There are no shortage of surprises at a Black Lips concert, although that's the way it's always been.
The first surprise is just how young they all look. This is an Atlanta band that cut their debut record all the way back in ’99 after all, so you’d be forgiven for expecting at least a couple of seasoned faces on stage, even if you were aware of their rather fluid lineup.
The Black Lips have always had a transitory nature, enforced on them at the very beginning, when original guitarist Ben Eberbaugh was tragically killed in a freak auto accident on the eve of their first tour.
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The five-piece have had six guitarists all-in-all, which really hits home when you realise that Zumi Rosow, the self-described “leather daddy” that seems such a stalwart in the band now, has only been a member since 2013.
This changeability all means that you can never be totally sure what to expect at a Black Lips gig. You hear the stories of course; rough’n’ready garage rockers that were banned from Atlanta venues for stage antics reportedly including vomiting, urination, nudity, electric R.C. car races, fireworks, a chicken, and flaming guitars. Safe to say, there was none of that on offer at The Espy’s Gershwin Room. Hell, a rather inebriated woman walked on stage and tried to kiss Cole Alexander at one point and his reaction could only be described as entirely sober and professional.
In fact, the set was a lot more alt-country than garage, a reflection on a mature (if not actually aged) outfit with a rather diverse back catalogue. Professional is the right word here – they played a very tight, crisp and professional set with just enough fun mixed in. Also worth noting are the wonderful vocals each and every member possess, which really mixes things up throughout the performance.
You do have to say though, the crowd were expecting something a little more raucous…it was one of the more constant surges of crowd surfing we’ve witnessed (and only one face plant from memory). They may not be willing to get as down and dirty as they once were, but they certainly provide all the ingredients for the audience to do it themselves.
Oh, and Melbourne’s very own B-52 style rockers Gut Health are future superstars. You read it here last.
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