King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel

Within a decade of their formation, Australia’s King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard have released over twenty studio albums alongside fourteen live records, several compilations remixes and singles – producing genre-defying works which celebrate sound and texture. Prolific would be an understatement; prolific works match their volume.

King Gizzard has amassed quite the fan base over time, which can only be better evidenced after witnessing performances like those seen in Chunky Shrapnel – an exclusive new film that follows their 2019 European leg tour. Only available for 24 hours via Vimeo, the film offers a truly immersive look at what makes them tick and provides viewers with an insider perspective into creating shows that combine rock jubilation with psychedelic weirdness.

Before recently, Gigwise didn’t rehearse much prior to shows; their original lineup consisted of friends from other bands who all knew each other well enough that Gigwise (an abbreviation for “gigging” in Australian slang) became an informal name for their collective. Booking gigs for beer revenue, their lineup would change depending on who was available each time; making their shows feel like an exuberant musical road movie experience!

Gizzard made their initial foray into microtonal music with Flying Microtonal Banana in 2017, with subsequent releases featuring heavy metal and synth-pop influences. However, Gizzard have recently shown themselves uncontent to remain stagnant; rather, recent efforts have focused on exploring a connected fictional universe they’ve coined the “Gizzverse.”

As soon as I started speaking to guitarist and co-lead vocalist Stu Mackenzie, it became evident that connecting with fans was paramount for his band. This is evident from the very first scene in my film – when an enthusiastic hirsute fan wearing a King Gizzard shirt walks into a venue holding a Nonagon Infinity tattooed on their chest!

At the time of filming, The Gizzards had recently completed five albums that began with one of their most ambitious endeavors yet: correspondence albums featuring Roland Juno-60 analogue synthesiser from the 1980s that creates primitive arpeggiated melodies.

Mackenzie’s current version of the band features him with five other members: multi-instrumentalist Cook Craig, drummer Michael Cavanagh (“Cavs”), bassist Ambrose Kenny-Smith and vocalist Joey Walker. They form an informal yet low-pressure crew which can expand from three musicians up to 12 depending on circumstances; it is evident they all enjoy making music together!