King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard release their new album Flight b741 this Friday. It’s their 26th album and finds them cutting loose and having fun in an early-’70s kind of way — they cite The Steve Miller Band among their influences this time — which you can really hear on “Field of Vision,” the album’s final pre-release jammer.
“I remember Joey sending me a voice memo of him playing that main riff on acoustic guitar,” says bandleader Stu Mackenzie. “From his couch to mine. The arrangement was a bit more complicated originally, I think. Perhaps it was closer to the ‘I lied to god’ bridge that came together in the end. Anyway, I don’t think I really understood it or felt the groove, but once we were recording in the studio with the others, it grooved hard. The verse and chorus changes came together quickly and in real time, and we had a tune on our hands. Joey’s baby, this song. And Joey likes to do it right.”
“Joey called me a couple of weeks after the sessions, saying we gotta cut the track ‘cos it’s shit,’ Mackenzie continues. “What a bummer. And a surprise. Myself and Amby (who loved it) spent the next two days in the studio laying down our vocal parts and overdubs, trying to save it. We dubbed in the guitar-solo-type-section with parts chopped up from outtakes and added a blown out guitar solo. It was a $100 harmony acoustic guitar played through some outboard gear that it was definitely not designed to be used with ha ha. Studios are fun. I hoped he liked it. We printed the tape and sent it to him with a note saying, ‘pleeease man, this has gotta be on the record.’ Joey obliged (but not until after he redid all of his parts). Groove restored.”
Listen to “Field of Vision” below.
King Gizzard’s tour hits NYC next week for two nights of three-hour marathon sets at Forest Hills Stadium on August 16 & 17 with Geese and DJ Crenshaw lso on the bill. We’re giving away a pair of tickets for the 8/16 show (and a copy of the new album on vinyl!).
KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD: 2024-2025 TOUR DATES
Aug 15, 2024 The Anthem Washington, DC ^*
Aug 16, 2024 Forest Hills Stadium Forest Hills, NY ^*#
Aug 17, 2024 Forest Hills Stadium Forest Hills, NY ^*#
Aug 19, 2024 The Stage at Suffolk Downs Boston, MA ^*
Aug 20, 2024 Thompson’s Point Portland, ME ^*
Aug 21, 2024 Budweiser Stage Toronto, ON ^
Aug 23, 2024 Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre Detroit, MI ^@
Aug 24, 2024 Jacobs Pavilion Cleveland, OH ^
Aug 25, 2024 MegaCorp Pavilion Outdoor Newport, KY ^
Aug 27, 2024 The Dell Music Center Philadelphia, PA ^
Aug 28, 2024 Brown’s Island Richmond, VA ^
Aug 30, 2024 ExploreAsheville.com Arena Asheville, NC ^
Aug 31, 2024 Ascend Amphitheater Nashville, TN ^
Sep 1, 2024 Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Chicago, IL ^#
Sep 3, 2024 The Armory Minneapolis, MN ^
Sep 4, 2024 Miller High Life Theatre Milwaukee, WI ^
Sep 5, 2024 The Factory St. Louis, MO ^
Sep 6, 2024 The Astro Amphitheater Omaha, NE ^
Sep 8, 2024 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO ^
Sep 9, 2024 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO EARLY SHOW ^
Sep 9, 2024 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO LATE SHOW ^
Sep 11, 2024 Edgefield Amphitheater Troutdale, OR ^
Sep 12, 2024 Pacific Coliseum Vancouver, BC ^
Sep 14, 2024 The Gorge Amphitheatre Quincy, WA ^*#
Nov 1, 2024 The Forum Inglewood, CA %*
Nov 2, 2024 The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park San Diego, CA %*@
Nov 3, 2024 Vina Robles Amphitheatre Paso Robles, CA %*
Nov 4, 2024 Frost Amphitheater at Stanford Stanford, CA %*
Nov 8, 2024 PH Live Las Vegas, NV %*
Nov 9, 2024 Arizona Financial Theatre Phoenix, AZ %
Nov 10, 2024 Revel Entertainment Center Albuquerque, NM %
Nov 12, 2024 The Criterion Oklahoma City, OK %
Nov 13, 2024 JJ’s Live Fayetteville, AR %
Nov 15, 2024 Germania Insurance Amphitheater Austin, TX %#
Nov 16, 2024 White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX %
Nov 17, 2024 Mardi Gras World New Orleans, LA %
Nov 19, 2024 Fox Theatre Atlanta Atlanta, GA %
Nov 20, 2024 St. Augustine Amphitheatre St. Augustine, FL %
Nov 21, 2024 Factory Town Miami, FL %
May 18, 2025 Coliseu dos Recreios Lisbon, Portugal
May 19, 2025 Coliseu dos Recreios Lisbon, Portugal
May 20, 2025 Coliseu dos Recreios Lisbon, Portugal
May 23, 2025 Poble Espanyol Barcelona, Spain
May 24, 2025 Poble Espanyol Barcelona, Spain
May 25, 2025 Poble Espanyol Barcelona, Spain
May 29, 2025 Lukiškės Prison 2.0 Vilnius, Lithuania
May 30, 2025 Lukiškės Prison 2.0 Vilnius, Lithuania
May 31, 2025 Lukiškės Prison 2.0 Vilnius, Lithuania
Jun 4, 2025 Lycabettus Theatre Athens, Greece
Jun 5, 2025 Lycabettus Theatre Athens, Greece
Jun 6, 2025 Lycabettus Theatre Athens, Greece
Jun 8, 2025 Ancient Theatre Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Jun 9, 2025 Ancient Theatre Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Jun 10, 2025 Ancient Theatre Plovdiv, Bulgaria
^ with Geese
* with DJ Crenshaw
% with King Stingray
# 3 hour marathon set
@ acoustic set