Regurgitator's triple platinum album, 'Unit' continues to enthral almost a quarter of a century since it was released.
'Unit 20 Regurgitator' is a live film of the iconic Australian band's 20th anniversary performance of their 1997 album 'Unit', recorded at the EB Games 20th anniversary games conference, where they set out to create a unique, multi-dimensional, and palpable moment.A mix of '90s pixel gamer graphics, lighting visuals and even elements of the original music videos accompanied the performance on a large screen behind the stage as band founders Ben Ely and Quan Yeomans rocked through the entire 'Unit' album with the enthusiasm and intensity they bring to every stage performance.
Throughout 'I Piss Alone' a gaming character with his back to the audience released a constant stream of yellow pixels.
Other tracks were accompanied by visuals of the original music videos played on the screens of first generation Gameboys, psychedelic lighting displays, dancing robots and even 8-bit avatars of the band chasing and being chased back and forth by Pacman.
Always ready to laugh at themselves, Ben and Quan kept the banter strong between songs, with comments like "everyone knows old people party hardest, because everything's hard when you’re old", and "let's dance like white people folks".
One of the fantastic things about Regurgitator and the 'Unit' album is its timelessness. Whether it was the album release, their 10-year anniversary tour, 20-year anniversary performance, or a cinema presentation, the music, lyrics and social satire are still relatable and enjoyable.
During the recorded performance, Ben and Quan joked about how each year they perform the album seems to get weirder, but the truely weird part is its increasing poignance.
Following a year of on again, off again social distancing, '!(The Song Formerly Known As)’ with lyrics like "I don't go to concerts baby... I'd rather dance in ugly pants in the comfort of a lounge room in suburbia", could be an anthem to the introverts who thrived during lockdown.
When they wrapped up the 'Unit' album, thanked the audience for 20 years and exited the stage, an encore chant of 'Kong Foo Sing' brought them back for hits from their other albums.
The response from last weekend's sessions (6-7 February) has already led to requests for more screenings.
'Unit 20 Regurgitator' Screenings
Thu 18 Feb - The Cambridge (Newcastle)Wed 3 Mar - Luna Outdoor Cinema (Perth)
Sat 6 Mar - The Capri (Adelaide)
Sat 6 Mar - New Farm Cinemas (Brisbane)
Sun 7 Mar - New Farm Cinemas (Brisbane)
