Eric Barleen,vice president of concerts at Another Planet Entertainment,booked the band to play at the 8,500-seat amphitheatre. He said their debut was unforgettable.
“King Gizzard’s three-hour marathon show at the Greek in Berkeley was insane,” Barleen toldThe Age andSydney Morning Herald.
“It was such a beautiful night of psychedelic folk songs,as the moon rose over the stage along the western edge of California. I heard someone say ‘this is like Metallica meets Phish’,which I couldn’t have agreed with more.”
King Gizzard& the Lizard Wizard (left to right) Ambrose Kenny-Smith,Michael Cavanagh,Joey Walker,Cook Craig,Stu Mackenzie and Lucas Harwood.Credit:Jason Galea
The Berkeley show,like most on the band’s recent US tour,had to be rescheduled several times due to ongoing delays caused by the pandemic.
“We had these shows marked on the calendar since early 2019,which is crazy to think about,” Mackenzie said. “People had been sitting on these tickets for more than three years,and there’s a certain energy that comes with that,for us and[people at] the shows.”
I heard someone say ‘this is like Metallica meets Phish’,which I couldn’t have agreed with more.
Eric Barleen,vice president of concerts at Another Planet Entertainment
Tim Janes,managing director of Virgin Music Australia,partnered with the band’s record label KGLW two years ago,and said they remain “one hundred per cent independent”.
“What’s really interesting,along with the volume of music they’re releasing,is this conversation that’s happening with fans,” Janes said. “Labels and media are no longer the gatekeepers.
“Besides the incredible music that’s always evolving,they have unique vinyl packaging,incredible artwork,and lots of vinyl colour options which adds tothe collectability. There’s limited edition prints for every gig ... and it’s all unique and done with so much care.
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“And the fact Gizzard write and record at such a rapid-fire pace,while managing to build into this global touring beast,is absolutely remarkable. No other band is in the ballpark.”
This year,includingMade in Timeland andOmnium Gatherum,the band has released five albums. They also released five albums in 2017.
Changes was the third of last month’s three albums,followingLaminated Denim,which has just two songs,each exactly 15 minutes in length.
The seven songs onIce,Death,Planets,Lungs,Mushrooms and Lava (sixth on last week’s album chart),at 64 minutes was “the biggest editing job of any album we’ve ever made,” Mackenzie said.
The only plan they had forIce,Death,Planets,Lungs,Mushrooms and Lava was to build each song around one of the seven musical modes,over seven days of continuous jamming.
“That’s the trade-off of spontaneous creation,” Mackenzie said. “Most of it was crap. It just was. And it took a lot of time and patience to piece something together that felt worthy of being a Giz record.
“We try and put ourselves in a position where we don’t fully know what we’re doing,where we’re out of our comfort zone ... and that’s usually where something interesting happens.”
A hometown,outdoor show in St Kilda next month is your last chance to see the band in Victoria this year,ahead of an upcoming European tour. After that,it’s Sydney’s turn in March and there’s a Byron Bay Bluesfest show in April before another lengthy American tour.
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“It just feels like everything in the States is really happening,” Mackenzie said.
“We had people who came to every show on the tour,travelling around the country,and a large portion of people went to more than one show.
“Mostly,we try not to look too far ahead,maybe one show and when you’re in the show,maybe one song ahead. That’s all you can do ... cross your fingers and hope you remember the lyrics.”
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