Live Review: Gizzfest

Stepping into Coburg Velodrome itself is a delight. The raised sides usually reserved for bicycles are now the perfect surrounds for Gizzfest's main stage. The velodrome setting actually resembles a country footy match as groups gather around, leaning on fences with tinnies in hand. This touring festival conceived last year by local boys King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard has grown significantly since its inception at Corner Hotel.

Jaala starts the day off in exquisite fashion. It's early and yet an eager crowd takes in her off-beat, rollicking rock'n'jazz numbers. Although Jaala's performance speaks highly for how the rest of the day will pan out, the sideshow sheds hosting bands from local record labels entice many to the food truck area. The sheds are small - really small. There's room for about 15 to 20 punters; a truly intimate show. The Aarght Records shed is vibrating violently as TOL thrash around in the small space for some eagerly committed fans.

It's an easy walk from the sheds back to the main stage. Orb are up next and the crowd is on their feet as the band take the stage. The sun begins to break through and the group bring out their expected sludginess, which is something that is immediately backed up by Stonefield, upping the ante with seriously huge riffs and wailing vocals. The drinks have been flowing for a few hours now and everyone begins to lose themselves among the fuzz.

It's that point of the afternoon where everyone has settled in for the day, the main stage area is filled with smiling faces as Mild High Club wander out on stage. They're sleepy and wander through their first song as if in a dream. Alex Brettin follows this up with, "How does that sound to you, guys?" The crowd responds delightedly. "Alright, I guess we'll keep playing then," he grins.

Crowd favourite The Murlocs are always consistent. Upfront, Ambrose Kenny-Smith proves a natural on the mic with ripping harmonica action. They rock through their set with bluesy charisma and their renditions of Rolling On and Compensation keep everyone swaying as the sun starts to dip lower.

Tim Presley (who releases music under the name White Fence) enters and is met with cheers as he joins the rest of the band to roll through their opening jam. With a cigarette hanging from his mouth, Presley takes the lead vamping on strange licks and slapping on sunscreen before tossing the bottle into the crowd.

Dinner is all about bringing friends together. He dances and thanks everyone profusely as his drum tracks help him bring the mood as high as possible before Pond take the stage. Pond are to be our full-flavoured intro to the rest of the night. The group are relentless in their space-rock anthems, allowing themselves to soar into the cosmos and dragging the crowd with them. The propulsion is too much, the crowd barrier actually breaks and the stagehands need to fix the damn thing. After 15 minutes, Pond are back on stage and screaming into the huge riffs of Giant Tortoise.

Boulevards keep the vibes high as the US artist invokes a dance party throughout the velodrome. The finale is nigh, it's dark now and the crowd has swelled. A red nonagon appears on the large screen behind the main stage. It's now time for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard!

The opening Gamma Knife riff has the crowd roaring. The sea of people now starts to seethe and froth as the group launch into their trademark, hard-out, unrelenting live show. Stu Mackenzie is a wild man behind a guitar as he struggles to stand still even for a moment while twisting and rocking through machine-gun riffs and squealing lead breaks. Delving into tracks from their most recent album Nonagon Infinity, the group barely let up as they blend one song into the other, all the while playing at a blistering pace. Rattlesnake, the new single, is the final track for the night. This weird, microtonal, rolling jam is easy to bounce along with and the crowd eagerly chants, "Rattle-snake! Rattle-snake!" back at the band. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard leave the stage as many scream for one more song. Sadly, we are at the mercy of noise restrictions, so it's time to go home.