Australian band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (KGLW) are prolific when it comes to releasing music and touring. Yet, despite their longevity and a relatively sizeable worldwide fanbase, they remain an enigma to many, including myself. If you are interested in dipping into the catalogue and discovering more about the band, this live album is as good a place to start as any. It was recorded at one of the few acoustic concerts performed during the 2024 tour of North America and released as part of the band’s ‘Official Bootleg’ series, which, on Bandcamp, is available as a ‘name your price’ offer (the sound quality is excellent by the way, no worries on that score).
It’s an acoustic setup, but this is no ordinary ‘unplugged’ event. The band plays with the same amount of vim and vigour as they would normally do, replicating the controlled anarchy of their mystically rhythmic music. Song arrangements have been toned down a notch to accommodate the change in instrumentation, and this provides novice KGLW listeners with a way to familiarize themselves with the unique style of the band. Of course, when I say toned down, this is all relative. KGLW, as the characteristically unselfconscious Aussie banter heard between tracks on this recording confirms, are perpetually enthusiastic and revel in the opportunity to entertain by any means at hand.
The set opens up with Witchcraft and Chang’e, two fine examples of how the band combine a 60’s style psychedelic aesthetic with their funky rhythms – imagine a mix of Crowded House and the Doors; it isn’t hard to do. The vibe throughout the set is reminiscent of Kula Shaker’s ‘K’ album but with a much broader mix of international influences. Layered over the energetic rhythm section are acoustic guitars, piano, harmonica, flute and keyboards, and the band, who take turns to provide vocals, don’t hold back in using their voices to create additional sound effects.
It’s striking how comfortable the band are shifting between styles as the set progresses and how well some of the livelier tracks in the catalogue are re-produced with slightly more subtle makeovers by the new arrangements. Highlights to illustrate this include tracks like Sense, where the band indulges in some extended jazz funk and follows it up with the raucous pop/rock of Raw Feel from their most recent studio album, Flight b741.
Elsewhere in the set, Iron Lung, from 2022’s Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava album, is typical of the band’s willingness to tackle any subject in their lyrics (yes, it is a stark and honest portrayal of iron lung treatment from the point of view of a sufferer of polio). Notes from the band say that the music for the track came about through improvisation, and it shows, oscillating freely between European, Asian and South American rhythms. It certainly succeeds in its aim to “dive into a nine-minute descent to hell and back”. Distinctive and progressive.
The Bitter Boogie, a bluesy pop song given the full bar room treatment, including an impressive harmonica accompaniment and raucous choruses, soon follows Iron Lung. The final part of the set includes some of the most progressive tracks, of which, for me, the pick is probably Magma. The track begins with enthusiastic namechecking of the road crew, but once the song gets going, it has an infectious, identifiably Aussie-style rhythm, over which the vocals do a good job of replicating the sound of a didgeridoo. It’s a real showcase for Michael Cavanagh, whose drums are always busy and relentless but don’t overwhelm, which is the key to how the band’s overall sound is pitched in this acoustic set-up. If you ever find yourself wandering through the outback, this is just the sort of soundtrack you would want to accompany you on your journey.
The acoustic set-up does impose some limitations that make this a different kind of live album. There are no soaring guitar solos or crashing finales, and there is a sameness about the sound and feel of the arrangements, despite the band’s best efforts to vary the pace and styles of songs in the set. It has to be said, though, that the band carries it off in a highly assured and magnificently entertaining manner. At some point, I will be drawn to getting hold of a more traditional live KGLW album to compare and contrast, but in the meantime, kudos to the band for providing something a bit different for fans and wannabee Kings and Wizards to explore.
TRACK LISTING
01. Witchcraft (7:36)
02. Chang’e (6:32)
03. Inner Cell (3:47)
04. Loyalty (3:54)
05. Horology (3:16)
06. Sense (8:44)
07. Raw Feel (10:25)
08. Dirt (3:38)
09. Flight b741 (6:17)
10. Iron Lung (10:54)
11. Muddy Water (4:13)
12. The Bitter Boogie (10:15)
13. God Is Calling Me Back Home (5:31)
14. Magma (11:36)
15. The Silver Cord (6:51)
16. Theia (9:50)
17. The River (13:30)
Total Time 127:09
MUSICIANS
Stu Mackenzie – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Flute
Ambrose Kenny-Smith – Vocals, Harmonica, Keyboards
Cook Craig – Guitar, Vocals
Joey Walker – Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Michael Cavanagh – Drums, Percussion
Luke Harwood – Bass, Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Bootleg Gizzard
Country of Origin: Australia
Date of Release: 4th November 2024
LINKS
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
