Live Review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Living Eyes, Hierophants

While Swan Street swarms with a groomed, post-races crowd, those at Corner Hotel are in stark contrast: plenty of ratty, shoulder-length hair; flannos; and even a vest with “Rock, Rock, Rock, Rock” emblazoned on the back – this is a crowd ready to do so. Hierophants inspire some decent shoulder jiving and head-bopping early, although their tempo changes are of the jarring, slightly discomforting type where lyrics rush to fit a beat. Their undeveloped stage banter – while uninspiring – is a harbinger for the rest of the night's bands, so at least they are on message.

Dropping keys and adding guitars dials up volume and vibe as Living Eyes take the stage. The misfortune of a broken guitar amp seems to inspire their strongest chunk of the set, with an awesome middle third that trails off slightly. They sound joyously live; you know that you're watching a band belt it out, rather than just listening to someone duplicate something they've recorded, which may be why there's an earlier era sound to them, and they've definitely got a drumbeat you can get lost in.

Static, amps, and excitement build to overflow for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, with a surprisingly long 18 minutes until the first serious crowd surf, and a crowd stoked to be here. Their thrashy reputation belies how much more widely popular their live performances could be. They're infectiously exciting to watch and it's a testament to their increasing popularity that they make the size jump from Northcote Social Club to Corner Hotel without losing any audience density or vibrancy.

Wrapping with a 15-minute song sees the crowd wear thin before the set ends, and leaving an amp squealing after they've left the stage (having finished with their backs to the audience) has everyone stampeding the door. But the fuzz and reverb is great for the rest of the set, and contributes to the feeling that you're listening to an awesome rock band that stands up to comparison through the ages. They're not just enthusiastic, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have skill and interesting arrangements to back it up, with great harmonica and voice-as-instrument elements that contribute to the richness already built by talented musicians. Seven is a lot of people to manage onstage, but they are strong, and – the measure of a truly engaging gig these days – there isn't a waving iPhone screen in sight.