LIVE: King Buzzo, Perth, 26 Aug 2014

LIVE: King Buzzo, Perth, 26 Aug 2014
The Astor Theatre – Tuesday 26th August 2014
Reviewed by Kevin Curran
Photography by Stuart McKay

An intimate crowd gathered at the Astor Theatre to catch King Buzzo (aka The Melvins Buzz Osbourne) play his first ever acoustic tour. Buzz mentioned early that he didn’t know what he was going to do in this unfamiliar acoustic setting on this tour and asked his wife for advice, her answer was to just simply play like he does prancing around in his living room at home and that’s exactly what he did! Most ‘rock stars’ when playing acoustic would sit down and strip the songs back where as Buzz simply threw the rule book out the window and played a rock show standing up with all the gusto he would if he was playing a club rock show with just simply his voice and acoustic guitar.

Buzz started the show with the down-tuned Melvins track Boris, and I have to say the delivery and the way he moved around like a madman made every one feel a bit uncomfortable… but in a good way! It was dangerous, no one dared make a sound, even the photographers clicks of the camera’s seemed so loud, it was that edgy you could hear a pin drop!

An cover of Alice Cooper’s Ballad Of Dwight Fry was up next and as he said to the crowd, ‘who doesn’t like a Alice Cooper cover!’ Damn right!

The show was great in the fact it was so intimate, getting to hear Buzz tell some stories in between songs, especially stories about Mike Patton who Buzz says is one of his heroes was a cool touch that added to this show. I’m sure this was the icing on the cake to the Melvins fans in attendance, getting to interact with the man himself in a small environment.

A mixture of Melvin’s stuff And solo material off Buzz’s new acoustic record This Machine Kills Artists (which funnily enough wasn’t available on the night?) all made an appearance in the set.

Buzz would be in 50’s but there is something about him that makes you feel he is still that same young guy at heart that did it his way from the very beginning, never conforming to what was going around him at the time. Buzz finished the show off with Revolve from the Stoner Witch album and Hootch from Houdini, leaving myself not exactly sure of what I had seen tonight, as I simply can’t compare it to anything – and that’s a good thing!
Kevin Curran is guitarist & lead singer of Hailmary
Stuart McKay is guitarist & lead singer of Nevsky Prospekt

Two great bands – check them out!

Category: Live Reviews