Regurgitator have returned to the spotlight after setting tongues wagging with their ‘Band In A Bubble’ concept in 2004. Love and Paranoia is The Gurge’s sixth studio album and delivers a refined yet sound concept incorporated with more funk and hip-hop influences.
Support act and fellow Brisbanites I Heart Hiroshima are no strangers to the Perth indie music scene (They supported Snowman earlier this year). Hiroshima could be likened to a young version of Spiderbait with their sharp tempos and grungy riffs that just make you want to get up and dance. Drummer and vocalist Susie Patten looked a bit like Dennis the Menace with a blue baseball cap but her vocal strength was anything but juvenile as she belted out Don’t Touch it’s Explosive. Lead Guitarist Matt Somers murdered his fret board with some power chords to keep up with Patten’s 8/8 rhythm. Guitarist Cameron Hawes showed his prowess during Punks, but the stage belonged to Pattern’s instinctive ability to multi-task by drumming, singing and sometimes picking up a tambourine. Hiroshima’s sound is a great mix of eclectic pop and indie-rock which went down well with the steadily building crowd.
The surprise act of the night turned out to be New Pants, an electro-pop trio from China. Using a drum machine instead of the real thing, the lads danced up a storm with some old break-dancing favourites like Human Electricity and Running-Man. The versatility of the band was demonstrated as each member swapped roles during their highly energetic performance. With a distinctive ‘pimpin hat’ the band’s bassist worked the audience into synchronised clapping while he cranked up the volume during D-I-S-C-O. New Pants gave the audience, who a majority were kids of the 80’s, a nostalgic experience of what synth-pop was once like and proof that pop-culture fusion of ‘East meets West’ can produce some seriously awesome results.
Regurgitator took to the stage to rapturous applause, opening with Blood and Spunk from their latest album before digging up some old some old favourites from UNIT – Everyday Formula, Just a Sucker Like You and the salute to working in a corporate environment, I Sucked a Lot of Cock to Get Where I Am.
Founding member Quan Yeomans looked more relaxed without his distinctive bold-framed glasses while bassist Ben Ely kept crowd entertained with his swift dance moves and comical banter with the audience. “This is a great turnout – I honestly don’t think we’ve ever actually played at a Westfield Shopping Centre before! LESS SHOPPING! MORE MUSIC!” He then took control for another new song Drinking Beer is Awesome and was touched to be presented with a cold middy of Carlton Draught from a loyal fan. The tempo went up a notch during You’re Better Than That and saw plenty of pogo action from the punters. Title track Love and Paranoia mellowed the mob down a bit for some head-bobbing as The Gurge replicated a soft-rock performance not unlike Green Day.
More crowd pleasers like Kong Foo Sing saw the crowd singing along and hand pumping to every word. A cheeky riff of Sweet Child o’ Mine was dropped into the last part of Black Bugs which was very well received. New keyboardist Seja Vogel performed a Summer Lovin’ -esqe duet with Yeomans during Romance of the Damned, topped off with some dance moves The Supremes would be jealous of. Drummer Pete Kostic showed his skills on the skins during bass-kicking numbers I Want to Be a Nudist and Hurricane Now. After a short break the group the band unleashed hyperactive pop on the crowd with ! (The Song Formally Known as…) and Modern Life. Yeomans and Ely united on the mikes ala Run DMC as they gave the now hyped up audience a slice of their hip-hop phase, winding up the evening with Rock it Hard and The Drop. Yeomans thanked the crowd for it’s great behaviour and participation and unlike other venues “No-one ended up being kicked in the head.”
Even though they have dropped in and out of the charts over a number of years, one thing Regurgitator can be proud of is – they never fail to disappoint during a live performance. They are risk takers and have ventured outside their ‘bubble’ to experiment with a variety of genres like syth-pop and hip-hop to deliver something that pleases everyone’s taste. In all honesty, and apologies for the pun, most fans would agree they Like Their Old Stuff Better Than Their New Stuff.
