In a rush and can’t read the whole thing? Make sure to check out: “Theia” -> “Extinction” -> “The Grim Reaper”, “Gaia” and “Magma.”

Introduction

The penultimate show of the European leg of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 2024 world tour brings the band to Lyon, France. Exactly one year on from “drag night” at The Caverns, the band reprised this event to make a bold yet important statement. The boys were in top form, resulting in a slew of tight renditions of beloved tracks.

Show Rundown

To match their proud declaration of support for LGBTQ+ rights, Gizz opened with a bold synth-driven half-hour introduction. To kick the evening off, the boys delivered the live debut of “Theia”. In contrast to other renditions of songs from The Silver Cord, “Theia" in Lyon felt more focused and directed. The seamless segue into “Extinction” demonstrates this perfectly. There were certainly moments that felt loose, where the band was able to experiment and layer up some intricate motifs and throw in some quotes from “Motor Spirit'' and “Extinction”. On balance however, this performance sounded more cohesive.

Following a groovy version of “Extinction”, the boys were able to pull off another excellent transition into “The Grim Reaper”. Considering that they abandoned “The Grim Reaper” in Bristol, this attempt absolutely redeemed the hiccup from Thursday’s show. As has become a staple with “The Grim Reaper”, Ambrose was sure to throw in some lyrics from Beastie Boys’ “Body Workin’” and “Intergalactic”. For good measure, he also shared some phrases from Lil’ Jon & The East Side Boyz’s “Get Low” and Missy Elliot’s “Work It".

After The Shrimp Reaper’s moment in the spotlight, Cavs was given his (first) opportunity to steal the show during the breakdown of “Gaia”. Rather than building a monstrous ‘Gaia sandwich’ such as the one in Edinburgh, this version led into a proggy jam. As Cavs thrashed away at his kit, Joey, Cookie and Stu all played a rhythmically complex riff to complement the percussive chaos.

As the jam concluded and the closing solo section of the song returned, a rogue drink was thrown on stage, causing an interference with Stu’s pedalboard. This was handled efficiently by the band’s incredible crew, but it was certainly a disappointment following such a fantastic section of the show.

Unphased by the problem, Stu excitedly announced the follow-up track: “Converge”. The speed at which the band executed this number was frightening. They certainly did not miss a beat throughout the track, and pulled off yet another effortless transition into “Witchcraft".

Sticking with their C#-tuned guitars, Joey declared the next song to be “Inner Cell”, thereby kicking off the adored ‘Horology trilogy'. Despite only having an eleven-show gap, the return of the Horology trilogy felt overdue. This runthrough was great; Joey’s vocals were incredible throughout and he was undaunted by Stu’s syncopated riff. The transition into “Loyalty” seemed slightly longer than usual, though this could have just been due to a delay in the stream.

After a quick round of shots following the conclusion of “Horology”, the boys launched into the treasured ‘Mind Fuzz suite’. As Stu unleashed his signature screech from his BOSS DD-3 pedal, Joey returned to the stage unveiling a new outfit: a sparkly, iridescent dress. The tetralogy was energetic and playful, with Stu engaging in his usual guitar-swinging antics. Joey and Stu provided the driving riffs of “I’m In Your Mind” and “I’m Not In Your Mind” whilst Cookie provided some indulgent wah pedal sweeps. The boys transitioned effortlessly into “Cellophane” and wrapped up the suite with “I’m In Your Mind Fuzz”. Given all the energy contained within this portion of the show, you would be forgiven for thinking this was the show’s conclusion.

However, Gizz were able to squeeze in an eight-minute “Magma” jam. Stu was able to contribute some outstanding throat singing throughout this version, giving this menacing track a darker edge. As the song approached its conclusion, Stu hit a series of high notes on his guitar, providing some slow but intense vibrato to each. Simultaneously, Cavs once again took the spotlight position with his ferocious drumming. It is hard to even comprehend how he was able to pull off this sequence: he appeared to be hitting all of the sections of his kit at once. Following his final crashes, the show reached its natural close. For a show on the shorter side, the band packed an abundance of material into the ninety-minute set.

Closing Remarks

The penultimate show of King Gizzard’s Europe/UK 2024 tour was explosive and further cements this tour as one of the band’s best to date.