The inaugural Flavours of Skuzz boasts 11 hours of garage fun over 3 stages with 25of the best local and abroad bands! Despite having a venue change and loss of a few bands, (namely my personal local favourite Los Huevos) the day/night promises to impress as Woodland fills up with homemade jackets and the bar sells out!
Starting off on the floor stage is Gravel Samwidge. Within their blend of garage/alternative rock musings, a lot of influences can be heard. From the Dinosaur Jr. type sludge guitar work to the Sonic Youth noise and breakdowns. Still a good little introduction to start the festival off with.
Then just off to the left on the main stage, Lobster Prophet kick off a blend of fast paced punk rawk. Guitar solos fly out of the speakers all over the venue. Even though it's not reinventing the wheel kind of tunes and I don't care for flying V guitars, the band are definitely worth a good watch for their onstage antics and all out rockin'.
Making my way over to the third stage which is located through a back door into the Mustang bar function room. Brisbane's Feathers have just begun. With their all girl blend of psychedelic, lo-fi and surf, it is a change of pace from the offerings so far, with speed and rock being replaced with soundscapes and reverb. With lead singer/guitarist Michelle Brown abandoning her guitar in favour of being frontwoman, the band end with a cover of Wreckless Erics Whole Wide World. A highlight of the afternoon so far.
Back over to the Main stage I am able to catch the end of the punk rock stylings of Dick Nasty. The band who have earned themselves quite the reputation over the ten years of their existence with their energetic performances and heavy punk sounds. They definitely have a strong fanbase with the crowd loving everything and anything they do.
I have not heard of Brisbane surf instrumentalists The Narwhals before tonight but I was damn impressed. The technical proficiency of the band is through the roof with 60's guitar riffage over the typical surf organ and drum beat is out and out captivating. It's not all surf and sand as the band throughout the set also touch upon psychedelica and manage to work up some impressive walls of sound that intrigue the audience circling around the floor stage.
Due to everyones watch not being synchronised, I am fortunate enough that over on the function room stage The Boondall Boys are still playing. Upon entering it is clear the bar has been in overtime as lead vocalist 'Mad Macka' has cigarette, microphone and beer in hand. Their sound is similar to the dirtier side of Guided By Voices mixed with a bit of Cosmic Psychos. Even though I only saw a bit of their set it was enough to know these guys are on true form.
Following The Boondall Boys, A projection screen of some sporting telecast goes up and it is apparent that the staff want people to leave the function room during the events scheduled two hour break.
I make the mistake of running five mins late for HITS and it cost me. Due to the massively packed function room, the only time I could see the band over the insanely tall or impossibly short band was when frontman 'Evil Dick' elevated himself with microphone stand in tow. Still the band took all their stooges comparisons and delivered it in spades with the whole venue enjoying every note of the two femme guitar attack courtesy of Stacy Coleman and Tamara Bell. Even with a full set it was all over too soon unfortunately and teased upon when Dick's ranting didn't equate into more tracks. Still a band well worth the reputation they have garnered and continue to deliver upon.
An influx of folk from HITS flow into the main stage where Adelaide's, The Meat Beaters are gearing to go. They are another band that clearly wears their influences out in the open with a similar sound and look to bands like Cosmic Psychos and Motorhead. But hey, that is a tried and true formula and the band sound great.
Now Velociraptor are NEVER a band who disappoint. That's why I questioned their billing on the much smaller Floor Stage. But after they begin it is clear that it was a good idea! As the (for tonight, I'm guessing!) eleven piece including (guessing again) four guitarists and just about every other instrument under the sun spill from the floor onto the main stage in a slew of garage pop. Their performance tonight was almost like a scene from a Where's Wally book with the band and crowd merging into one. Songs like 'Hey Suzanne' are impossible not to groove to and the band constantly challenge the crowd as to who likes it more. Definitely one of the days highlights if not best performer.The crowd and the band still want more even after the band play over time into Hoss' set with not a complaint in the room. But I could dissect and talk about this band all day, but you just have to see them to understand the marvel.
With the destruction from Velociraptor phasing into more order with the crowd manoeuvring themselves out from nooks and crannies back to the designated area for top bill perfumer, Melbourne's Hoss. Featuring (oh yeah!) Dirty Three collaborator Joel Silbersher as head honcho and Cosmic Psychos drummer Dean Muller looking after the back, the group are unstoppable with their blend of unbeatable straight up rock n' roll with hints of good old fashioned 70's boogie. Despite rarely venturing to Brisbane, the band definitely have a lot of fans in the crowd with singalongs and drunken moshing being the ode of respect. They fill their hour set quite easily and it was a pleasure to see such talented musicians with extensive legacies within Australian music shine.
Their self described term of glitter punk, proves to be accurate for Brisbane lasses Pastel Blaze. With the band sporting David Bowie like facial glitter, it is almost being slightly misleading in a way to the high spirited angst of the group. It's a colourful yet feedback ridden, musically dingy affair which reminds me of early Blonde Redhead mixed with Boredoms with a bit of MC5 thrown into the mix.
Another band that don't disappoint is Slug Guts, Their (quite literally) deafening dark garage shoegaze mix is unique and true. The thing with this band that has had a question mark for me is their look. The Mick Jones type hat, open leather jackets exposing chest hair and tattoos, slicked back hair, sunglasses etc. Are so damn cool that it looks almost too legitimate. It would be interesting to see if they live like the characters they are on stage or whether in their spare time they enjoy a nice book and cup of tea. Playing tracks off their debut album, 'Howlin' Gang' tracks like Down in the Mornin' and Howlin' build a wall around your head and try their best to melt your brain. Another highlight of the day and the reason this festival exists.
Closing the Function Room stage, Keep on Dancin's didn't necessarily do anything wrong. Musically and performance wise they were great. But due to elevated blood alcohol levels and having had a solid 9 hours already, the crowd were diminished and the folk that were there just had no energy. The slowed down surf tracks while good, were just too conclusive and didn't get the crowd fired up. Another stage, another time perhaps But tonight the pride of closing a stage just didn't do them any favours.
Well, I wasn't expecting this. Boyfriend/girlfriend duo Gooch Palms take their name quite literal with frontman Leroy MacQueen exposing the inner depths of his rectum within seconds of beginning the show. The band work off a mixing desk, organ, hot pants, guitar, a mean theremin and just unleash fun orientated chaos. They have more energy than the whole room combined, in a good way. Even with the manpower peep show, they are actually quite talented musicians and Leroy can bust out a mean guitar solo. Keyboardist/theremin artist Kat is the ying to Leroy's yang, almost a proud no-matter-what mother figure to Leroy even with his lower intestine acting as a third member on stage. Finishing with a ball sack on a microphone, they were an excellent way to finish the day and with no doubt have lead the boys and girls in the crowd to question their sexual orientation.
With the bar out of booze and glass, blood, sweat etc slathered all over Woodland. Flavour of Skuzz was an incredible success. No band on the line up was not worthy of playing the festival and what the festival is doing for the dirtier side of music is more than commendable.
Hopefully the festival returns next year, or at least evolve into a bi monthly institution.
(Originally for Fasterlouder)
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