[GIG REVIEW] King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards w/ YAK @ Electric Ballroom 18th Feb 2016

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards and YAK graced the Electric Ballroom in Camden last week to perform a one of the wildest gigs I have ever been too. With King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards headlining, the show was already set to be an intense one, however YAK as support only made the line up more explosive.

When I heard YAK were on before King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards I could not have been more excited. I've read numerous reviews about their ridiculous and over the top stage performances and they did not disappoint. YAK not only bring a new breed of dirty grunge rock to the scene but also the most entertaining show I have ever seen live. I lost count at how many time the lead singer, Oli Burslem, threw himself backwards into the audience. It is entirely refreshing to watch a band who aren't precious about their instruments, or bodies for that matter. YAK served perfectly as a crowd warm up and had the entire audience throwing themselves into each other moments into their set. I have the highest hopes for these guys and their future as a band.

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards begun their set with a very tension heavy rendition on what I thought was music from Star Wars - but it worked and was more interesting and anticipation building than most other bands I see headline shows as big as electric ballroom.

The experimental Melbourne groups opening song, Danger $$$, chimed 70s guitar vibes that took me back in time. Together with their psychedelic - static tv - back drop King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards set an atmosphere that is completely unique to their invented genre. It couples acid trip rock with modern grunge indie and even laces in some poppy hooks. They're quick changes from melodic, ethereal melodies swaying in and out of tune to dark, overdriven thrash rock kept me reeling. 

My favourite aspect of their set was when lead singer, Stu Mackenzie, whack out a flute and begin performing the most rock and roll flute part in existence. I honestly never thought I would see a flute be played so gracefully on a swelling psychedelic back drop but I guess there's a first time for everything. It was as though I was watching a drug-fuelled jam session.

The crowd, and myself included, were most excited for Hot Wax and the atmosphere in the room burst into energy as the bass line kicked in. Viciously fuzzed guitars weaved in and out and solidified my primary opinion on King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards: completely unhinged and utterly fantastic.

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Gig Review... Little Comets @ Electric Ballroom, London, 20th February 2014

In an industry where artists are continually complicating song structures and rhythms to be unique and stand out from the masses, Little Comets prove that simplicity and a refreshed take on old fashioned genres (in this case, indie) can be just as effective. The Geordie four-piece have been planted duly just outside the big time for a while now, with albums In Search Of Elusive Little Comets and Life Is Elsewhere becoming a staple part of many young music lovers arsenal. The previously described “kitchen-sink indie” band have gained a large and loyal fan base over the years – apparent by the many screeching young teens at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.

Misprinted names (my name is not Mayor) halted entry into the venue; meaning I was unable to catch Bwani Junction open the night – but in true journalistic fashion, I asked a reveller who described their set as “super rad”. Next up were Cattlefish & The Bottlemen, who sped through a nippy setlist including ‘Rango’ and ‘Homesick’, only breaking between songs to comment on a young man’s afro and to chat up some rather ardent girls. Collapsing supporters, incorrect first aid and overpriced Red Stripe (£4.20, seriously?) did not distract as Little Comets walked on stage. They wowed London with their intricate guitar riffs, energetic grooves and anthem-like choruses. The performance itself is your routine Little Comets gig: simple, mostly easy-going, with a hint of blissful audience interaction. The presentation was simple yet effective too, proving that the band’s music is enough to explain the sell-out show and no stunts or gimmicks are required. The overall effect made it feel a lot more intimate than apparently possible in the large venue.

                Opening with ‘A Little Opus’ set the tone of the gig as the Geordie four-piece worked their way through harmonious, sweet sounding indie via the practice of fiddling guitars and cooing backing vocals. Although not as punchy and calypso-esque live as on record, the equalization of the song (and the rest of the gig) was impressive with the vocals being supported gently by the guitars and background percussion without any fight for audio dominance. ‘Violence Out Tonight’ and ‘Waiting In The Shadows In The Dead Of Night’ incidentally explore rape and break-up but perfectly fit in with the popular indie anthems that most of the young crowd have come accustomed to – most likely down to the subtle boost given to the bass and drums helping the drop beats compete with the hard-hitting lyrics. ‘Little Italy’ and ‘Tense/Empty’ showcased the band’s developing maturity (much different to the last time I saw them) by adding a new, smooth dimension to their characteristically pulsating shows. Of course the youthful, notable classic ‘One Night In October’ got the biggest reaction of the night as it moved the crowd from front to back, side to side, and up and down; during which a ‘mosh pit’ (I wouldn’t count it as one) broke out – a sad common occurrence with young crowds.

The band continued the indie disco fodder mid-section by running through the intro of ‘Bridge Burn’ before mixing it straight into ‘W-O-E’ and then ‘Isles’. Lead singer Robert Coles’ voice, being an absorbing tone, reached all methods of high notes and cut through the noise of the beer-sipping audience with unnerved poise. The slower paced ‘The Blur, The Line And The Thickest Of Onions’ showcased the emerging maturity of the quartet as Robert urged the crowd into an eerie silence on the keyboard side of stage. Another piece from their outstanding new EP The Gentle, ‘Coalition Of One’ lead to an acoustic driven calmness – made tenderly personal by the band’s explanation of their new stuff as “the opportunity for us [Little Comets] to explore what we actually feel”.

Photo: Courtesy of Ava Santina (avasantina.tumblr.com)

                The impressive beat to ‘The Western Boy’, and the atmospheric drum and vocal combination in ‘In Blue Music We Trust’ worked exceptionally live; while ‘Joanna’ and ‘Dancing Song’ got the seal of approval from the large crowd - of which, the latter two summoned hysteria from the before-mentioned energetic youngsters. The raucous ending is followed by an obvious encore of two of the band’s most loved tunes from In Search Of Elusive Little Comets. ‘Mathilda’ was as chorale as ever; while ‘Adultery’ demonstrated the reason why we all fell in love with indie in the first place, by playing it simple, rooting the heritages and giving us the perfect excuse to dance without having a care in the world.

If you want proof that simplicity is just as powerful as obscurity, you needn’t look any further than Little Comets. With the band having their fans in the palm of their hands, there is no reason to why they won’t have a bright future.

Little Comets played:

A Little Opus

Bayonne

Violence Out Tonight

Waiting In The Shadows In The Dead Of Night

Little Italy

Worry

Tense/Empty

One Night In October

Bridge Burn

W-O-E

Isles

The Blur, The Line And The Thickest Of Onions

Western Boy

Jennifer

Joanna

Coalition of One

In Blue Music We Trust

Dancing Song

[Encore]

Mathilda

Adultery

Written by Richard Maver

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Track of the day... Andy Kyte - Good To Be Home

After eight years of songwriting and performing Andy Kyte has refined a catchy and culturally relevant sound. Gigging acoustically for fun on street corners, on the London underground, late night trains and anywhere else he happened to be with his acoustic guitar, Andy started to make a name for himself in Camden Town and beyond.



In September 2008, Andy entered Channel 4’s Orange Unsigned Act and got to the top 50 (out of 7500), getting an enthusiastic reception and positive feedback from Lauren Laverne and Alex James (Blur). Wanting to push things forward, Andy sought out a band that would compliment his song writing abilities and enable his songs to reach their full potential.

For over a year now, Andy has been practising with drummer Joel Bennett, bass player Dom Blacklock, and cellists Chris John and Sadie Whitelocks. They recorded their first four track EP over Easter and launched it in July, headlining a Friday night at Proud Galleries, Camden Stables.

Taking a wide musical influence from Elbow to Muse, Andy has cultivated an uplifting and accessible take on indie pop; full of clever lyricism inspired by love and life in London. He’s performed his songs at many top London venues including Camden Barfly, Sound (Leicester Square), Hard Rock Cafe, The Fly, Hope and Anchor, Enterprise and headlined Friday nights at Dublin Castle and Proud Galleries.

Good To Be Home really catches the brilliance of Andy, and indeed his band, but this acoustic stripped down version is just a perfect song, great lyrics and wonderful projection of the vocals just makes this song my track of the day.

Sadly no mp3 file is avaliable, but a myspace is!

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Andy Kyte - Good To Be Home - YouTube