Not content with being incredibly prolific in the recording studio, Melbourne’s favourite sons King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are clearly just as energetic when it comes to the live stage too, having booked their hometown venue of The Night Cat for pretty much an entire week straight to launch their new LP Flying Microtonal Banana – and selling out every single time.
Kicking off on Saturday March 18 and wrapping up the following Saturday, the only interruption to their packed schedule is the Monday night, presumably because venue staff need to take a bloody day off (unlike King Gizz, it seems).
And while you might think that eight nights means eight sets, well, you’d be wrong. Each night will actually bring with it two complete sets – one a run-through of the new record, and the other an assortment of earlier faves. Sheesh.
The band had even hoped to “give the Night Cat nine lives” with one more show, but it sadly wasn’t to be. Selling out as soon as they’ve been announced, the run was apparently cut short simply because the band have to jet off overseas to, yes, play more gigs.
All in all, 4000 hometown punters will make it through the doors by the time the massive week comes to a close; to put that into perspective, that’s the equivalent of 5 sold-out shows at Melbourne stalwart the Corner Hotel, while the iconic Festival Hall manages about 5,500 for a show. Not a bad turnout, then.
If you get in quick, you can probably still snag a ticket to the 8th and final show here and get to see them at possibly their most exhausted and sleep-deprived.