Anyone who believes Australian popular music has not become more conservative should consider the early success of Regurgitator.
Sprouting from left field in the mid-90s, the ‘Gurg surged to festival headliner status on the back of tracks such as ‘I Sucked A Lot Of Cock To Get Where I Am’ and lyrics like “dicks and c****s / and sluts and butts / pimps and hoes, yeah / plenty of those”.
They also cracked the top 20 with a song about a disposable trophy wife.
You’d be hard-pressed to find an equivalent that has attained such success in today’s censor-happy environment.
History lesson aside, a large amount of kudos must be directed towards Regurgitator for knowing their place in time. The band realise they’ll never again reach the heights they scaled in the 90s. Thus, instead of touring newer material, they’ve opted to plunge into yesteryear and repay their ferociously loyal fan base by busting out Tu-Plang and Unit – the band’s first two LPs – in a live setting.
Anyone who arrived early for the show would’ve experienced Senyawa, a two-piece that produces a sound the equivalent of the Tin Man from The Wizard Of Oz getting caught in a garbage disposal unit.
Utilising a homemade bamboo instrument that looked as if it could double for hunting wild boar, the group from Indonesia ripped their way through 40 odd minutes of experimental screech. Critiquing the act is nigh-on impossible as there seemed to be no logical sequencing or structure to their sound. They did receive quite a favorable reception nonetheless.
Beginning with the rap, pop and metal thump of Tu-Plang, Regurgitator commenced proceedings in front of a sold-out crowd already intoxicated from the copious amounts of Melbourne Bitter.
The likes of ‘Blubber Boy’, ‘Miffy’s Simplicity’ and ‘Kong Foo Sing’ have never sounded better. They also reinforce the ‘Gurg’s status as a ‘remember when’ band. No doubt most in attendance would’ve had fond memories of hearing the group while smoking at the back of the oval or waiting for sixth period to end.
The mosh gains true momentum as the group reappears from a short interval in matching onesies to serve up tracks from Unit, including ‘Black Bugs’, ‘Everyday Formula’ and the ripping ‘! (The Song Formerly Known As)’.
They also unleash ‘I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff’, a song that essentially sums up the philosophy of their Retrotech 2012 within a convenient three minute timeslot.
For a band that has never taken themselves too seriously, tonight’s nostalgic and typically cheeky performance couldn’t have been more apt.
