Almost a year to the day we caught Frenzal Rhomb at the beginning of their ‘A Man’s Not A Camel’ 25th anniversary tour in Canberra, we’re back in sunny Kiama for what is the last show of their ‘A Man’s STILL Not A Camel’ tour.
It’s a Saturday night, and everyone between the ages of 18 and 56 are out at the Kiama Pavilion. It’s an early start – 6pm – and a lot of Frenzal fans have had to organise babysitters or leave the kids at home alone, with a large Domino’s pizza and the hope that they don’t cause any havoc. As such, the 9pm finish is a little bit of a godsend for those folks.
The sole support, Sydney anarcho ska punk trio Operation Ibis have got a couple punters toe tapping. Most folks are on the balcony sinking tins, but the rest of us inside are getting into it like it’s a school hall dance party. Co-operation Ibis, Further Than The Floor, Border Force, plenty of palm muted chords and head nodding beats.
Halfway through the set the kick drum decided to just implode, and while a bit of duct tape got the trio through the next track, the set quickly became a guitar and bass duo. “Turn the drum around”, someone suggests, and we’re back into the set. With the house lights shining bright the entire set it certainly felt like a small town concert as Operation Ibis warmed the crowd up nice and toasty.
“Who went to the blowhole today? It was a bit shit hey” teases Frenzal Rhomb as the four piece take the stage to a looping recording of Kiama based TV ads from yesteryear. Jamberoo Recreation Park, Kiama Ice Creamery, classic memories for locals and those expats who’re back in town for the evening.
Go Frenzal Go and We’re Going Out Tonight kick the set into top gear, the all ages crowd, and I do mean all ages, teens and aging rockers starting a push pit. “This is the last time we have to play this song”, I Know Everything, muses Jay Frenzal. The same sentiment is then applied to following track It’s Up To You.
Crowd favourites Mr Charisma and Russell Crowe’s Band get everyone fired up. $8 tins of beer getting sloshed about in the front few rows. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it track ….Dinosaurs gets the double treatment, played twice in quick succession to the delight of punters, one girl in the front row wearing a wolf mask and ears howling along, almost in key.
It’s a mammoth 25-song set, 5000 Cigarettes, Bird Attack, Do You Wanna Fight Me, the band may be getting older but they haven’t Gone To The Dogs just yet. A shirtless Dal Failure back to back with Lyndsay The Doctor McDougall, trading riffs and smiles. The Doctor, in a gleaming white ensemble, guitar solos behind his head, whilst Jay sips a beer and watches in amusement.
Between songs those old Kiama ads keep looping, “Jamberoooo, where you control the action!!”. The slow section of the set, I Miss My Lung, Methadone, Not My Friend, set staples for along time, will we see them again?
The closing trio of Bucket Bong, the raucous and violent Punch In The Face, which saw several elderly punters enter the fray and come off second best in the pit, and the Australian anthem, Never Had So Much Fun.
With that, 25 years (plus one) of A Man’s Not A Camel came to an end. So begs the questions, which of these songs will make the cut? Will we see these songs again for the 30th anniversary? Or will we get some of Frenzals better written songs like War, Rats In The Walls or Everything’s Fucked?
Photos and review: Brendan Delavere
