Re:fuel, Dunedin. 20th February 2011
With the audience like black-t-shirt-wearing, leather-clad moths to the proverbial flame, Re:Fuel seemed close to capacity as the Melvins took the stage. The oddly placed Sunday timeslot seemed to have deterred few. It was as if the crowd were sending a message: Dunedin can support quality international acts. The band opened with the superb “The Water Glass” from their latest record The Bride Screamed, the track’s almost bizarre call and response acapella vocals providing their fans with a rousing rallying call.
From then on the Melvins were pure unadulterated class. Showing their years of experience, the band tore into material spanning their career with dense, heavy precision. With the bands’ dual drummers (one left handed, one right) in complete, seemingly impossible, unison and providing one of the best visual performances this reviewer has ever seen, they delivered a consummate performance. The sheer nature of their music and line-up simply enveloping Re:Fuel’s main room, the brutal music crushing in volume and weight. The punishing rhythm section allowing the sludgy riffs of guitarist Buzz Ozbourne to work the crowd into one frenzied mass, the constant repetitious pace of their music a perfect fit for head-banging. As the night came to its end, sweat was literally dripping from the ceiling and all departed satisfied.
More of this Dunedin! Much, much more.
Melvins
