rhythm with heavy arpeggiating synths is enough to get anyone on the dance floor, but Stu’s vocoder vocals by the end of the year gave it an almost Daft Punk vibe.
Most Interesting Live Debut: Fishing For Fishies
2019 was one of the most important years in King Gizzard history. Coming off of a year-long break from releasing music, they dropped two completely different albums: Fishing For Fishies and Infest the Rats’ Nest. Both took the band in new directions, with Fishing returning to blues rock while heading in an electronic direction akin to The Rockets, while Infest was their first metal outing. Both albums would be cemented in their legacy throughout the year as they played some of their finest shows. All of Infest would be performed live and Fishing was nearly completed on stage. Despite being released as a single, the title track was never performed live. In the years following, the band mentioned that they had rehearsed it but that they couldn’t get it right, and as the years went on it became one of the most highly anticipated debuts.
That all changed in Tilburg on 2025-11-06 when the band finally performed “Fishing For Fishies.” Strangely, this was not the studio version, but a completely new arrangement for their Eurorack system. It carried a different tone as well, serving as a more subdued take on the track, though it would end with an extensive jam. We only got to hear this one once on the rave tour but it left an impression for sure.
Round #2
Best Jam: 2025-08-17 Her & I (Slow Jam 2)
This category consisted of our notable versions, meaning there were many contenders here. An extended “Iron Lung” on 2025-06-05, the Maddy Jam on 2025-11-15; there is so much to choose from. “Her and I (Slow Jam 2)” only appeared twice in 2025 but its Field of Vision appearance won the Best Jam category.
Things start off with some “Am I In Heaven?” teases, a hint of what was to come in this eighteen-minute jam. The first verse is followed by some funky guitar work from Stu with Joey giving a fiery yet tasteful solo, eventually leading to a disco beat from Cavs that devolves into teases of “The River” and “Blindness” by The Fall. Funk takes a seat for a moment around the halfway mark when Stu brings the band back to the song proper. This quickly leads to a subdued instrumental portion with hints of the Babe Rainbow’s “Monkey Disco.” This slowly builds to a sinister jam that explodes when Ambrose’s harmonica kicks in, resolving with the final verse. It’s performances like this that make you wonder why the band rarely plays “Her and I” for us. Maybe it’s just too special to be common.
Best Magma: 2025-08-01 Forest Hills
I think it’s fair to say that “Magma” is the “oh shit” song in the band’s live repertoire. It’s the one where you know your face is going to get melted as soon as you hear Lucas’ bass coming in. Every time the band performs it, there’s always someone who says “this is the best version ever.” The response was warranted in 2025 with many standout performances and a new electronic arrangement entering the roster. However, for this new Gizzies category, only one can be crowned the best. Which performance of “Magma” was the best of the year? While Warrane and Athens put up a good fight, the Forest Hills “Magma” takes another win here.
We won’t go that much more in-depth about it since we’ve already covered it, but this one was massive, and there’s so many reasons why one would pick this over the others. It goes in so many different directions while never losing the intensity you’d want. Certainly one of the most experimental and unpredictable renditions of “Magma” to date. One for the ages.
Best Show Poster: Forest Hills
Best Show Poster was, by far, the most nailbiting category to watch this year. The trends made themselves clear from night one when the leader was only up by one vote. As the days went on Forest Hills and Sydney Opera House became frontrunners but were constantly fluctuating from holding a small lead to being stuck in a tie. Even up to the final days of voting, these two were neck and neck. In the end, Forest Hills would take the title, but only by one vote. Your vote matters, people!
This was Galea’s only diptych poster of the year, showing a fleet of lizard wizards flying through a fittingly hilly forest, all framed by branches of trees. It’s a perfect concept but Galea went a step further by differentiating the posters to fit what shows they were for. The first poster for orchestral night has the wizards playing violins, saxophones and trumpets, while the second poster for rock night has them sporting guitars and drums.
Favorite Nuclear Fusion Fan Participation: Dog
“Nuclear Fusion” continues to be one of the most exciting live songs just for the spontaneity of its intro, and 2025 didn’t disappoint, especially with this year’s winner Dog! Ambrose found him at the rail on night one of Field of Vision and it seemed destined to happen as soon as Joey saw him. Dog looked like he was pulled out of a western with his cowboy hat, flannel, and beard. He crushed the intro and got the crowd (and the band) pumped.
Round #3
Best On-Stage Antics: Stu Shaves His Head (2025-05-18)
It is May 18th in Lisbon. The first King Gizzard show of the year. A month ago it was revealed that Stu had shaved his iconic long hair after his kids got lice. By the start of the tour, it had grown back a bit, though it was far from where it had been last time we saw him. The show is fantastic with some really exciting jams (notably the “Antarctica” with Osees flair) but it gets heavy at the end as “Am I In Heaven?” turns into “Self-Immolate.” The intro is intense with the band incorporating elements of the previous song as a circle pit was in full swing. As Cavs enters his solo, however, the surprise of the year occurs. Stu puts his guitar down, grabs an electric razor, gets on his knees, and shaves his head. For the next few minutes, Stu continues to shave, even giving Joey and someone in the pit a turn with the razor. The cherry on top of this is the fact that the “Self-Immolate” itself is killer. Hard to top something this unhinged.
Best Drag Outfit: Joey
A staggering 45% of you chose Joey as the winner, and we get it. The ripped fishnet stockings and sleeves, the glasses, the brown shorts with checkerboard suspenders, the black socks with fire decals, and who can forget that iconic white top? He embraced the look with all those drops too. Baddest bitch of the night!
Favorite Opener: King Stingray
King Stingray has been a favorite for Gizzard fans for a while now, especially with their opening gigs throughout 2024 and their amazing performance of “Treaty” with the band. However, this was their first time on tour with Gizz since the departure of singer Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu. They joined King Gizzard for their European Residency Tour, starting in Vilnius on 2025-05-29 and staying until the end of the tour. We got to see their performance on 2025-06-10 streamed for the couch tour viewers and it was a great show: high energy and conscious (there’s a beautiful intro from Dimathaya Burarrwanga prior to “Get Me Out”). King Stingray continues to make a name for themselves in the global music landscape, and we’re all enjoying the ride.
Favorite Field of Vision Act: Babe Rainbow
The Babe Rainbow is one of those bands whose connection to Gizzard goes way back. In fact, it was Stu who found them and got them onto Flightless and produced their debut album. Their partnership has continued to this day with the Babe Rainbow now being a part of the p(doom) family with their latest album Slipper Imp and Shakaerator. They played three sets as part of Field of Vision, two of which were special. The Geoponika set at the Timeland stage on the 16th was heavy on the electronics with psychedelic synthesizers and drum machines leading to one of the most surreal shows of the fest. The next day was the Zodiac set, once again at the Timeland stage. This was a stripped back acoustic gig with drum machine and added sound effects like birds chirping, once again providing a unique vibe. Their final appearance was later that day on the main stage where they provided a funky, mind-bending run through their discography. Also, shoutout to Angus Dowling for not just having one drag outfit but two!
Best New Song: Deadstick
2025 was a slower year for new material with Phantom Island being the one and only studio album. That’s not to say that there wasn’t new material outside of this, however. Mango Sticky Rice and its strange modular experimentation got a lot of people’s attention, the band’s remix of Confidence Man’s “SICKO” was a nice deep cut, and “JOJAM” and “LUSEQ” from the rave shows were intriguing. With the ever popular “Phantom Island” and “Grow Wings and Fly” out of the running due to their debuts in 2024, would there be a Phantom Island upset? Unfortunately for the one person who voted for “Mango Sticky Rice X,” no. While “Aerodynamic” put up a good fight with 22% of the vote, “Deadstick” pulled through with 24.3%.
We won’t bore you with all the little details (that’s why song histories exist) but “Deadstick” stands out for a lot of reasons. It was our first single since “Phantom Island” and it was a rocker. Kind of a curveball from the previous track, but its infectiously catchy hooks, amazing vocal performances, and funky horn accents hit just right. The Guy Tyzack music video helped cement this one too!
Round #4
Best Rave Show: 2025-11-06 (Tilburg)
Tilburg’s rave starts with a massive set of three electronic arrangement debuts, starting with a funky “Ice V” with multiple teases and slick guitar work from Joey. From there we get electronic performances of “The Bitter Boogie” and “Muddy Water,” further strengthening the ties between these two songs. There is some heavy jamming by the end of “Muddy Water,” which allows the fourth song of the set, “Dreams,” to lift things. At this point in the set, it’s been nearly an hour, but the band hasn’t let up. This performance of “Dreams” is definitely the stronger of the two heard in 2025, with its intense jam that spirals into one of the hardest drops of the year. After an ominous ambient passage, “The Grim Reaper” arrives and things go off the rails with numerous quotes and Ambrose pushing his face into a cake which was brought on stage. “Swan Song” is the darkest moment of the night with its sparse yet hypnotic rhythm, leading to a spacey trance jam which ends with the biggest surprise of the night: the live debut of “Fishing For Fishies.” Just like “Dreams” before it, this one brought the vibe back and kept things from getting too heavy. The show ends on a massive “Smoke & Mirrors” > “Magma” which tore the house down, so much so that Ambrose had to crowd surf! Definitely a do-not-miss rave show between its amazing performances and unique debuts.
Best Orchestra Show: 2025-08-01 (Forest Hills Night 1)
The first night at Forest Hills was one of three orchestral shows streamed by Heaps Keen and is currently the only one officially available on YouTube. This is not to say that it wasn’t a standout show however, because this was a brilliant orchestral outing for the band which was only amplified by the immense crowd reaction in the stadium. “Phantom Island” had people screaming from the Orchestra of St. Luke’s intro alone, and the band locked in with the orchestra throughout to bring one of the best performances of the song. “Deadstick” gets another big crowd reaction and you can tell the band is pumped as Stu jumps around the stage. “Lonely Cosmos” and “Eternal Return” give everyone a moment to relax before cranking the energy back up with a fantastic “Panpsych.” An emotional “Spacesick,” and grand “Aerodynamic” bring us to a “Sea of Doubt” which ends with a massive guitar solo. “Silent Spirit” also has a great solo from Stu. Things get crazy with “Grow Wings and Fly,” now at a faster pace, and the intermission jam ending with the now-twice discussed “Magma.” Going into the classics, “The River” is a spectacle with the orchestra perfectly accenting the band throughout. Same goes for “Crumbling Castle” with its heavy verses and cinematic outro from Cavs and the Orchestra of St. Lukes. “This Thing” brings some tasty guitar work from Stu and Joey, as well as some fantastic harmonica playing from Ambrose. A crowd pleasing “Mars For the Rich” follows. It’s a highlight of the night for the band’s high energy, the impressive bass solo with orchestra, and the infectious crowd. Things continue with a performance of “Dragon” that seems to only get more and more brutal as it goes on. “Iron Lung” gives one last flash before the end of the night, with loads of guitar noodling and passionate vocal deliveries from Stu and Ambrose. While all of the orchestral sets were the same (barring the intermission), and while the orchestra shows altogether were amazing, the performances in this show stand out as particularly strong.
Best European Residency Show: 2025-06-04 (Athens Night 2)
The second night at the Lycabettus Theatre started strong with a rowdy “Gila Monster” and a monster “Motor Spirit,” giving the crowd a taste of PetroDragonic Apocalypse in its rawest form. Sticking with their C#-tuned guitars, the band launched into a tease-filled Mind Fuzz suite before making an unusual switch to their standard tuning guitars with a transition into a rocking performance of “The Balrog.” A smooth “Ambergris” brings the energy down nearly an hour into the show, while “Sad Pilot” picks up the tempo just a touch. “Iron Lung” comes through with an explosive section from Ambrose as well as “Phantom Island” quotes, hinting at the North American orchestral tour just around the bend. Another oldie enters the set with a tease-filled “Evil Death Roll”, which is then followed by a tasty “Muddy Water” -> “The Bitter Boogie.” The band returns to b741 with “Hog Calling Contest” with Joe Santarpia providing some incredible hog calls and a heavy ending jam. The show ends with Nathan on stage. “Kepler-22b” appears after a seventy-six show gap with its new electronic arrangement and transitions right into a nearly eighteen-minute performance of the Silver Cord favorite “Set.” There is fantastic jamming throughout this section, with “Set” in particular having some truly groovy passages. In retrospect, it certainly seems like a tease for what we’d see with the rave tour.
Best North American Tour Show: 2025-08-02 (Forest Hills Night 2)
The second night of Forest Hills was the only non-orchestral show the United States got prior to Field of Vision, and it certainly joined the fan-favorite lineup of sets from this venue. The show starts with metal, the band tearing into “Gaia” and giving Cavs time to solo. A rare “Predator X” appeared as the second song of the night, though it's not the only odd choice of the evening. The only PetroDragonic track of this show is “Supercell” and it's a strong performance. Another rarity appeared right after with “Superbug,” slowing the show to a devastating crawl that’s sure to get you headbanging. K.G. got a lot of love with “Minimum Brain Size” and “Oddlife” appearing as the only microtonal songs that night. The pair are notable as a rare instance of Joey playing the Flying Microtonal Banana, with Stu opting for a new microtonal guitar with a rainbow strap. Nathan is wheeled out for “Sense” -> “The Grim Reaper” -> “Set” -> “Extinction.” Nathan’s section is a treat, as usual, but “Extinction” is the standout with its hectic arpeggiators, heavy rhythms and chaotic outro. Nonagon Infinity enters the picture with “Wah Wah” > “Road Train.” We enter rare territory again with a fantastic “Let Me Mend the Past” and a completely sinister “Altered Beast IV.” “Ambergris” gives the audience a moment to breathe before a short b741 medley of “Sad Pilot” > “Rats In the Sky” (isn’t it strange that this and Athens had “Ambergris” and “Sad Pilot” back to back?). The show closes with a massive “Hypertension” with teases of “Extinction.” If 2024 hadn’t cemented Forest Hills as a favorite venue for King Gizzard, these two 2025 shows certainly did.
Best Field of Vision Show: 2025-08-16 (Night 2)
We separated Field of Vision from the North American tour not just because it was its own thing worthy of its own category, but because the question of which of the three nights was the favorite was more intriguing to us. Night two got 45.8% of the vote, with night three getting a decent 34.9% and night one only getting 19.2%.
Yet another metal opening section begins with “Gila Monster” to set the stage. They carried on with PetroDragonic by performing a blazing hot “Flamethrower” with eerie feedback and synthesizers. The metal section rounds out with a chaotic “Planet B” as rain pours down on the audience. Mind Fuzz gets some attention with a smooth “Slow Jam 1” which goes right into a massive bustout with “Empty.” It hadn’t been heard in over six hundred shows, making this the largest show gap in King Gizzard history! Speaking of Mind Fuzz, producer Wayne Gordon appeared on stage for a moment and the band did a performance of “Hot Wax” just for him. One of the most memorable moments of the show came when a fan named Callum was brought on stage to play “Superbug.” Between this and Ignas in Lithuania, it's been a great year for sit-ins! Nathan appears on stage for a fantastic “Magenta Mountain” which turns dark with “Forty Six & 2” and “Magm”a teases and a perfect transition into “The Grim Reaper.” It’s an exciting performance with a heavy ending that got the crowd moshing. “Flamethrower”’s outro appears for a few minutes before going into a dark “Swan Song” which evolves into a heavy groove by its end (it's really been a great year for “Swan Song”). Han-Tyumi appears for the Murder of the Universe suite, providing a rare moment as “Welcome To An Altered Future” was only played at Field of Vision in 2025. This makes it the second performance of the song with the rest of the suite ever. Another sit-in comes with “Le Risque” as Cavs leaves his drum kit to let Jay Weinberg tear it up and Cavs and Ambrose antics ensue. “Ice V” is a notable performance with its teases (notably a tease of the track “Ants and Bats” which hasn’t been played since 2010) and Joey picking up Stu’s flute for a bit. We get some more b741 representation with “Raw Feel” before getting another notable jam that evolves into an exciting “Hot Water.” An extensive, AC/DC-inspired “Boogieman Sam” rounds out their time with standard tuning before going to microtonals with “Straws In The Wind.” Like “Billabong Valley,” this song has become a vehicle for strange moments, and this was no different with Ambrose parting the crowd like Moses to get to the soundboard only to return with a pink Bass Pro Shops hat. A politically charged “Pleura” and energetic “All Is Known” bring us to the final song of the night: “Rattlesnake.” This was one for the ages with Dimathaya Burarrwanga and Yimila Gurruwiwi of King Stingray sitting in and providing some yiḏaki (didgeridoo) action and a nod to the legendary Yothu Yindi song “Treaty.”
Round #5
Best European Fall Tour Show: 2025-11-06 (Tilburg)
That’s not deja vu. Tilburg has won both Best Rave Show and Best European Fall Tour Show! Big debut, special arrangements, and some of the hardest jams of the tour. What more could you want?
Best Australian Show: 2025-12-13 (Sidney Meyer Music Bowl: rock show)
The band’s first Australian tour in years was an exciting (and overdue) one. Like the North American tour earlier in the year, it was split between orchestral and rock shows. Which performance would win the Best Australian Show title? The final show of the year! King Gizzard’s rock show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melborune on 2025-12-13 is a fiery one and its apparent right from the start with a killer “Field of Vision” that went right into a chaotic Altered Beast suite (“Altered Beast I” > “Alter Me I” > “Altered Beast II” > “Alter Me II” > “Altered Beast IV”). This was a rare performance due to the inclusion of “Alter Me II” which hadn’t appeared in over a hundred shows. If that wasn’t good enough, how about a transition into a fifteen-minute “Hypertension” with hints of AC/DC and Tool? Nearly an hour of nonstop rock there! They returned to b741 for a solid “Raw Feel” before hitting us with another awesome “Muddy Water” -> “The Bitter Boogie” combo. “Sad Pilot” delivers before “Le Risque” featuring Gaspard de Meulemeester on drums. It’s an explosive performance that you don’t want to miss!
“Trapdoor” is one of the most hectic performances of the night, with an amazing intro featuring Stu’s flute bouncing off of Joey and Cook’s guitars. “Empty” returns for its second and final performance of the year, while “Hot Wax” wraps up a small stretch of oldies. The band picks up their metal guitars to end the show. A brutal “Venusian 1” erupts to start, followed by a powerful “Witchcraft.” There’s one final flash of Rats’ Nest with “Perihelion” before a massive “Motor Spirit” sandwich with “Gila Monster” right in the middle. The band was on fire throughout this one. One of the highest energy shows this year!
Best 2025 Show: 2025-08-16 (Field of Vision Night 2)
You may have seen this coming. Field of Vision takes the cake for Best 2025 Show! There’s so much to point to in this one. The rare song appearances, the sit-ins, the fantastic jamming, the banter and teases… While all three nights of Field of Vision were iconic in their own right, night two was the most unpredictable. It’s an essential listen.
Best Moments
One of our favorite categories from last year was “Best Moments.” Instead of giving you a bullet point list of options, we let you write in your favorite memories from the year: cool moments at shows, fun times with friends, amazing fan meetups, anything you think fondly of! Last year we got so many responses we couldn’t put them all in, and we got even more responses this year! Here’s a smattering of good memories from the community.
"Met my girlfriend at Lisbon Residency day 2. Best thing that happened to me all year. Gizz rules!"
"My boyfriend and I went to Lisbon from Brazil to see King Gizz as his 40th birthday mega gift. We met Cookie walking through the city before the shows, and my boyfriend told him the whole story, that we came from Brazil just to see them, that it was going to be his 40th birthday, and that he'd love to do the Nuclear Fusion thing if they played it. All I could say was that I loved him so much. He was super chill and kindly offered to take a photo with us. On night 2, they did play Nuclear Fusion, but Joey picked Sylvia and David to do the thing. We felt a little sad for a moment, but the show kept going and we were happy again in no time. By the end of the concert, Cookie carefully peeled the setlist off the tape, came down from the stage, and handed it to my boyfriend and wished him Happy Birthday with a smile. It was the sweetest thing."
"Well, the afterparty in Barcelona was really something"
"Joey and Amby dancing like Elaine (Seinfeld) during Superbug at Barcelona"
"Had a sign saying: Joey's mustache is epic! Could you play Muckraker? It’s my favorite! Sadly, they did not play it but I got the setlist Barcelona n2 and the Prague show"
"Pink soup in Vilnius, also no signal"
"Ignus killing it on Stu's guitar during Dragon in Vilnius"
"Meeting my long distance friends for the first time in Athens and having fun with them at the shows, and meeting the guy that is now my boyfriend and getting to do the UK/EU tour with him and his crew :) life changing!!"
"Getting to meet the band due to a gps error in Athens."
"The group photo of everyone who did all the shows of the EU Residency Tour 2025... Still miss those people! ❤️"
"First time in the photo pit during Forest Hills, Stu threw his sock and it hit me in the face. (Smelled horrible.) A girl at the barricade asked me to give her the sock and I said: “I literally don’t want this” and gave it to her haha. Best part of the two nights was putting my head past the stage subs and listening to Cav’s play Magma (basically isolated). Very grateful to have experienced that."
"After being a hardcore fan for three years, I finally went to my first ever KGLW shows at Forest Hills! Everyone was so, so, SO kind and I met so many new people and friends there. Finally meeting my friends that I've known for years and years was one of the highlights of my year. The Weirdo Swarm is awesome <3"
"I got to go to my first gizz concert in FH and it might have been the most fun I’ve ever had in my life :] i met a ton of cool people there and am really happy to have been there"
"I went to both Forest Hills shows, and I had the physical tickets. The orchestra show was a misprint so I accidentally went to the pit instead of the stands. Tons of fun since that was my first time in the pit!"
"I loved the Meetup before the Chicago show <3 super cool"
"Getting my buddy Andy to his first Gizz show in Chicago. Seems fitting since he took me to my first Dead show in 92."
"Took my partner to Highland Park orchestral- her first show, my second, and our friend's fourth or fifth! As we waited to get in we met a young gizzhead in a jacket that said "DRAGON QUEEN" and her dad in a matching jacket. We had a lovely conversation about music before the show. If they see this, hi from the trio of curly haired dorks in matching Doom Gong shirts. i hope you guys were as excited to hear live orchestral Dragon as I was :]"
"My friend got invited by the staff at The Hollywood Bowl to the box seats up front for free and invited me to join them. It was such a sick show made even more memorable because of that!"
"Giving a random fan a ticket to the pit and catching Stu’s guitar pick after the San Diego show!"
"Getting Jello back onstage was awesome"
"Acid Yoga!"
"The pond at Field of Vision"
"MIRAGE CITY SHAKEDOWN AT FOV"
"Giving away stickers at FoV and seeing the joy of people receiving them."
"My brother and I met another set of brothers at Field of Vision and the four of us shared an uncanny amount in common down to simple life details like recent marriages and age gaps. Eventually we had a strange chant in the guttural gizz style that was just: “TWO BROTHERS!” We hung out at their tent after night two and they gave us some good acid that I promptly lost in the coming days."
"The double rainbow during Gaye Şu Akyol before King Gizz came on @ FOV"
"Drag Night as a whole 💜"
"Watching 2001: A Space Odyssey at Field of Vision and seeing Joey riding by in the back of a golf cart and pointing at the movie saying “good movie!”"
"I was baptized in Meadow Creek to give all my love and devotion to this band and everyone who loves them. Meeting people who are just as obsessed and discovering all the bootleggers. I look forward to making more memories together with my family & the weirdo swarm ❤️ "
"Watching my friends get married on the first day of FoV"
"Getting engaged at FoV on day 3, then they played a 20-minute “Her and I”. We’re getting married there this year!"
"Community response to Matt Gawiak's passing. Truly a great showing of the community supporting someone."
"Float Along tribute to Matt at FoV."
"My favorite Moment of 2025 was Brixton N1. I was turning 30 back then, and I had the best time of my life. The crowd was amazing, I did my first crowd surf, and I met a lot of interesting people (I think everyone was under the influence of something at the time, haha)."
"Staying at the Vienna meetup until 4am with new friends"
"Everyone dancing in the hallways for Sydney Opera House’s Daily Blues"
"I dressed up as the guys on Mind Fuzz for the Melbourne shows"
"Melbourne orchestra night: everyone standing up and going nuts for the Robot Stop intermission"
"Coming to Australia solo for tour, fully anticipating that I would do the shows & be wandering around the cities by myself…only to make such incredible friends I hung out with every single day <3"
"Phantom Island was absolutely amazing when it released and totally changed from the Gizz standards. It's raw, meaningful and emotional. By far some of their strongest work overall, especially thematically. Also, couch tour is fun as always -slaythemightyset ❤️"
"Watched a few streams with a friend over discord, such a vibe"
"Just how many times these couch tour streams came in clutch when I was feeling down in the dumps"
"Discovering the live streams as someone who used to love going to gigs but can’t now due to being disabled and immunocompromised, it’s been amazing being able to experience shows live from home. My cat always seems engrossed in the live shows too. Wish more bands did this. Favourite moment was hands down Ignas playing Dragon on Stu’s guitar in Lithuania. I still watch that video regularly, it just makes me happy."
"Hearing them play Empty for the first time in over a decade, even if it was just via Couch Tour, was a borderline religious experience for me. Didn't make it to any shows this year but missing that bums me out the most."
"seagreen"
"Really liked Stu saying he was gonna go on the street and scream at people. Also met Lucas while buying a Nonagon Infinity cd and he told me when the Australia Phantom Island tour was happening and where exactly the Melbourne shows were (before they got announced) and signed the cd"
"Winning the Pick em on my Birthday for the poster that happened to be my first Gizz show"
"Wondering what could’ve been: Roo Residency. Choosing not to be bummed about it anymore"
"Magma"
"Just discovered Gizz this June, have had the BEST time listening through the studio albums and am LOVING going through the live discography and can't wait for years to come!"
"I took photos during 6 shows and it was my first time following a band on tour in multiple countries, I had a wonderful time with queer and trans people and felt a sense of belonging in this great community. Also visited the UK for the first time."
"All of it. Thank you all."
That’s a wrap! We at KGLW.net want to thank all 613 voters for this year's participation! We also want to give a big thank you to everyone who visited the site, went through our setlist notes, used our forum, read our blog posts and song histories, interacted with Gizz Tapes and the King Gizzard Heardle, and kept up to date with the band alongside us. This site is a true volunteer effort on all fronts and we love working on it and providing updates. Stay safe, spread some joy and love, and let’s make 2026 a good year!