Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Lydia Lunch Retrovirus Invaded Sydney with No Mercy, 6/17/18

Lydia Lunch Retrovirus by Ken Geiger


Spreading the Disease

By Ken Geiger

This is definitely the most immediate reaction I have ever given to a concert in my life. It has been only a couple hours since the Lydia Lunch Retrovirus stepped off the stage at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney, Australia; and I am still blown away. Lunch, who has been active with music, poetry and acting since the 1970s, has made a career out of pushing buttons with critics and audiences alike. One must wonder whether someone who started such antics in their youth can keep that up over 40 years later. Not only does Lunch manage to continue her antics with a setlist that spans over the entirety of her career, but she also does so in a style that makes these songs feel brand new. 

Now it must be said that such a feat could not be accomplished without the stellar band that is playing her tunes. The all-star cast includes bassist Tim Dahl (Child Abuse), Bob Bert (Sonic Youth & Pussy Galore) and Weasel Walter (The Flying Luttenbachers). Weasel, in my opinion, is the real star of this show. One of the most noticeable things about Lydia Lunch's career is the great guitar players with whom she has surrounded herself; Rowland S. Howard, Nels Cline, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez are a few that come to mind. Weasel Walter continues this trend in the most energized and mind-bending way possible. Dahl and Bert create a strong enough backbone in the rhythm section that it gives the guitarist free range to go absolutely nuts over these older songs. Add in his frenetic stage energy and Lunch's deadpan jokes about sex, fascism and Australian goths, and you have a top tier performance.



Lydia Lunch has stated many times in the past that she does not want this show to be looked at as a nostalgia trip. She said it again tonight. I do not think anyone who goes to see Retrovirus will be able to even tell that some of these tunes are well over 40 years old. Talk about an older artist showing the new generation how it is done. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW IF IT COMES TO A CITY NEAR YOU.



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