Curse you King Khan. 2010 was only six days old, and now I have to face the possibility that the next 259 days won’t top this one.

It’s a regular problem: summertime sees Australia inundated by touring acts and festivals, each offering a heady mix of local and international talent. As soon as the leaves start to brown, though, we enter a lean period that lasts through the winter, until December rolls around again. Right now, I’m holding on to the hope that the always-spectacular Wilco come out swinging when they arrive in May. They’ve got their work cut out for them, and it’s all down to a pot-bellied, occasionally semi-naked Indian guy and his dynamite backing band.

It was a night to turn upside down all your preconceived ideas. Think a lead singer kitted out in a feathered headdress and leopard-print jacket is ridiculous? You’re probably wrong: King Khan rocked this look, with heavy gold jewellery to boot, and it couldn’t have been more thrilling. Think German folk are better suited to Kraftwerk than sweaty soul? If Booker T needs a replacement MGs any time soon, he need look no further than the Shrines and their unrelenting funk. And an on-stage cheerleader/go-go dancer is not just a good idea; it should be mandatory.

The best funk bypasses the brain and goes straight for the shoulders, and so it was for every minute of the Shrines’ stage time. Delivered with a raw, unchecked energy, King Khan and co. not only bypass the brain, they render it useless – after only a few bars, you’d struggle to remember where you live, and dammit, you wouldn’t care.

King Khan is a magnetic frontman, delivering every “ow” and “yeah” with such conviction you’d think he gave James Brown lessons. Every move, from the call-and-response vocal to the delirious crowd invasions, was copped from some ancient playbook, and no one could care less.

Good luck, everyone who comes through Sydney for the next few months: you’ve got your work cut out for you.

Second Take! By Dane Wang

Its official, last night’s show was and ever will be the greatest show in history. 

Royal Headache is the most exciting and energetic band in Australia. Their brand of garage lo fi pop is truly a gem bestowed upon us. Playing to a packed out venue, Royal Headache got the ball rolling with their raw and fuzzy noise assault of ‘Girls’ and crowd favourite ‘Eloise’. Royal Headache prove you can never have too much distortion and reverb. 

If anyone could pull a leopard print jacket off it’s King Khan; with his merry men also known as The Shrines they delivered what was one of the greatest performances in history. Everyone who was at the show will someday tell their grandchildren about it “I was there you know, I saw King Khan & The Shrines.”

As he walked on stage he was surrounded by an aura, seducing everyone who laid eyes on him. With a set list comprised mainly of his latest album ‘The Supreme Genius of King Khan and The Shrines’ they played hits such as the James Brown-esque Land of the Freak which got the entire audience shaking their hands and moving their feet, through to the perfect rendition of Welfare Bread. King Khan is all about celebrating your inner child with Took My Lady out to Dinner getting the crowd singing “She’s fat, she’s ugly and I love her”. 

King Khan is a God amongst men, and everyone who was there knew they had just witnessed something incredible; a memory that will be with them forever.