Few artists have been able to hold on to that cultlike “if you know, you know” magic as long as Alex G.
Over the course of 16 years, Alex G has gone from being some niche Bandcamp guy to Gen Z’s favourite alt-rocker, with the help of a few recent Tiktok hits. He’s kept new listeners spellbound from his first DIY releases made when he was still in high school until today, now 10 albums deep. But how?
From my red velvet seat at the Palais Theatre, watching kids who couldn’t have been old enough to buy a beer go absolutely apeshit over four normal-looking dudes on stage, I pondered the precise formula that’s made Alex G so successful.
Alex G – Melbourne
- When: Wednesday 11 Feb
- Where: Palais Theatre
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First off, he’s a master of balance. Each Alex G song is hooky enough that it rings in your head for days, while still having an off-putting, discordant or unexpected element that makes it feel slightly inaccessible. Whether it’s eerie pitched-up vocals, an abrasive jazz chord, musings on small-town brutality, or that “bo-ing” of the vibraslap, there’s always a little bit of spice that elevates it above your average indie pop song.
The live show conjures that same feeling. It’s like, here’s five minutes of the most gorgeous, awe-inspiring musicianship you’ve ever heard in your life; here’s a joke about pissing your pants. It may also help to mention that Alex G is extremely funny and aloof in a way that makes one feel unsure if they’re the butt of the joke or they’re in on it. (Fans may recall a moment during his 2023 Meredith set where he said something along the lines of “Wow, everyone says this festival sucks, but it’s actually pretty cool!” The Sup didn’t quite get that one.)
The band really started goofing off during the second half of the set when Alex took a seat at the piano, went on a rant about the ’70s Aussie blues band Chain, implored everyone to close their eyes because “something really awesome is going to happen!” and then launched into the hardcore track Brick and a little noise rock interlude. Then during Blessing, he wandered into the crowd, took a seat, wrapped his arm around a fan, then began hitting himself in the head with the mic in a John Mausian manner.
He returned to the stage. Someone asked him to do a shoey. “What’s a shoe?” he asked. An explanation was given; a Doc Marten was thrown upon the stage. He poured in a dash of whatever the brown liquor was he was drinking and took a polite sip, then dove into the next song. “That was the most compliant shoey I’ve ever seen,” someone behind me said. Then back into the barrage of beautiful music.
“Please play Sandy. I named my daughter Sandy,” someone in the crowd yelled. Alex explained that there would be time for requests during the encore, then launched into a few new ones to take us home.
When said encore did arrive, it did not disappoint. The crowd had reached a fever pitch, screaming requests into the ether and holding up notes on their phones, and the band worked their way through a fistful of them.
The last song of the night was put to a vote. “Raise your hand if you want Sarah,” said Alex. Many hands went up. “Okay, now raise your hand if you want Change.” Less hands. “Democracy.”
The fans, some of whom had been reluctantly sitting the whole night, stood up and rushed down the aisle. Arms were flung around one another. Lyrics were sung wholeheartedly. Then it was over. The set, which had opened with the sound of an engine revving, left the crowd walking out to Rascal Flatts’ Life Is A Highway – a nice touch.
As someone who got into Alex G when I was a teenager (a long while ago now), it was inspiring to see his music is still connecting with the kids. He’s worked hard for this. I hope he’s still touring when he’s 60, and the fans are still freshly 18. I wouldn’t be too surprised.
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