[Live Review] JOHN GARCIA AND THE BAND OF GOLD (Sydney)

Crowbar, Sydney
Saturday 25 January 2020

Reviewer : Roger Killjoy
Photographer : Adam Sivewright

You know you’re getting old when the yawns start second song into the second band’s set. I haven’t done the freeway trip for a Sydney gig in some time now, and that drive isn’t getting any easier! My first trip to the Crowbar, cool venue, cosy room, and I’m sure it sees its fair share of business during the day given it backs onto a Centrelink. The enoki fries and cheeseburger on the food menu almost make it worth the 5 hour round trip alone.

Arrowhead start off the show with a strong, doomy showing, leading with two songs of their latest album Coven Of The Snake that showcase their heavy prowess. Their sound has moved on a bit from the early days of their Atomsmasher EP, and though this is great news creatively and the set is still rock solid and greeted warmly by the room, they don’t play their song ‘Mayflower’ and it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

Don Fernando are on the whole tour as support, so it’s unsurprising they have an impressive and muscular sound. Roaring out of the gates with two stoner punk blazers, short and to the point, they add some sleazy rock with third track ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ and then move into some lengthier, riff-heavy workouts. The set is perfectly paced, and kicks like a mule. Real good stuff.

John Garcia has now released three solo albums, or at least two billed as John Garcia and one as John Garcia and the Band Of Gold. He has more than enough material to build a set around that output, yet 90% of the set tonight is Kyuss covers, with a Hermano and a Slo Burn tune thrown in for good measure. On the surface, this is a perfect result for the not quite full room of people who are only here tonight because of Garcia’s role in Kyuss. However in practise, something just doesn’t gel. Part of the problem is the Band of Gold. The drummer is an absolute powerhouse and takes to his kit with a force rarely seen, but is a total mismatch for the subtlety, swing and groove that Brant Bjork brought to Kyuss. The guitarist suffers from a truly anaemic presence in the mix most of the night, and every song feels a half step too fast compared to the original. All this is forgivable if you only run through 2 or 3 Kyuss tunes, but if you build your whole set around Kyuss, it makes the incongruities all the more glaring.

Garcia himself is in fine form vocally, his soft-spoken manner endearing and genuine when he does what little audience interaction there is. His new, original material is strong and stands on its own two feet, and the band are impressive, despite the mismatch between their feel and their material. It’s a tough spot to be in, to pander to the legacy that fills the rooms that you now play, or to tip your hat to your past and then bring everyone up to date with what you have been doing lately. I can’t fault the guy for the choice he made, and the show was unquestionably enjoyable, but if you are going to give me Kyuss, give it to me right.