Imagine you're at your mate’s house watching their band jam it out in the shed. They’re making a few mistakes, a few false starts, but it’s really bloody cool.
It’s tight and everyone’s having a laugh. You’ve had a think and perhaps you’ll try getting your own band together. It’s just a great mood.
That was kind of how it felt on Friday night (3 August) at The Metro Theatre. Regurgitator – or The Gurge as their fans affectionately know them – had turned the venue into Sydney’s biggest garage session.
I’m 26, so I missed the '90s/ early 2000s music scene. I mean, I was alive but I was learning to tie my shoes and stuff. I wasn’t in the grungy pubs of Sydney watching bands like The Gurge or Machine Gun Fellatio. It’s upsetting, but I’ll get over it.
Those that did, however, were out in force. I was definitely one of the youngest there.
With songs like ‘I Will Lick Your Arsehole’ and ‘ I Sucked A Lot Of C**k To Get Where I Am’, The Gurge aren’t scared to get a little weird.
Click here to read our recent interview with Regurgitator.
Their entry to the stage was testament to that, as they ran onstage in crazy, multi-eyed monster masks, smashed their instruments around for a bit then ran back off again. When they reappeared it was with an energy their loyal fans know and love them for.
The band tore through a set of hits both new and old; and no, their old stuff wasn’t better than their new. It rocked hard.
There were obvious crowd favourites like ‘Polyester Girl’ and ‘! (The Song Formally Known As)’ - which went completely off by the way - but regardless of song, everyone loved it. The mosh didn’t really cease the whole time and most in the crowd knew every word to most songs.
Regurgitator kept it stripped back tonight: bass, guitar, keyboard (rarely used) and drums with Quan and Ben sharing vocal duties as normal. For a few songs, Peter donned a pair of headphones as they played to a backing track. The chemistry between them was fantastic.
That very Australian way of writing songs that take the piss while still being entertaining is kind of a lost art. I’m not sure if it’s over or we’ve all become to serious, but it was great to see it peppered through their set. 'Metal Is Big In The Baltic States’ was very funny, as was ‘Bong In My Eye’.
For bands that have slogged it out for over two decades, it gets a little hard to mask the jaded expressions onstage. It’s not an under appreciation for what they’re doing, I guess they just get used to the repetition.
I wouldn’t for a second put Ben, Quan and Peter, The Gurge, in that category. It’s like they’re still in the shed, just mates having a proper crack and absolutely loving it. Still super psyched about what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.
Oh and Quan, you have a fantastic smile.
