Words and Photography by Jakov Šafran

"What to expect?", the most prevailing question from a couple of Gizzard first-timers; we were waiting for the show to start and looking for refreshments to help make 37°C weather bearable. Apart from: "You can expect a great gig", I really didn't have a more thorough answer. I sought one by looking to the stage, where it seemed like a local music store had a showcase of their instruments to lure you into their shop. But nothing on that stage was there by happenstance, everything was ready to be used in the beautifully controlled chaos that was about to ensue.
So my friendly advice and a reminder when it comes to this band - whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned veteran, whether it’s albums or live shows — would be go in without expectations. Only thing you need to do is enjoy the ride, and in the words of John Dwyer: "dig in". The band has the wheel, you just need to let their creativity, energy, and musicianship hit you. And, boy, will it hit you...

Setlist:
Mars For the Rich, Converge > Witchcraft, Self-Immolate - ...double-footed flying dropkick straight to your face. As if scorching Padovian sun during the day wasn't hot enough, they decided to bring up the heat even more with a heavy opening to the show. Crocs are in sport mode, Flying V and Holy Explorer are in full throttle like they weren't beheaded a year ago, the band is sounding as tight as ever. Amby took his newly appointed role of beating the ever-living shit out of that poor little cymbal very seriously. Two Infest the Rats' Nest and two PetroDragonic Apocalypse songs to start us off.

Satan Speeds Up, Magenta Mountain, Kepler-22b - Time for a crowd to have a little breather and the dust in the pit to settle down. Bring out the flute. Satan Speeds Up, fourth time ever played, third time this year. Going by the verse and chorus, you could easily suggest this one to somebody looking for a '60s oldie first-dance-at-a-wedding song, if it weren't for a sinister guitar/flute riff and overall lyrical theme of the song. Nice to see it in a live rotation almost a decade after its release. Magenta Mountain gains a lot in a live setting with synth/key layering and guitar solo at the end, which just brings this track to another level. First times in life are always special, especially when it's a live debut of Kepler-22b. Sections of the song were helped with pre-recorded samples. A great ambient jazzy addition to an already huge live repertoire.

Doom City, Straws in the Wind - Doom City starts the microtonal part of the show. Straws in the Wind lets Amby get off his stage riser and present his showmanship/frontman capabilities. King Gizzard aren't really a sing-along band, per se, but the call and response bit during Straws is always fun. It's also the first noticeably extended song of the night, and marks a transition into a more "jammy" part of the show.

Boogieman Sam > Magma, Robot Stop > Gamma Knife > Iron Lung - This part of the show would be the nonverbal answer to the aforementioned "what to expect" question. This is what you can expect. It's not really something you can put into words, but you know it when it happens. It’s a part that puts that stupid grin on your face you walk around with after the show. During this stretch of songs I kept thinking this is the peak, they're going to start bringing the show to an end. But no, they just kept moving into a higher gear, climax after climax, highlight after highlight. Snippets, teases, improvisations, jamming, solos, songs gelling into one another, unpredictable and exciting. I don't want to highlight any particular song from this section, but I have to bring Magma ever so slightly above the rest. It's a great studio track, it's even better to listen to one of the bootleg versions, but nothing beats hearing it live. For me personally it's epitome of what live music is and should be, and why it's worthwhile to travel to experience live music.

Digital Black > Han-Tyumi > The Confused Cyborg > Soy-Protein Munt Machine > Vomit Coffin > Murder of the Universe - If they ended with Iron Lung, it would be more than enough and everybody could go home happy, but to top it all off with Han-Tyumi and the Murder of the Universe suite just gives this show a legendary status in my eyes.

What else to say, just an amazing performance all around. Almost two and a half hours, 19 songs for 2000 to 3000 people. Great band, great crowd, rarities, debuts, classics, something for both die-hards and casuals to enjoy, sprinkle it all with Jason's video projections and stage lighting, and you have a perfect Gizzard performance. You can't add or subtract anything from it to make it better. Fingers crossed they'll release the bootleg.

Check out Jakov's Instagram account for more excellent band photography.