Psychedelic Porn Crumpets @ Great Scott

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

September 29, 2019 at Great Scott

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets capture the full essence of hyperbole. They are among the primary forces behind Australia’s burgeoning psychedelic rock scene, with peers like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Pond, and ORB. Playing at The Great Scott, which is hardly more than a bar and some seating, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets brought their North American Tour to Boston.

Before the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets came out Lucid Lynx, based out of Berklee College of Music right here in Boston and Meatbodies, traveling with the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets for the entirety of their tour, opened with their sets.

Even though they played a relatively short set, Lucid Lynx set the tone for the night, particularly with the teaser for their new album that they played last. Meatbodies came on stage next with a more extensive set that included the wildly energetic “Mountain” from their self-titled album. They make a great touring partner for the Porn Crumpets as their garage-inspired sound, highly distorted guitars, and possessed vocals create a refreshing, contrasting dynamic.

Underneath Jack McEwan’s floating, hazy vocals are gigantic guitar riffs from Luke Parish. Recently added, Chris Young, who Jack cheekily introduced as the only “good” member of the band, plays keyboard alongside bassist Luke Reynolds and drummer Danny Caddy. If it wasn’t already obvious from their outrageous name, it was clear that these guys don’t try to take themselves too seriously when Jack, self-nicknamed “Skrillex”, introduced a cover of “Bangarang”. Sadly, they didn’t actually cover any dubstep at Great Scott, but the band does have a ton of synergy, always headbanging in perfect unison. Regardless, touring internationally is a massive step up from their original days of living in a tin roof barn just outside Perth.

There was a gradient of energy from the very front of the stage to the back of the venue. Directly in front of the stage, only slightly elevated from the audience was the most energetic part of the audience. They managed to maintain a mosh pit through to the encore, while more towards the back, people were happy to chill out and just experience the Porn Crumpets shake the building.

With a mix of songs from their first two records, including “Marmalade March”, and their 2019 album, And Now for the Whatchamacallit, the band switched seamlessly between collected and frenzied. They closed their show with their most popular song, “Cornflake,” and a personal favorite “Keen for Kick Ons?”. It was a perfect way to end the show because they perfectly encapsulate the two niches the Porn Crumpets typically fulfill: the almost enchanted and otherworldly trippiness of their slower songs and the blistering, hard-hitting, sharpness that they’re so good at.

At the end of the day, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets put on a powerful show, emphasized by the explosive supporting acts and their own intense energy while playing. And, despite their name, they still are plenty personable, cracking self-deprecating jokes. Really, they’re just out trying to give people a good time, and Boston definitely felt the heavy impact of the Porn Crumpets.