Electric Six have returned to Australia on their Cheap Salvation tour, claiming the stage at Brisbane's The Triffid last night (22 August) to serve up their quirky lyrics carried by hook-laden instrumentation for one, wild, fun party.
Supporting Electric Six for the Brisbane concert is Gold Coast's PurpleZain (PZ): Jodie Maloney (keys, vocals, percussion), Mat Crespo (guitar), Samuel Diklich (bass) and Kurt Winter (vocals) and a drummer whose the name escapes me.The last time I saw PZ live, was my first. With my cherry popped I now know what to expect – a fun time! I actually can't think of a band more suited to be supporting the headliners.
PurpleZain - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Revving us up with 'Rumble In The Jungle' the fun machine is cranking with four of the five-piece busting out their signature exaggerated moves and poses. The drummer can't really be bounding all over the stage like his band members, so we cut him some slack, plus he's dressed for success wearing a bit of fluro on his muscle tee and a bandanna as a headband.
'Fall In Love' is next and it has a bouncy groove that gets Jodie and Winter striking more outrageous struts as they perform. Many in the room will agree that Winter must have had one poor dance teacher showing him how to do the pelvic thrust. Hilarious.
'The Sad Story Of Jacqueline Nora' and fan favourite 'Boundaries' is gaining them more fans in the crowd from the raucous response. Maloney keeps it saucy and her pipes are a match for all the testosterone on stage with her! Impressive.
PurpleZain - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Google is your friend when it comes to Winter explaining the title of the next song 'Triple C': champagne, cocaine and Cialis. Seems like the whole joint are in love with this one and there are smiles all around.
The large and meaty 'The Lamb And The Beast' is probably the longest song on their set list tonight and it is the last for us unfortunately. They exit the stage leaving punters in a heightened state of cheer.
Bringing the main course are Dick Valentine aka Tyler Spencer (vocals, guitar) and his troop of Herb S Flavorings (rhythm guitar), Johnny Na$hinal (lead guitar), Dr. J (drums) and Rick Schaple (bass).
As Electric Six's five band members take to the stage, the arms of fans with drinks in hand are thrust upwards toward the roof and cheers resound off all surfaces within The Triffid live room.
Looking pretty dapper, Valentine gives the cue for the band to start the set with 'Turquoise' from the album of the same name (2023). The state of excitement picks back up where PurpleZain left off and by mid-song it's gone up a notch or three.
Electric Six - image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Dr. K' is up next meaning it's party time! People are rocking out with joyous enthusiasm that is not stifled when Herb S Flavorings' rig encounters an issue as the rest of band play on with professionalism and precision, not missing a beat or note despite the silence of Herb's axe. Live music memories – I love it.
While help arrives to get Herb electrified again, Dick Valentine picks up the guitar and gives us a 'Jimmy Carter' solo with Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' snippets, the crowd lapping up the special set list insert singing along in places.
Back into business with song three of the set, or song four of the night, 'After Hours'. Valentine tells us that song four or song five will start with the rock & roll stylings of Herb. 'Bride Of The Devil' has a real '80s rock vibe with heads bopping along while dancing is breaking out for the chorus – as are the fan vocals.
Electric Six - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Fans packed into the venue are well and truly rockin' and continue collaborating with the band by loudly yelling out the lyrics to 'Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)' and 'Down At McDonnelzzz'.
As the band crank the funk for 'The New Shampoo' Dick states it sounds "pretty cool" and we confirm it in cheers. 'Gay Bar' follows and it all kind of melds at this point with 'Gay Bar Part Two' that has fans bounding on imaginary pogo sticks and rocking out to 'She's White'. It's a venue full of likeminded souls non-stop dancing without a care, singing and taking in the theatrics onstage as Valentine and his band of blistering musos ham it up.
Ripping into 'Dirty Ball' and more fan favourites, 'Hot Numbers On The Telephone' and 'Future Is In The Future' sends the crowd into a welcomed a frenzy of energetic release.
Now if I thought the song before are fan favourites, then this song must fall into the category of to die for: 'Improper Dancing' and its heavy-rock groove hooks any new fans instantly. Think James Brown doing a tango with Clutch's Neil Fallon. The band are having even more fun with '(Who The Hell Just) Call My Phone?' being played in between 'Stop!' and 'Continue!' (During 'Improper Dancing').
Electric Six - image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Danger! High Voltage' is greeted by a fan-made Electric Six choir. They are loud and proud. This one comes before 'Synthesizer', which is dedicated to their absent band member and sixth band member Christopher Tait who played the synthesiser.
Punters in the mosh get jiggy to 'Dance Epidemic' that has such a cool funky groove, even my tired legs can't stay still. The white wolf, Na$hinal tore this one up! Taking a breath, Valentine looks up to the mezzanine and tells us he can't quite figure out how VIP fans got up there. I assume he doesn't believe in levitation. Ha!
After calling for us to give it up one more time for PurpleZain, Valentine tells us that Dr J, the engine of Electric Six, is going to use his drums to start the final song 'I Buy the Drugs'. I hear a pitched scream at the start of the song indicating that one excitable fan on the other side of the venue just lost their sh.t for this song! Two guitars and bass come together to form a pyramid of shred-tastic fretwork. Yass!
Electric Six - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Leaving us staring at an empty stage, there is a collective uncertainty as to whether we should be calling for an encore. Some do (call for it) and the band do (return for it). Smiles all around.
Resuming his place back on the stage Valentine tells us how he pondered that out of all the States in the US, not one of them begins with "Q – give yourselves a loud round of applause!" (Go Queenslanders! Right?) While he thinks that is pretty cool, he states: "It also dawned on me that we needed to come out and do three more songs for you."
He tells us the next goes out to "some of the girls". It is 'Eye In The Sky' (The Alan Parsons Project cover) and this slow-pace song has some fans in the room crooning along to this old number.
Electric Six - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Bringing the spice back to the party is 'Panic! Panic!' and Valentine is encouraging punters to get their quickened claps happening high in the air. Fans are getting their last boogies in and beers are being emptied. Now the "only one that gives the orders here" is the 'Dance Commander' and this song is the perfect wrap up to a night of funky fun times.
Valentine and his quip-lipped and deadpan bites smattering the set list added intimacy to the show, including hysterically counting off each song as its set list number (which he always does) and even choreographing hand waves and side-to-side arm swings.
This combined with the tight and high-octane live performance of Electric Six's provocative creations birthed a night of good time shenanigans had by all. It's no wonder Electric Six keep coming back when they get all this adoration from fans Down Under. There's still many shows to be seen – go treat yourself.
More photos from the concert.
