Western Sydney’s Xiao Xiao are first up tonight at the Hordern Pavilion, and they’re an inspired choice to open for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The experimental post-punk outfit deliver a tight, confident set that draws on punk, rap and electronic influences. There’s an unpredictable edge to their sound, but the performance is controlled and assured. They’re a band showing plenty of promise.

Then King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard take the stage, and the Hordern Pavilion becomes a very different place. How do you describe a King Gizzard concert? It’s a sensory overload. The visuals compete with the music for attention as psychedelic rock, metal and extended instrumental passages collide in a constantly shifting wall of sound.

There’s something almost hypnotic about the way the Melbourne six-piece operate. Songs stretch, rhythms change and the music takes unexpected turns, yet the band never seems to lose its way. The audience is completely absorbed, and it doesn’t take long before fans are tumbling over the barriers as crowd surfers make their way towards the front.

King Gizzard have built their reputation on refusing to stay within the boundaries of any one genre, and tonight it’s easy to understand their appeal. The music is loud, unpredictable and occasionally overwhelming, but that’s precisely the point. At the Hordern Pavilion, the band create an experience that demands your full attention, whether you’re ready for it or not.

Images Deb Pelser

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