In this age, King Of The North are the masters of Australian riff-rock. There aren’t many modern bands that can demonstrate the power of a killer riff quite as effectively as this potent Aussie two-piece.
Tonight, the band plays a show in the Victorian rural centre of Bendigo, kicking off a frantic four-day mini-tour over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. The night’s proceedings are opened by a pair of youthful rock outfits, and each leave a substantial impact on the audience.
Recently reformed trio Lowpoint open their set with a showcase of well-received pub rock numbers. However, it’s when the band move towards their newer, stoner-rock influenced material that their performance transcends from enjoyable to breathtaking.
Vocalist/guitarist Steven Hammer radiates intensity, laying down riff-driven melodies over a heavy sludge groove that would put smiles on the faces of Kyuss members. The band’s choice closer is newly written track “Gypsy”, which is a lengthy progressive journey packed with a blistering mid-section that evokes headbanging havoc throughout a smaller-than deserved, but eagerly receptive crowd.
Next to the stage are Rabid Zulu, who are a promising quartet relatively new to the live scene. Vocal duties are swapped between Jimmy Black and Bek Taylor, and the pairing pack a raw and powerful punch, particularly impressive in their harmonies.
Commanding attention from the slowly-growing audience, the band play an impressive host of energetic, pub-rock inspired originals and throw in a cover of AC/DC’s “Jailbreak” which is well-received. Their no-holds-barred approach to their ballsy rock tunes is admirable and exciting, and the interchanging vocals help the performance feel fresh. Unrestricted by the stage, Jimmy Black solos atop a Newmarket Hotel table throughout the band’s climatic set-finisher.
The chilled out intermission is quickly diminished as King Of The North take their positions and the crowd make a move towards the front. Drummer Danny Leo is assigned the right of the stage, angled slightly inwards which allows guitarist Andrew Higgs plenty of room to jump around.
An impressive array of pedals garnishes the front of the stage, as multiple modulations and a looping station assist in making the two-piece’s music sound thicker, heavier and more complex than most full-scale bands.
Ripping through a selection of tunes from their debut EP, King Of The North are energy-made-flesh on the Newmarket stage. Leo’s drumming is dynamic, relentless and driving and intertwines perfectly with a steady stream of innovative riffage from Higgs.
There’s a stoner-rock homage to be found in “Ride”, which is an early highlight as the duo inspire a huge chorus singalong that becomes deafening by the song’s end. New single “Hope Is For The Faithless” hits hard from the start, and some frantic moshpit action welcomes the thrashy opening passage. “Ruby” is particularly well received, and the two vocalists combine their vocals in the chorus to a commanding effect.
It’s cool to experience the band in such an intimate live setting and the minimalist lighting is controlled expertly, which makes a sizeable contribution to the atmosphere. The looping of riffs and frequent modulation tweaks adds a transformative aspect to the music, leaving little room for any sameness and enthralling the enthusiastic Bendigo audience. Sound quality was also excellent, so props to the engineer on that.
If you’re a fan of any strand of rock music, you need to see King Of The North play live. Raw, balanced and evolutionary, the duo’s brand of riff-rock is the most exciting our country has seen in a long time.
