Words by W.B.T.G. Slinger
King Gizzard's place in the Aus music scene is unique and perplexing. Rarely are we treated with live shows of the caliber that are viable in the US, so being given a moderately prominent slot at Splendour In The Grass is always going to be an interesting proposition.
Only having had a brief month off after the huge Residency Tour, and warming up for another busy Europe tour (their second for the year), King Gizzard graced Australia's biggest music festival for the first time since 2016 (or do we count this pre-recorded pandemic era virtual edition of the festival?).
In a decimated live music and festival scene, Splendour In The Grass remains as the last really huge music festival we have. In this way it is culturally comparable to Coachella or Glastonbury, even if significantly more humble in person such as with the abundance of young families and no antisocial behaviour in sight. Not to mention the festival itself is hanging on by a thread after what could be described as a disastrous 2022 for the event; many speculate that after this year it may be impossible to justify continuing to run it, so what to expect amid international booking difficulties and plummeting ticket sales?
Triple J (major sponsor of the event) music news producer Courtney Fry was on the ground and produced this succinct but valuable overview of King Gizzard's performance.
While we're talking of the ABC, all six band members were invited to cram onto the iconic Rage couch to chat with Lucy Smith about setlists, music videos, and the Tennessee drag performance from the Residency tour:
But here's how the set went down:
Rattlesnake - This is about the closest they have to a classic opener for this type of crowd (my third time seeing the song in my four shows). It is well practised and landed predictably, getting everyone moving and questioning what next.
Pleura - We usually get similar styles of songs clumped together to minimise guitar changes, and microtonal songs are no exception. Out of the last few times they have played Rattlesnake, it is almost always the first of the microtonal bunch, and usually followed by a song from K.G. or L.W. including by this exact song their last time out.
Self-Immolate - As one of only two songs in the whole set that weren't played at the previous show (The other is Ice V), things were really ready to start warming up. Cavs let us know what was coming with his double tom/kick hits, while Joey took the moment to discuss some local politics. Starting with an acknowledgement that the country we stood on was stolen from, and never ceded by its original occupants; then that the band would be voting yes in the upcoming Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum to our first nations population a chance to advise on legislation that would affect them. He encouraged everyone present to do the same, and to 'change shit up'.
It was freezing cold and Self-Immolate did its job well, not only ushering in more energy but accomplishing some foreshadowing.
Supercell - A clean partial segue got us started with the Australian debut of any PetroDragonic Apocalypse songs, and this one nearly seemed to take on a little AC/DC vibe for the occasion. If the studio album was impressive in its technical chops, the live performance is impressive in how effortless it seems for the band to keep up with themselves, and fit this into a set.
Witchcraft - We'd had fire and storms, and it was time to get wiccan. This is one of the most intense PDA tracks that has made it into the setlist rotation, and three metal songs in they still had plenty of heat to do it justice.
Ice V - It was time to move on, but little did I suspect how much would fit into the rest of the set. Joey's notification that it was time to dance was well received by the crowd, who all obliged him enthusiastically. While the last three songs are all jammy in nature, they didn't really have the time to fully let them loose, but no reason to not get funky, which they did.
The Dripping Tap - With the playing field levelled in the crowd by raging and dancing, TDT produces great festival vibes for everyone to have a more general good time. Ambrose took front and centre stage on the lowered platform at head height, and rowing pits were aplenty.
Magma - The jams had been great, but what was it all building toward? Little could I tell both previous songs had been shortened in length, all the better to extend this epic conclusion that also begun in a partial segue. The finale was built on seemingly endless layers of sound that kept rising and rising until they couldn't any more; in a massive moment proving that King Gizzard are more than capable of delivering the biggest live show of the festival, in their own way and on their own terms.
Listen here: