SYN Media

King Krule live at The Croxton Friday 8th March
Media passes provided by publicists
Words by Ben Madden & Edited by Elsie Bath

Melbourne, we need to have a serious talk. It’s time to stop throwing things at artists. The fact that I have to write that sentence is pretty ridiculous, but the ethereal performance from King Krule and his band was marred by this very act from the crowd. If you can’t control yourself at a gig, maybe you shouldn’t be there.

With that out of the way, King Krule played to a sold-out band room at The Croxton, making sure no expense was spared. His 5 piece backing band meant the sound was even fuller live than recorded, with the saxophonist a particularly nice touch. There was a sense of raw anger that comes with King Krule’s music. This was particularly evident in a live setting, culminating with King Krule swearing at the crowd during the encore and immediately following the final song, ‘Out Getting Ribs’. He threw his guitar and stormed off. It’s nice to know the anger that radiates from him isn’t fabricated.

‘His 5 piece backing band meant the sound was even fuller live than recorded, with the saxophonist a particularly nice touch’

With a mix of songs from his two albums thus far, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon and The Ooz, old and new fans alike were satisfied. Playing single ‘Dum Surfer’ relatively early on was an interesting choice, but it paid off. In no way did he seem to be pandering to his audience, and yet, he was a crowd-pleaser. There’s a lot to be said for someone who focuses solely on the quality of the performance, rather than having extraneous distractions going on. It’s clear as well that the performance would translate well to larger stages. Those seeing King Krule at Golden Plains over the Labor Day long weekend surely experienced a great show from the angry musician.

‘In no way did he seem to be pandering to his audience, and yet, he was a crowd-pleaser’

The only real knock on the gig would be the opener. While Emerson Snowe is a capable performer in his own right, his selection as sole support act left the crowd quite bemused, especially considering his 80s-style live performance didn’t really suit the vibe. Nevertheless, King Krule had the crowd enthralled from the opening notes.

Having been a King Krule fan for close to half a decade at this point, this was everything I wanted, and more. There’s always an added expectation when seeing an artist you’ve loved for a long time, but walking out of The Croxton, I knew it had been well worth the wait.