Dearly beloved we are gathered here today at the Church of the Devo-ted. It has been over twenty five years since kooky electro popsters Devo graced our shores and for their fans it must have felt like their prayers had been answered, for today was the second coming of Devo . Devo-tees came dressed in jumpsuits, kneepads, and the obligatory red flowerpot hats, and tonight they were to witness Devo-lution.
Gracing the stage in bright yellow boiler suits, black belts and said flowerpot hats this quintet was something to behold. Launching straight into the hits early they whipped the adoring crowd into frenzy. First up was Good Thing then Peek-a-boo and Girl You Want but it was arguably their biggest hit Whip It that got the “blockheads” speaking in tongues. Tossing their hats to the crowd to reveal grey and thinning locks, I couldn’t help but giggle at the eccentricities of this evening’s activities. Here were five grown men racing around the stage tearing clothes from each others bodies and shaking pom poms all the while mesmerizing an entire room with their presence.
Having been too young to witness Devo in their prime I wondered if some of their “magic” had been lost with the Devolutionary process of age. At times I often felt like I had entered the twilight zone, watching these aging evangelists preaching to their devotees, which for the record were a solid mix of young and old.
Displaying videos of yesteryear on a large projection screen almost felt like we were being subjected to a propaganda campaign. Whatever the intention, it worked, with the fanatic zealots, erupting after every song with praise. Front man Mark Mothersbaugh worked it running around at one point asking us “’Are we not men” Answer… “No We Are DEVO!”. A change of instruments and stripping down to Jane Fonda sized black shorts and white kneepads they proceeded to deliver some of the night’s highlights with cover versions of Secret Agent Man and Satisfaction.
After a short encore break and a Gerald Casale described “Spinal Tap moment” whereby the projection screen neglected to function, they were back with one last goodbye. Bringing a dear friend back to say thank you after years of absence, Boogie Boy burst onto the stage speaking and then later singing in a falsetto which I am sure at times only dogs could hear, yet it was still pitch perfect. Singing Beautiful World this way divided the crowd somewhat as the purists may not have been as impressed but never the less their devotion to this iconic electro synth band didn’t waver.
Earlier in the evening Australia’s own Regurgitator showed why they are still one of Australia’s home grown champs, delivering an impressive hour long set laced with hits such as Bong In My Eye, Polyester Girl and I Sucked A Lot of Cock To Get Where I Am, I would have loved to ask some of the older members of tonight’s assembly what they thought of the subject content. Don’t Go To Sleep was an ode to Devo and it was clear these boys had great admiration for tonight’s headliners.
There is no denying that Ben and Quan are one tight unit, giving us a slick, fun and cheeky set, their energy was intoxicating, many were here tonight to see them, judging from the rapturous applause, but it also seemed like “The Gurge” are still boys trapped in their youth.
