King Parrot
Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong
13 August 2015
Review and photo by Kiel Egging
I don’t know how Matt Young does it.
You see, there are two sides to the frontman of Melbourne’s cheekiest bunch of ass-kicking thrash stars King Parrot. Both sides are extremely likeable, but both could not be more at opposite ends of the spectrum either.
Side one is pre-show when he’s the loveable, laidback and chatty bloke from the ‘burbs. He’s handing out high fives and man hugs as he mans the merch table while support acts Nemesium and Harlott warm up the crowd. Of note, the latter’s Slayer-esque sounds pleased plenty of the headbangers who turned up early. And who can turn down a panda-themed band shirt which lead singer Andy guarantees will get you laid? (I’m holding you to that pal.)
Side two of Matthew comes when King Parrot hit the stage for the first performance of their Dead Set Regional Rampage tour just after 10pm. Youngy has lost his shirt and positioned a slab of Coles home brand bottled water at his feet. The opening notes of The Stench Of Hardcore Pub Trash ring out, and like a flick of a switch he’s running around, screaming and popping his eyes, showering himself and everyone at the front with water and pointing out every punter in the crowd like a man possessed.
He continues this (and throws in the odd crowd surf for good measure) for the next 50 minutes as he and the band tear through tracks from their debut Bite Your Head Off and new album Dead Set. The pace doesn’t drop for an instant and he’s sober throughout the whole thing. It’s a totally transfixing sight.
If there was anything to mark him down on tonight, his usual party trick – standing in the middle of the dance floor and getting everyone to sandwich him in a wall of death – was absent. But pulling up a petite female fan at the front of the stage for a waltz, and a jockey-sized headbanging male to scream out the lyrics to breakout hit Shit On The Liver near the end made up for the omission. And two minutes after it was over, the shirt was back on and he was back socialising and selling merch.
So if there’s any bottled water companies out there looking for a new poster boy, I suggest you give Matthew a call. He’ll not only give you great product placement, but he’ll leave your ears ringing and smack one hell of a smile on your face. Just ask all the Geelong-based punters who he left in his wake tonight.
