‘Foxy Shazam: Live in Australia’ Review: Ragtag Balance Of Insanity

Indie band Foxy Shazam takes advantage of their newfound popularity (thanks to James Gunn’s promotion of the band through projects like Peacemaker and Superman) and have journeyed back to Australia for the first time in 15 years for their Live in Australia tour.

I attended the first of three shows, this one set in Brisbane with regional supporting act Whitt’s End, tour support Big Red Fire Truck, and the main act: Cincinnati’s Foxy Shazam.

The main show, with a concert performed by lead singer Eric Nally, pianist Sky White, trumpeter Alex Nauth, bassist Misster Universe, guitarist Devin Williams, and drummer Teddy Aitkins, was pretty incredible. Highly energetic in nature, the show was a matter of unique that I hadn’t been aware of before. Nally was on something else, with the vocalist leaping into the air, climbing on colleagues, somersaulting and ripping apart his clothing, he was the clear standout. But despite his prowess as a performer, he is not what made the show unique, but rather how included the entirety of Foxy Shazam felt.

In a lot of bands, most emphasis is placed on the frontman as he is the literal voice of the band, but with Foxy Shazam each of the six members felt both important and standing out. Sky White for example, would often throw his keyboard piano out into the audience and play it whilst it was held up by the masses, whilst Teddy Aitkins would spit water into the air creating his own mist. It was truly incredible stuff, and I think in combination with their unique but masterfully catchy catalogue, Foxy Shazam is one of the strongest indie rock acts of their time.

Of the supports, Whitt’s End brought a sense of endearment in combination with their early 2000s sensibilities. They had a short but strong set list, and honestly despite not having listened to them before, I was instantly put on. Big Red Fire Truck on the other hand was a little too samey despite the group’s efforts, and failed to leave a mark on me, making me even more eager to see Foxy Shazam, so I do suppose they inadvertently did their job.

The worst part of the night for me though, was a group of fans who decided to stand in front of me and do the most stupid dance moves imaginable, bumping into as many people as they could, leaving a two-metre radius around them, due to their spatial awareness and selfishness. To them, I get you were having fun and making the most of the time, but you weren’t the only ones who bought tickets!

Particular highlights of the night in terms of songs included “Oh Lord”, the intro track from Peacemaker Season 2 which electrified the audience, “Killin’ It”, “Dreamer”, and “Holy Touch”. Though performances of “Evil Thoughts” and “Welcome to the Church of Rock and Roll” were missed.

“If this is just a dream, I don’t want to wake up” – “Dreamer”

Foxy Shazam consists of Eric Nally, Sky White, Alex Nauth, Misster Universe, Devin Williams, and Teddy Aitkins. Their latest album Box of Magic is now available on streaming, CD, and vinyl. They’ll continue the Live in Australia tour in Sydney and Melbourne through the end of this week.

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