Live Review: Regurgitator, Shonen Knife, The Fauves

A night of history lessons and celebration, Regurgitator backed up their Friday performance in Adelaide with another stellar night. Dragging The Fauves and Shonen Knife along with them, it was all smiles at The Gov. 

The Fauves kicked things off for the slowly growing crowd with their short and punchy pop-rock songs. The band joked that their 2011 album Japanese Engines had only sold 37 copies in Adelaide, even less than in Mount Gambier – their humour made us feel right at home. They brought melody but also brought the riffs.

Touring their latest album Sweet Candy Power, Shonen Knife played a mix of old and new across their almost 40-year career. While the music kicked on, the energy in the room dipped, until the screen behind them was lit up with colour, taking their candy pop in all sorts of new directions. 

The band were introduced as 3D renders in a video interview with Dylan Lewis, signifying the start of Regurgitator’s retrospective show. Rocking pom-poms, the band were in full form, playing Track 1 and I Like It Like That from their early years, with an experimental-noise interlude. The mosh responded, but Quan Yeomans reminded us to ‘“not peak too early.'' Eyes, rainbow trails and dinosaurs playing instruments flew across the screen, a visual representation of the band's creativity. A mockumentary detailing the beginning of their rap-rock fusion gave them time to change costumes.

 I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff then found us in the Unit era. Despite broken strings, and through the intro of Sweet Child O’ Mine at the end of Black Bugs, the band were relentless.  

Returning to the stage in leotards and light-up tutus, the band thanked us for “letting [them] be the dickheads that [they] are”. They closed with I Wanna Be A Nudist, and left us drained but smiling and humming out of the venue – a reminder that even after 25 years, some bands have still just got it.