Music fans will have the chance to see the “wildest live band in America” when energetic garage-punk rockers the Schizophonics bring their high-octane live show to Geelong this week.
The live-wire trio, based in San Diego, are renowned across the globe for both their driving riffs and incendiary performance style.
Originally formed in 2009 in Southern California, husband and wife duo Pat (vocals, guitar) and Lety (drums) Beers form the nucleus of the band, joined in recent years by Sarah Linton on bass.
The Schizophonics have regularly been compared, both musically and performance-wise, to acts such as MC5, Jimi Hendrix, Iggy Pop and James Brown and have shared the stage with bands such as Devo, Hives and Cage the Elephant.
The band are currently in Australia, having begun their tour in New Zealand and set to travel Japan at the beginning of February.
Here for their fourth trip to Australia since they first arrived in 2019, frontman Pat said Aussies were more “fun” than many audiences around the world.
“It sounds like pandering, but I like the audiences here better (than in the US),” he said.
“They seem more energetic and fun… last time we were here (in 2023) we played multiple shows in Melbourne and people showed up every time. It just seems like people really love rock and roll here.”
Lety said forming connections with their audiences was at the heart of the band’s mission statement.
“Sometimes the crowd won’t let loose, but if they see you letting loose up there they’re more prone to get silly too,” she said.
“It makes it so worth it when people show up and are able to let loose with us and have a good time. We just want to party and have a good time with everybody.”
The Schizophonics are at the Barwon Club on Friday, January 31.
– Matt Hewson
