After the riotous success of cherry rock earlier this year,and the threat of a high density residential apartment building looming over the cherry bar,it was no surprise that once again,AC/DC lane was transformed into a massive outdoor stage.
After dashing from the train station, my accomplice insistent that we see Dern Rutlidge,we arrived half way through their set.Having disbanded in 2003, Dern Rutlidge were doing a one off string string of shows. For some bands,even 9 years off can't wipe the vibe away,but unfortunately this was not the case. As the band tried to blow out the cobwebs, the rusty gears creaked through a set never quite swung into gear.All in good humour,but a bit less than spectacular.Perhaps the next show will be back to full strength.
For those who haven't been to a festival at the cherry before,a stage is setup and the end of the alleyway outside the venue,to complement the stage inside,meaning there is never a minute of silence.Cherryfest was definitely down on numbers,the advantage being that squeezing through the 3 small doorways in between was far easier.
Local favourites King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard hit the outdoor stage next.Despite their large size,King Gizzard are a band that need to be seen in the smallest room possible,i.e my bed room, to achieve maximum fezziness. 4 shows in a row had taken a toll on Stu's vocal chords,the poor man barely able to speak let alone holler and howl.The Cherry is undoubtedly a heavy rock venue,so a band like King Gizzard were little out of place,but talking to some punters, their filthy garage surf was a refreshing twist.
Inside,King Parrot hit the other end of the scale,putting on a full blown metal show.Proper metal too.With a front man in and out of the crowd,chugging metal riffs,head banging and dropping left,right and center,King Parrot are metal all over.If you're into that kind of metal,they've got a good live show.
Now it was time to dart back out to AC/DC lane for Tumbleweed.Australia's stoner rock legends re-united in 2009,and have since been touring and writing for a new album.Despite the fact that these are clearly not the youthful muso's they once were,there is no denying that Tumbleweed have still got it.The fuzzed out riffs were blasted along AC/DC lane to the enjoyment of everyone watching,young an old.It didn't matter if you were a new fan,or a one of the 'I haven't seen Tumbleweed in 15 years' group,the band delivered delivered a killer set.Playing a good mix of old material,and new songs set to be released on the up-coming album.Closing track Ocean was phenomenal,the band definitely did not miss a beat.I for one am really looking forward to the new album.
Next up were locals My Left Boot.Scoring a prime spot,My Left Boot played through some psychedelic fuzz rock,with shades of Zeppelin and QOTSA.Guitarist Daniel Frith can coax some really cool sounds out of his tele,without ever going over the top, matched by Chappy's powerful,prominent vocals.With a solid rhythm section to round out the band,My Left Boot took a good opportunity and played a great set.Go see My Left Boot,you will not regret it.
Out in the alley again,and the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group were warming up.I'll be straight up,I didn't like this band.At all.Omar Rodriguez is best known as a member of the Mars Volta and At The Drive In.Whilst variety is the spice of life,I think this band was a bad choice for the cherry.Too many synthesizers,at a guitar band dominated festival.I did enjoy the bat shit crazy front woman,whose antics included jumping on P.A's,bouncers and crowd members,before throwing an un-suspecting punter onto the stage.There's entertainment in that,but the music to match just wasn't there.Synth players are boring to watch.At the end of the set, a man in a skin tight purple one piece,with a space helmet,complete with balloons and a phone,guitar in hand ran past me.That's right,it was time for the legendary Bob Log III.
The guy looks like a ghost buster crossed with mortein,playing crazy lo fi swamp blues.I thought the front woman from Omar Rodriguez was wild,but Bob Log III is mental.Words cannot describe how this one guy can single handedly own the room.With his legs flailing on percussion mounted at his feet,space helmet swaying and an endless riff raff coming out of his guitar,Bob Log III puts on a show like no other.Surely the woman invited to 'come sit on my purple sparkly knee' would have been torn between embaressment and hilarity,but it takes alot of,uh...talent...to get member of the audience to dip their boob in a cup of beer,and then drink it.A wild,crazy show,possibly even the highlight of the day.He was still riding around someones shoulder up the back of the room,when Eyehategod started outside.And everyone was still inside watching Bob Log III.
Eyehategod were wickedly heavy,and spouting all kinds of evil.Drinking like camels and smoking like chimney's whilst delivering some sludgy heavy riffs,Eyehategod are not for the faint-hearted.Surprisingly,a big concrete alleyway actually sounds pretty damn good acoustically once its packed with punters.Big,fat bass waves pulsated through the audience whilst beer flew over the top.Props to the punter who threw an empty plastic bottle in the air,not realizing it bounced straight into a bin 10 meters behind them.Eyehategod played a strong set,definitely for fans of Electric wizard.Slow,sludgy riffs abound.
The setup for festivals at the Cherry Bar works brilliantly,with non stop music all day,and good sound/good viewing for all.Cherry fest didn't quite fill the big shoes of the earlier Cherry rock (my god Fu Manchu were amazing),but the formula is there.Whilst line up did try to appeal to a broad range of tastes,people were perhaps not willing to shell out the coin to see 2 or 3 bands they like,when most of them play locally fairly often.If the rumors of a certain Scandavian stoner rock band are true,Cherry rock next year will be a fantastic way to give a nice big middle finger to the high rise apartment building set to be behind it.
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