Melbourne’s own Sun God Replica opened the night with a slew of heavy rock tracks and introduced a sparse crowd of 50 to their talent. Thrashing out an assortment from Primitive Clockwork and The Devil In The Deep, it was unfortunate the lack of people as it was easy to imagine they could create a fairly outrageous mosh.
Nonetheless, the mesmerised crowd kept in silence, holding onto every note and tapping to the beat. The band’s enthusiasm and collective cohesiveness was evident with large continual movement and interaction with each other.
Their enthusiasm was projected onto the crowd with every song receiving an incredible reception. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of audio feedback through out their set, which at times got quite uncomfortable. However, lead singer, Linsay McLennan’s matching zebra print pants and guitar strap provided a somewhat effective distraction.
Emerging from the wings, the epitome of indie graced the stage. With Rocky Tinder donning a sparkly top, Eric Phipps in a white rain parka-esque ensemble and Andrew Meininger in a blazer and chinos, due to the stark comparison of the previous act the intrigue was high. Phipps and Tinder sporting sunglasses also gave an additional sense of mystery.
Leaping straight in with their impressive indie-rock sounds, there was no doubt Oregon’s Wampire would secure a new fan base by the end of their set. Mixing synth-pop sensibilities against a heavier rock feel, the band showcased the reason why Jake Portait from Unknown Mortal Orchestra produced their debut album Curiosity.
Rather than trying to heighten their fame to an arrogant level, Wampire acknowledged their support position with a certain admiration and appreciation towards main act, Regurgitator. “Stick around for Regurgitator… that’s who we’re all here for, shit.” They were the perfect transitional choice between the heavier rock qualities of Sun God Replica and the flamboyance of Regurgitator.
As soon as the last strum of Tinders guitar evanesced, the crowd seemed to triple and dedicated punters flocked to the front in eager anticipation for Regurgitator. Bursting onto the stage in custom designed, fluro pink jumpsuits with leopard print patches, Regurgitator made their entrance with Quan Yeoman’s introductory “let’s get this gay mechanic show on the road.”
Acknowledging and playing tracks from all eight albums, Regurgitator had the crowd eating out of their palm during every note and everything in between.
Having been around for 20 years, every last ounce of experience showed and it is an incredible testament towards their performance. With a heavily dominating male presence, there became times when the atmosphere would overdose on testosterone. This was evident during ‘Track One’ when a punter threw his drink right into Yeoman’s face. Despite trying to brush it off, the disrespectful act ultimately and unfortunately affected his performance.
Regurgitator’s additional talent lies within their impressive crowd control. A heavy majority of their songs were received with excessive enthusiasm and powerful dedication. Their semi-concrete set list allowed for them to hype up (rarely needed) or dial back the crowd atmosphere. Originally starting off by encouraging fist pumps, chanting and the like, within a few songs the crowd was already initiating and complying without the bands instigation.
Summed up by Ben Ely ever so befittingly, “life is for dancing.”
Usually it is quite rare to witness much band to crowd banter between songs, but Ely seized and nailed this at every corner. Often his remarks would lead off on unpredictable tangents but were entertaining nonetheless. Most notably, after ‘Polyester Girl’, this particular tangent led to him pretending to write a new song titled ‘Angels In Disguise’. Obviously, that received a great reception and made the crowd feel as if they were apart of something masterful and unique.
Easily ingrained in the brain of every Hi-Fi attendee was what came next with ‘I Wanna Be A Nudist’. Launching onto the stage and taking over Yeoman’s mic was Bareback Titty Squad’s Callum Padgham. Having toured somewhat nationally and all members performing in nothing but their ‘tighty whities’, a degree of nudity was certain. Ely rather conservatively unzipped part of his jumpsuit and by the end of the song, Padgham was completely starkers and cheekily flashed the audience.
Concluding song ‘! (The Song Formerly Known As)’ was a personal highlight but it’s hard to determine a crowd favourite through out the set as all were received to such a high degree. Yeoman’s deflation must’ve been evident in the wings so upon returning on stage for three encore tracks, Ely got the crowd to shout their love towards Yeoman.
Each member’s admiration for one another was a beautiful quality to witness especially when Ely asked for more light on their drummer Peter Kosic. Drummers can often get slightly forgotten about in the background, so this was a laudable request.
Mainly playing their most popular songs from Unit and new album Dirty Pop Fantasy, Regurgitator unleashed their comedic presence and perfected experiences to create a night full of frivolity and extravagance.
Regurgitator Set List
1. Blood And Spunk
2. Made To Break
3. I Will Lick Your Asshole
4. Everyday Formula
5. Black Bugs
6. Mountains
7. Born Dumb
8. Bongzilla
9. All Fake Everything
10. Bong In My Eye
11. Track One
12. Polyester Girl
13. We Love You
14. I Wanna Be A Nudist
15. Sine Wave
16. Famous
17. ! (The Song Formerly Known As)
Encore:
1. I, Zombie
2. Fuck You Sweetness
3. Kong Foo Sing
