Wonderfully brutal, Lightning Bolt are a wonder to behold in a live setting, and it’s rare for the audience member to come away from a performance unchanged by the sheer ferocity and excitement of it. Lightning Bolt’s performance at the Thornbury Theatre in Melbourne proved no exception and may just go down as the show of the year in this humble reviewer’s opinion.

A strong line-up with three supporting bands meant the show was kicked off early with Grey Datura’s nicely setting up the atmosphere. Our own local doom noise band proved an excellent introduction for the evening’s proceedings, but with an 11pm curfew, their set and the sets of the bands following were very much on the short side.

Beaches continued the guitar wash, but bathed the audience in their sunny vocals. With each passing performance Beaches look like they are enjoying themselves more and more on stage, and this is reflected in the comfort they seem to exude in their onstage musical explorations.

The ever wonderful Primitive Calculators rounded out the support acts for the evening and managed to do so with such punch and fire, it’s difficult to fathom where the onstage energy of the lead singer has been channelled over their three decade hiatus. Calls for encores and a wild upfront “spazz dancing” of several audience members are a good indication that Primitive Calculators may yet to reach their creative peak. Let’s hope so.

Shortly after their set finished people began jostling for space around the front while security guards tried in vain to make space for the crew and band. A long period of amplifier assembly took place as room was cleared in front of the stage for Lightning Bolt to set up their instruments. Four large cabinets, two large orange speaker boxes and four PA speakers were constructed behind the band making a terrifyingly large wall of noise to blast out to the crowd. And all this for just a bass!

As the crowd circled tightly around the band, others clambered on speakers and jostled for space on the stage. With the first loud rip of distorted bass and snare crack on the drums, the crowd heaved back and forth giving the few security guards attempting to keep space for the band a headache and a half. Lightning Bolt are compelling musicians to watch, and technically quite a wonder to behold. The fierceness and frequency of the Mexican wrestler masked drummer (he uses it to keep his mike in) is complimented by the proficiency and innovative improvisation of the bass player.

With more and more excitement gripping the crowd, come crowd surfing began and played havoc for the photographers trying to get shots off. I doubt anyone came out of the venue with a camera that was in the same condition it was brought in with. The front row were also steadfastly trying to maintain position and hold the drums in place while deflecting blows from the crowd surfers, and heft of a surging crowd behind them. With the drummer covered in sweat a fan was torn apart by a crowd spillage, the night ended with raucous cheers and a glowing look of wonder on the faces of all.

Lightning Bolt aren’t used to big halls for their performances, but tonight’s event proved that they can transform their basement destruction shows into something even more magical if given the space. Let’s hope they revisit from the US soon.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE