Machine Gun Fellatio, Gus andFrank @ Moorilla Vineyard,Hobart, 29/02/04

Tue 2nd Mar, 2004 in Gig Reviews

1 pm Sunday afternoon.

Walking the Moorilla driveway toward the sound of Gus and Frank booming through the loudspeakers. Gates have been open for an hour but the crowd has been slow in building. It’s been windy and sometimes rainy, spring showers assaulting us in summer, doing their best to convince us that maybe, just maybe we should stay at home and sit this one out. We were here twelve months ago after all, to see the same band, on a much better day than this…

 

However, the band in question is none other than the spectacularly, extravagantly, outrageously, multi-headed beast that calls itself Machine Gun Fellatio (MGF).  Keep reading dear viewer and then get yourself some tickets to the show…trust me you won’t regret it…which is why I trekked along Moorilla drive, raincoat clenched at the ready, on this windy Sunday afternoon.

 

Gus and Frank were still playing as I entered the venue. I was familiar with some of their singles but nothing had held my attention, I was here to see MGF after all. I watched in bemusement as Frank led a fleeting rendition of My Sharona with the substituted words ‘We sold a cd’. I couldn’t help but warm to their enthusiasm and as the set progressed I began to admire this band. Gus and Frank write good, catchy songs that document some of the lighter moments in being human. They carry a disarmingly friendly approach onto stage and infect the crowd with a wonderfully light feel good vibe. The only criticism I could make would be that sometimes they appear a little too self conscious, a little self-depreciating. Despite the title of their closing number, Gus and Frank were the best support band I have seen in several years as a Moorilla concert goer.

 

A small interval, the field had now filled up and approximately 1200 concertgoers were anxiously awaiting MGF. As Christa Hughes took centre stage, resplendent in bright green wig and hideous lime frock, the clouds disappeared and the sun smiled upon a crowd who quickly rose to it’s feet. Christa played a short introductory set including ‘La Vie en Rose’ and a wickedly decadent version of  ‘My Favourite Things’ that gave the vineyard a distinctly 1930’s Munich beer barn feel. She then introduced the rest of the band who strode triumphantly onto stage, kicking off the set with ‘Pussytown’. Successive hits followed as the band flexed it’s considerable multi-instrumental and vocal muscle. The members of this band harness a musical versatility that showcase their talents effortlessly. Constantly sharing the focus amongst the individual characters and their ability to switch instruments at will, MGF effectively give us several bands for the price of one, every flavour sinfully delicious…

 

An MGF show is like a greatest hits package, one great single after another, covering many styles, but ultimately creating an inimitably unique blend of pop. Considering their relative limited releases so far, this is truly impressive. This is a band who only produce good material, being talented enough to throw away the chaff that other bands use as album filler. Due to this and the increasingly warmer weather, the set seemed to float by on a haze of pumping basslines, stabbing keys and insistent vocal hooks, punctuated with onstage interband banter, particularly Pinky’s dubious viticultural descriptions of their songs. Then all of a sudden, it was over and we were left standing, half sated, wanting for more.

 

I’ve seen MGF play several times now and I’ve noticed that they have the great effect of loosening a crowd up. The combination of sun, wine, sexual imagery and flesh all combines for an infectious lowering of inhibitions. This is perhaps rock and roll at it’s essence, a bacchanalian revelling in sinful deliciousness few can resist. Machine Gun Fellatio are a great band, with awesome songs and an incredible stage show. Although not one of their greatest gigs, but an average MGF gig still offers so much more than the best most bands can offer in similar circumstances. I can’t wait to see them again.