Dipz Zebazios. The meaning is open to interpretation. Perhaps it was meant to be ambiguous, but the fact is, the forthcoming album from The Delta Riggs is sure to conquer new territory – while at the same time, divide their old-school fans.
Udays Tiger are a band with a message, that much is clear; something about not giving a fuck and still kicking ass would be a fairly accurate guess. On stage, Devin De Araujo and drummer Nathan Morris are a force to be reckoned with, pouring blood and sweat into each ripping, distorted riff and endowing every available space with a wall of blasting tone and drum fills. The combustible energy with which these guys tear up a stage will carry them a long way.
As the Northcote Social Club is slowly inundated by tres cool hats and skinny jeans, Atolls spread the good vibes with their surfy, blissed-out pop rock. Although Lucas Skinner’s languid vocals are all but drowned out, the waves of feedback, delay, and fuzz in which they wallow are a pleasure to behold. The rhythm section of Oli Grinter and Sam Ingles frequently pushes this sound through the shimmering bubble of dream-pop and into the dim lit basement of rock.
The Delta Riggs have come a long way in a few short years, with 2013 seeing the release of their highly anticipated debut album Hex.Lover.Killer and a jaunt to the states for shows in L.A. and New York City. While retaining some of their trademark rock swagger, the debut album led them into Triple J-friendly, Arctic Monkeys-esque territory with more catchy hooks and upbeat punch.
Tonight is the ‘album preview’ for Dipz Zebazios, and fans are loudly discussing which way they think the sound will go. More blues? More pop? Or something entirely new, perhaps? The answer is an intoxicating blend of all of the above with a liberal dose of old-school hip hop style. Though, in saying that, the sound somehow retains that all-important rock dynamic.
Simon McConnell’s chunky drums sound right at home in the surroundings – big, taught, and spanky, alternating between bluesy swing and hip hop slap with fills that Bonham would be proud of. This ability to shift seamlessly from one genre to the next is clearly a key ingredient in The Riggs’ new found diversity.
All eyes are on Elliott Hammond as he alternates effortlessly between keys and pure frontman strut. Carousing wildly with his mic stand, bottle of Jamesons in hand, his sexualised vocal style, Noel Fielding haircut, and metro-rock garb holds the attention of every eye in the room. The solid simplicities of songs, like ‘Something Creeping’ and new jam ‘Supersonic Casualties’, highlight the individual talents of each band member, while never once drawing focus too far from Hammond’s gyrating presence.
It is easy to see why this group is touted as one of Melbourne’s best live acts. The Northcote Social Club’s generous stage seems too small for such an explosively polished presence.
With Dipz Zebazios, The Delta Riggs have taken a sharp left turn and infused their modernised British-invasion style of rock with a dash of hip-hop rhythm and some fun, upbeat grooves. The arrangements may seem sparse in comparison to previous material, though clearly nothing is lacking; this scarcity of sound only gives the dynamic more scope, and simultaneously, more bite.
