When your Dad is a musical titan you can do two things; wilt in the heat of expectation or embrace the legacy and flourish. Dweezil Zappa chose the latter and if tonight’s performance is anything to go by he’s well on his way to securing his own place in the musical pantheon.
Billed as “Dweezil Zappa Plays Whatever the Fuck He Wants” (a cheeky nod and a wink to the family fued that erupted in the wake of his mother’s passing) we’re treated to a celebration of 50 years (actually 51 we’re told) of Frank Zappa’s musical canon. The set is, as to be expected, an eclectic mix of Mothers of Invention tracks as well as FZ solo outings, with a very slight focus on the classic “One Size Fits All” record. The venue is full right from the start and, for an evening focussing on musical and technical prowess, surprisingly loud and rowdy.
Kicking off the night with “Zomby Woof” brings about the first of many revelations; lead vocalist Cian Coey bursts out of the blocks with a voice that is simultaneously powerful and playful. Tackling repertoire originally performed by male singers, in a very singular style, Coey immediately elevates the proceedings from a tribute/cover band style act to a full on celebration. Her foil is the multi talented Scheila Gonzalez on vocals, keys, sax and flute and the two voices work together complement one another really well. As a musician I was obviously psyched to see Dweezil and the other instrumentalists tear it up but Coey immediately stole, and held, the show for the rest of the night.
Rounding out the band are the rhythm section of Ryan Brown (drums) and Kurt Morgan (bass), trumpeter Kendal Cuneo and keys player and singer Chris Newton (who also handles Ruth underwood’s iconic vibes parts with aplomb). Rocketing through “Suzy Creamcheese” and “Call Any Vegetable” without taking a breath or breaking sweat the band has the audience on their feet and in rapture; no small feet for the conservative audiences of Perth. Did I mention how good Scheila Gonzalez is yet?
A Zappa show is all about the deep cuts and the set builds nicely through an Aussie tinged
“Who Needs the Peace Corps” before the first big musical climax of the night in the mighty “Inca Roads”. These guys are making this look easy. Australian trumpeter Cuneo took lead vocals for “I’m so Cute” which lifted the roof, another revelation. By this point everyone in the room was well into the spirit, including the band, and it showed.
While we’re all here for the music, and while the band was indeed first class, the undeniable centrepiece of the show is Dweezil himself. While the set list reflects half a century of his father’s music, Dweezil channels the last 50 years of electric guitar heroes through his frequent extended guitar odysseys. It’s rare i enjoy that much extended soloing in one night, but the guy really is the whole package and deserves to be mentioned alongside Satriani, Vai, Govan and Malmsteen.
While Dweezil has elevated his playing into the rarefied atmosphere of a true guitar virtuoso, the finest moment of the whole night is the lyrical “Watermelon in Easter Hay”. In an evening packed with so many notes and so much shredding the sincerity and melodic control on “Watermelon…” is a special moment. The virtuosity ramps up with the last song of the set, “A Pound for a Brown on the Bus”, with an epic jazzy guitar/sax duel. All killer, no filler.After the massive 90 minute first set there’s a short interval before the band resumes where it left off. We get more mothers era tunes before “The Black Page” (parts 1 and 2) gives all the musicians in the audience an aneurysm. “Cheapniss” is my highlight for the night, with the band absolutely ripping and Dweezil conjuring up some impressive tones.
The only downsides for the night was the busy mix which obscured the otherwise fantastic bass playing of Kurt Morgan and the placing of the interval; I can’t help but feel two evenly spaced sets would have made more sense (or even 3 45’s with short breaks).
The whole band stays behind after the encore with Dweezil signing autographs and chatting to fans from the stage; no pretensions, just a genuine admiration for the people who have made it out tonight. There’s more than a few musicians who could learn from this example.
With a band like this and a repertoire so deep, Dweezil Zappa really can do whatever the fuck he wants.
