Live Review: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf

We arrive to find Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf hosting some kind of intense rock opera that’s been wrapped in a lot of black leather. Miss Velvet seems lost in the moment, focusing all her energy into her wild vocals, and The Blue Wolf deal a riotous blend of hard rock, hair metal, hip hop and blues. Their carnivalesque live show shares DNA with the madness of Parliament Funkadelic, making it easy to understand why George Clinton has chosen them to tour with him. An eight-piece powerhouse from the States, Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf have a certain '70s retro charm, but at times it does feel like they are humorously dealing pastiche.

George Clinton first brought his Parliament Funkadelic juggernaut to Australia in 2002, many years after the stellar golden run they had in the '70s. Some 17 years later, Clinton is set to retire and, having led the charge around the country, he brings the party to Melbourne for one last time. While we have seen the P-Funk brigade on messy off nights, tonight is high voltage - from the energy coming off the ready-to-party-all-night-long crowd to the sparks that fly from the stage. Wading knee deep in the Cosmic Slop, P-Funk play continuously for almost three hours, only pausing to come up for air once in this epic extravaganza. Clinton is the star of the show and the stage is a three-ring circus for his band. The P-Funk live show is as chaotic as ever, but tonight everything seems a touch more manic than usual. There’s no denying that Clinton has aged and his voice has faded. He mainly just MCs his way through the show, despite the vibrant energy coming off the stage, he sits down for most of the set.

While Parliament Funkadelic spawned so many amazing players in the past, it's interesting to note that tonight’s incarnation features many of Clinton’s children and grandchildren. They seem excited to be a part of Clinton’s legacy, and for the most part they have invigorated the Parliament Funkadelic sound. The tradeoff is that they bring their own style and a load of hip hop, such that the old-school funk vibes are somewhat diluted in the mix. Extended versions of classics like Flashlight, Maggot Brain, Freak Of The Week, Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow, One Nation Under A Groove, Get Off Your Ass And Jam, Atomic Dog and so much more ensure that those looking for that mothership connection get total satisfaction. It feels like the end of an era as Clinton and his band bid us farewell us for the last time, and after three hot, sweaty hours, it's kind of hard to give up the funk.