Infectious Grooves - Gig Review 5th April @ Roundhouse, Sydney NSW

Infectious Grooves
The Roundhouse, Sydney NSW
April 5th, 2024
Support: Inspector Cluzo

If you were wondering what the core demographic of tonight’s audience would be at the Infectious Grooves show at the Roundhouse tonight, then the sea of Mr. Bungle, Pantera, Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies logos emblazoned across the chests of the punters on hand may serve as a solid indication of what to expect of tonight’s crowd. Vintage nineties band paraphernalia is out in force tonight and while It’s fair to say that, at 46, I’m not the youngest bloke here, I’m certainly not the oldest. The boomers are out in force, armed to the teeth with cans of bourbon and a few of them are in the running for parent of the year, having brought their adult kids with them.

To be fair, this place should be packed to the gills tonight. The calibre of musicians on show tonight will soon become the stuff of legend. This is a band consisting of some of the most iconic musicians on the planet. The collective resume of tonight’s members of Infectious Grooves includes the likes of Metallica, Slipknot, Velvet Revolver, Ozzy Osbourne and of course Suicidal Tendencies. I’ve seen this venue packed out, both levels full with no room to move. Tonight though, upstairs has been closed off, leaving downstairs to be fairly chockers. While it’s not the numbers I’d expect for a band of this calibre, it does make for a good atmosphere and the opening band really put the rabble on hand in a glorious mood.

The Inspector Cluzo are a couple of a French organic farmers who were invited here by the Trujillo’s to have a go at wowing an Aussie crowd and I think it’s fair to say that they’ve gone and landed themselves a few new fans tonight. Let it be known that they’re not from Paris, but from further down in the deep south of France and they have the soul to prove it. They’re the best dressed blokes in the room and the sound they pump out is genuinely impressive. For two musicians to hammer out a live sound like this is incredible, but I’m no stranger to watching two piece bands and neither is Infectious Grooves frontman Mike Muir. After having Astrodeath and Mannequin Death Squad in tow on last year’s Suicidal Tendencies tour, I’m starting to think he’s got a thing for loud musical duos.

One song in and the crowd is hooked. The pair tell beaut stories about farming and their French tinge makes the stories that much better. They both sing and drummer Mathieu can often be seen cavorting around the stage riling up the throng before him. Guitarist/vocalist Laurent converses candidly about their objective as organic farmers and the effects of global warming before launching into ‘Running a Family Farm Farming Is More Rock n Roll Than Playing Rock n Roll Music’ from their latest album Horizon. None of the babble sounds preachy though. If anything it just adds to the show, making it even more entertaining. They go from a bluesy rock swagger, to punk and into what sounds to me like a more raucous Violent Femmes. They could belt out an AC/DC cover right now and nail it. They name drop Gojira and sing a verse about Iggy Pop’s dick before closing out with ‘Put Your Hands Up’. As they rip through it, the duo slowly dismantle the drum kit while still jamming out the song and finish to a rousing applause. Job well done lads. A performance worthy of any venue but this would murder in a dive bar. Merci beaucoup fellas.

On the way to the bar I catch up with The Crosdales BBQ mob out of The Hawkesbury who did the catering on the recent Suicidal Tendencies tour and subsequently got the call up to feed the Infectious Grooves crew backstage tonight. They get my vote for best BBQ in Australia and I’ve eaten enough food in my lifetime to believe I might just be right. I missed out on the feed this time but will catch up with them at Meatstock in a couple weeks.

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The Infectious Grooves moniker adorns the huge screens bookending the stage as a pack of black clad legends in IG issue clown masks start creeping around the stage. Dean Pleasants takes to the stage strumming the opening riff to ‘These Freaks Are Here to Party’, decked out in the finest jacket I’ve ever seen and with apologies to Inspector Cluzo, but with that smik jacket on, Mr. Pleasants is now easily the best dressed man in the building.

As the clowns eek around comically, Dave Kushner, Jay Weinberg and Rob Trujillo stroll on casually like they aren’t some of the biggest and coolest fucking rock stars on the planet as phones and horns are raised into the air. There might be a lifetime supply of bad backs in this crowd for any working chiropractor but that doesn’t stop this midlife mosh pit from jumping up and down in excitement. The almighty Cyco Mike Muir bursts onto the stage like it’s still 1994, starts doing laps of the stage and in doing so makes the rest of us look bad.

They rip into ‘Turtle Wax (Funkaholics Anonymous)’,‘Stop Funk'n With My Head’ and ‘You Lie... and Yo Breath Stank’ and it occurs to me that They rip into ‘Turtle Wax (Funkaholics Anonymous)’, ‘Stop Funk’n With My Head’ and ‘You Lie… and Yo Breath Stank’ and it occurs to me that Rob Trujillo may be the only Metallica member to play with both Slipknot drummers (Joey Jordison jumped in for Lars Ulrich during Metallica’s set at Download UK in 2004). Trujillo is flexing muscles on stage he hasn’t had the chance to flex on stage for years. While playing for Metallica is no easy feat, stylistically and technically Infectious Grooves is definitely a very different beast.

Additionally watching Rob slapping the intro to ‘Punk It Up’ while rocking out with Mike after all these years is a rare honour to witness and might be making me feel a wee bit nostalgic in the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWK76EnuQVM&t=2s

A cover of ‘Fame’ by David Bowie is a welcomed addition to the setlist and at only a few shows in, this group jive like they’ve been doing it together for decades. It shouldn’t surprise me though, considering the history a lot of these guys share and that collectively there’s roughly 150 years of stage experience between these five blokes. Also with anything Cyco Mike has ever put his name to, theres always been a large sense of family that would put Dominic Toretto to shame. As a result, it’s always seemed like anyone that has shared the stage with the man has been welcomed in like a long lost relative.

So it may just describe the great big shit eating grin smeared across Jay Weinberg’s face. I don’t know if he’s ever smiled like that behind that Slipknot mask but there’s no denying he is having the greatest time tonight. Like Rob, Jay is also playing in a fashion he’s not currently accustomed to. Despite that, he is absolutely kicking this room’s arse and having the time of his life in the process.

Mike starts to tell the crowd about his time living here in Australia, living in The Sutherland Shire, how much he loved it and how Australia was his and Rob’s first choice of where to tour when their reunion was announced. By this stage there’s a bit of a pit forming as they rip into ‘Lock It in the Pocket’, ‘Funny Farm’ and huge fan favourite ‘Violent & Funky’. Every song hits like a bomb and gets the rabble on hand churning just a bit more each time so that by the time they move through ‘Boom Boom Boom’, ’Monster Skank’, ‘Borracho’ and self titled finisher ‘Infectious Grooves’ from the album Infectious Grooves, the place is fairly swaying. Guitarist Dave Kushner has been rock solid throughout and even with this insane roster of musicians, he has to be one of the coolest blokes to grace the stage tonight. Smooth as silk and groovy as hell.

The stage starts to empty as Rob jumps on the microphone, telling us to not go anywhere. Infectious Grooves is finished for the night, but now it’s time for Suicidal Tendencies and Sydney could not be more thrilled. In Rob’s place is his son Tye Trujillo who is already an accomplished, versatile and ridiculously talented bass player.

Mike starts to tell the crowd about his time living here in Australia, living in The Sutherland Shire, how much he loved it and how Australia was his and Rob’s first choice of where to tour when their reunion was announced. By this stage there's a bit of a pit forming as they rip into ‘Lock It in the Pocket’, ‘Funny Farm’ and huge fan favourite ‘Violent & Funky’. Every song hits like a bomb and gets the rabble on hand churning just a bit more each time so that by the time they move through ‘Boom Boom Boom’, ’Monster Skank’, ‘Borracho’ and self titled finisher ‘Infectious Grooves’ from the album Infectious Grooves, the place is fairly swaying. Guitarist Dave Kushner has been rock solid throughout and even with this insane roster of musicians, he has to be one of the coolest blokes to grace the stage tonight. Smooth as silk and groovy as hell.The stage starts to empty as Rob jumps on the microphone, telling us to not go anywhere. Infectious Grooves is finished for the night, but now it’s time for Suicidal Tendencies and Sydney could not be more thrilled. In Rob’s place is his son Tye Trujillo who is already an accomplished, versatile and ridiculously talented bass player.

They kick off this three song set with ‘Subliminal’ and the Sydney crowd fairly lose their shit. All the back pain in the room has disappeared and it’s a middle aged rampage as I see only one bloke do a hammy and retire to the edge of the pit. Rob grabs a bass and joins Tye and the rest of the band for ‘Send Me Your Money’, a song that sees the two Trujillo’s trade bass solo’s and judging by the crowd’s reaction, I think Tye won. It really is a rare and special moment watching a Rob and Tye share the stage in this fashion and everyone on hand understands how lucky we are to witness it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibmHT7ZqgcQ&t=126s

Mike jumps into the crowd for ‘Pledge Your Allegiance’ and is immediately swamped by the Dad-Bod-Squad. By now its a full blown party and I pity anyone that missed it. A huge roar erupts from the rabble as the lights go up, ‘Virtual Insanity’ by Jamiroquai is played over the speakers and the customary band selfie is taken with this now charged crowd.

Now I get that I’ve been name dropping each musician on display tonight, but how was the show itself? Dude, it was epic. Each song got a huge reaction from this mostly energetic mob and, while this is a Sydney crowd, which means that a large subsection of the audience only ever listens to live music up the back of a room with their arms folded, everyone on the floor had an absolute ball.

Seeing both Trujillo’s onstage together was something I thought I’d never see and as always, Mike Muir is the most insane and giving performer whose energy and physicality seems to defy the aging process. To witness this in this close a range as this is a blessing and tonight’s show is one everyone here will talk about forever. Absolutely killer. You should have been there.

Infectious Grooves Setlist:

These Freaks Are Here to Party
Turtle Wax (Funkaholics Anonymous)
Stop Funk’n With My Head
You Lie… and Yo Breath Stank
Punk It Up
Therapy
Fame (David Bowie cover)
Lock It in the Pocket
Funny Farm
Violent & Funky
Boom Boom Boom
Monster Skank
Borracho
Infectious Grooves

Suicidal Tendencies Setlist:

Subliminal (Tye Trujillo on Bass)
Send Me Your Money (Tye Trujillo & Robert Trujillo on Bass)
Pledge Your Allegiance (Tye Trujillo & Robert Trujillo on Bass)