Sunday 7th
of May: Just got on the tram and a cold sweat started running down my back. I realised I
forgot my earplugs and my only thought was running back before the night
started: Fu Manchu was playing at the HiFi. Just
to clarify: I am now talking about the legendary Southern Californian stoner
rock band from the 90s.
They had
two shows in Melbourne and they were headliners at Cherry Rock. I was lucky
enough to see them playing twice at the same venue and, honestly, the sound was so good that reduced 12dB -as my earplugs claim- it was still
murky and loud, like a real stoner band should sound like.
They played
the album ‘Action is go’ on Sunday
and ‘In Search of’ on Monday, and delighted
us on both nights with one of my favorite tracks, ‘King of the Road’, on the second night throwing the microphone to the
audience that confidently screamed the main verse of the song –‘King of the road says you move too slow,
king of the road says you move too slow!’- until the security guy grabbed
the mic stand and put it back on the stage with a “that´s enough” kind-of-face.
I could still hear the main riff way after the band left the stage.
It went
quick and, with a smile on my face I said bye to everyone and jumped on the
tram home. The song was still in my head…
A week
later my friend Ricky confessed he was so pumped up that night he got his first
speeding fine in ten years on his way home. -‘King of the road!’-
