The Tote helped kick off a big weekend of Murlocs gigs in support of their sophomore album, Young Blindness. The show sold out well in advance and it was an evening loaded with melodic-R&B-psych-pop-rock (and $1 pots).
The Crepes helped warm things up for the hometown heroes. Frontman Tim Karmouche and his colleagues presented the audience with some dreamlike tunes that all maintained childlike ethereal beauty. Think of Mac Demarco, add some innocence and a sprinkling of rainbows, and you’re still not in this upper echelon of lovely. The queue to grab yourself a $1 pot was pretty slow, but still worth it of course (there was a limit of four pots per person/transaction for those responsible ones playing at home). Luckily, standing in line gave you a perfect view of the stage.
To the sounds of hooting, hollering and rather riotous applause, The Murlocs took the stage. As busy or chaotic as some of their newer tracks are, there was plenty of space for all band members to shine in their own right. King Gizzard and The Murlocs will always have their similarities, and so they should given there’s a few shared band members. This isn’t a criticism; it’s actually a strength that helps fans pick up on the nuanced differences between each band’s oeuvre.
The band’s chemistry was palpable. It’s frightening to think how many hours these guys must have practiced, together and alone, to get things so tidy. The guy at the helm, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, kept everything on track and was always in control of the musical situation. Even when he was rocking out to his heart’s content, he was still in complete control. Crowd favourite Compensation sparked some serious sing-along action. As did nearly every tune from their new long player.
The biggest surprise actually came from the amount of full on moshing, crowdsurfing, and stage diving taking place.
Loved: Picking up a fluoro yellow LP.
Hated: Ear trauma aftermath.
Drank: $1 pots, obviously.
BY NAJ
