Goat + King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard + ORB @ Triffid, 08.12.2015

Tuesday brings the fourth day of Gigmas.

Although Triffid annoyingly never advertise their set times, checking on each band’s Facebook page I’m able to get the start times for the three bands playing tonight.  There are a lot of terribly named Australian bands and also a lot of bands that take on names that they obviously didn’t Google and you which leave you wondering (a) why they choose that name; and (b) how they get away with it.  Sure there’s no ‘The’ at the front but calling yourself ORB just doesn’t seem to be part of a sensible business plan.  At least they’re not as bad as Melbourne’s The Steve Miller Band, for who I’m guessing the Cease and Desist letter is in the post.  ORB sounded like they’re trying to move into the space left by Wolfmother.

The terribly named King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard (who possibly might be issuing a cease and desist letter to Brisbane band Wizard Lizard at some point in time) were the main drawcard for me, having never seen them.  To say that they’re phenomenally good would be a gross understatement.  They’re so much better than Tame Impala were a few weeks earlier, then again they’re better than Tame Impala full stop.  If you’d never experienced them before, for the amount of hype they’ve received over the last few years you would have thought that Tame Impala would be this good.  Although they’re coming under this psychedelic tag, it’s surprising how prog it is really, with lots of what used to get called ‘widdly widdly’ guitar.  Although I try to keep abreast of Brisbane shows, I can’t recall them playing here before but I’m guessing they must have at some point, I just might have been away/overseas or something.  Then again I might have ignored them for having such a terrible name.  The room is really packed for them so either they’ve built up this following on the back of other Brisbane shows or they haven’t played here much and everyone wants to see them.  It gets a bit awkward after King Gizzard have played as the room really thins out for the headlining Goat.  It looks like about a third of the punters decided they’d seen what they came to see and not to stick around for the final band of the night.

Having talked about band names and how some bands get away with the lack of originality, the question for Goat is how they get away without any accusations for cultural appropriation regarding the way they dress.  Elements of African and Indian traditional dress are obvious despite being a band from Sweden.  They’re good though, obviously not King Gizzard good, although without a photo pit it’s a frustrating photo opportunity.  I’m too out to the side to get the photos I would have liked and there’s too many people in the way to get any more central.  Four days in and Gigmas is really making the start of December a feast of live music.

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