The psychedelic rock outfit cement their abilities with a powerful debut Melbourne show.
The US rockers have aligned themselves perfectly with post-psychedelic nuance with their reinvention in every album. Each record has its own persona and direction, though traces remain of their signature sound. On Thursday November 10, Frankie and The Witch Fingers played their first Melbourne show. A variety of songs over their entire discography isn’t what you’ll get; they put a magnifying glass on an era of their songwriting.
Considering that it’s been six albums before the band decided to tour Australia, the eagerness for these shows has been monumental. With their 2015 self-titled debut, they gave us a glimpse of what might be the start of a psych garage rock focus. Since then, they’ve solidified their abilities in indie garage rock with albums like Sidewalk and Heavy Roller, however, another side to them was begging to come out.
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With albums like ZAM and Monsters Eating People People Eating Monsters, the beginning of their burgeoning psychedelic rock obsession came to light. With this later work, they didn’t hint at their new influence with subtleties in their earlier albums. They changed the blueprints. What shows their undisputed talent is this performance at The John Curtin Hotel. Though a new direction was taken in their latest albums, they revisited their earlier era.
Opening the night was brilliant three-piece Heavy Amber. Bringing their progressive stoner rock to the venue was a near-perfect way to start the night. The lead guitarist with their classic Gibson SG intertwined with the thundering bass melodies beheld monstrous strength. Following them was the guitar-drum duo Bellhop. The garage-esque rockers pursued a doom ridden, power-chord-peppered set that included a mass amount of differentiating time signatures.
As the house music abruptly ended and the lights dimmed, the first chords rung out. Immediately Frankie and The Witch Fingers entered at a chaotically fast pace. They did songs from their earlier work, engulfing the venue in a spray of indie garage rock that one didn’t expect. Though playing their old material, the entire band still sticks to their modern-day sound. The newfound aura of their sprawling reverb and delay drips across their earlier songs like a reinventive varnish.
After the drummer is treated to someone fixing up their fallen symbol, the eerie beginning of the eight-minute face-melting track Dracula Drug begins. The guitar creates an illusionary medium by pouring over the faded random noises supported by a myriad of effects. The bass begins with the quiet but palpable melody in the crossfire of chaos, with the high hat soon following. Suddenly, the all too recognisable sound of that beckoning guitar begins again, screaming in anticipation like an aggravated knocking on the door. For a split second between bars the room was quiet; and then it exploded.
The guitar returns to its original power but changes to a jazz-inspired chord structure. The guitars are attacking with bright, full sounds over a sludgy slower beat. Singer and guitarist Dylan Sizemore at this point is short-circuited to his instrument. Representing the John Dwyer / Stu McKenzie style of performing, he has the guitar as close to his head as possible.
Amongst a sweltering hot band room, the band ended the night with a classic rock n roll au revoir. “Thanks for checking us out, Melbourne!” is yelled with a brief wave, and a big smile. As they exit the stage, it’s important to remember their popularity resulted in a second show.
Overall, Frankie and The Witch Fingers subvert expectations in the grandest of ways. Check out more from the band here.
