Psychedelic Porn Crumpets & Acid Dad 10.8.22

Globe Hall

Denver, CO

Words & Photos by Gab Kaplan

This weekend, I experienced a rare opportunity to see a band with an energy so powerful that sometimes the only thing you can say about them is: “Just lovely, isn't it?”

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are truly a band that I never thought I would get to see. They have definitely become some of my personal musical heroes since I discovered them a few years ago. Certainly not your average act, the Perth, Australia-based quintet has no issues transcending the boundaries separating a variety of genres to create their own unique brand of hard-hitting psychedelia. The wall of sound that the Crumpets (shortened) brought to Denver this past weekend was surely soothing to the many ears that had been patiently awaiting this performance after it had been pushed back due to the recent COVID-19 outbreaks in the UK and Europe. 

The uncertainty of the pandemic seems to have sparked a sort of renaissance in the worlds of art and music for many; especially these guys. Touring their 5th studio album Night Gnomes, which was released on 4/22/22 under What Reality? Records, the Saturday night set consisted of some fan favorites such as “Cornflake”, “Cubensis Lenses”, “Bill’s Mandolin”, “Found God In A Tomato”, “Hymn For A Droid”, “Tally-Ho”, and “Mr. Prism”. (see bottom for full setlist)

The night was filled with fuzz-laden drones, punchy mixed-meter passages, catchy melodies doubled between guitar and vocals, and hard-hitting riffs soaked in the sweet sounds of flanger, phaser, delay, and reverb. Both bands on the bill displayed such a fluidity in their performances that lit up the dance floor in a way I don’t get to see very often, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed. I overheard an audience member remarking after the show, "That's gotta be one of my best concerts ever - better than The Offspring!" I’ve never seen The Offspring, but I could believe it. I guess I’ll just have to see for myself and (finally) get out to one of their shows.

The sold-out small, beloved RiNo venue/BBQ joint, Globe Hall, was bustling with excited fans, many dawning their best tie-dyes, some in King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard gear (likely anticipating the 10/11/22 and11/2/22 Red Rocks shows), ready to dance and throw down in the mosh pits - Mosh pits I had not quite been expecting but was thrilled to be a part of (don't ask my camera how she feels about that one). Having grown up in the New York punk and metal scenes, which are notoriously known for their extra-rowdy nature, sometimes I really can’t help but think to myself; “If you can get people who are wearing tie-dye to mosh, you must have done something right.” 

Not to stereotype anyone, as there is so much sub-genre crossover in this part of the scene that it would be silly if this type of diffusion between the widest ends of the musical spectrum did not occur. I once called out into the mic at a show from behind the drums, “I know you’re all hippies, but if you know what a circle pit is, do it!!” It was a funk-based jam-band show, but those people absolutely started a pit. I guess if it goes hard, it goes hard. As they say, “Get yourself a band that can do both!”

It was definitely hard not to find yourself head-banging to this hypnotic, floorboard-shaking, time-twisting bill of psych-rock navigators. The energy amongst the crowd that night felt as if they were jumping out of their skin, ready to spill onto the stage and eager to return all of the positive energy that many in the room had only been able to consume through recordings before finally getting to experience the groups’ fiery performance in person. 

Globe Hall was absolutely packed with heat for such a brisk October evening. Surreal soundscapes and what, at times, felt like something simply from another plane, fueled an ethereal sort of energy that was being fed back and forth between the stage and a captivated crowd who were just breathing in the explosive aura of an act absolutely unmatched by any other group in the genre. The band surely had to have been feeling even more warmth in-return from the enthusiastic Denver welcome they received after pandemic-induced tour postponements had pushed their long-awaited return further back. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets had not returned to the US since their 2019 tour with support from Meatbodies and Levitation Room. That tour was supporting their 3rd studio album, And Now For The Whatchamacallit, in which they humbly played one night at Fort Collins’ staple, The Aggie Theater, a second night in Denver at intimate RiNo favorite, Larimer Lounge, and a third night at one of Boulder’s largest venues, Fox Theatre, before heading off to play one of Lincoln, NE’s premier festivals, Lincoln Calling. The Colorado-leg of this year’s tour was just the two sold-out nights at Globe Hall.

The Crumpets’ decision to team up with NYC’s Acid Dad this tour ended up being a great match. Absolutely one of the best acts to properly set the stage for a whole tour of Crumpet-based dancing and debauchery, Acid Dad’s sound of indie-psych rock, almost bordering on the edge of west-coast surf rock influence, was even fuller and stronger in person than what I had previously heard on their recordings. This year, the band released their new 7” single “Get Me High”, featuring what has been described as an “otherworldly” video created by Acid Dad visual artist Webb Hunt. The band will tour all of October supporting Psychedelic Porn Crumpets across the US with multiple psych-rock festival stops including both the 10th year of southern California’s Desert Daze and the 13th year of Austin, Texas’ Levitation.

I was captivated by the hand-made alien-like figures available from Acid Dad’s side of the merch booth all lined up next to their vivid shirt designs, as well as a sweet poster (that I just had to snag!) The 3D-printed figures, hand-made by guitarist Vaughn Hunt and visual designer Webb Hunt, represent a character the band created called “Ding Ding” that appears in the “Get Me High” video. 

“Since our studio was destroyed by the Hurricane Ida floods, our music has been heavily influenced by the nature of water,” the band has said about the track and video, according to a post on Greenway Records’ website. “‘Get Me High’ is about trying to grasp a breath after unexpectedly losing everything. Inspired by children’s cartoons, pipe systems, and fluid dynamics, we created Ding Ding, creatures who find themselves lost in a foreign psychedelic world.” As a fellow New Yorker, I can relate to the terror and loss that comes with the annual hurricanes that visit the east coast even as far north as New York City and Long Island. 

Meanwhile, on the Crumpets’ side of the merch booth, there was a variety of t-shirt options and a beanie with the band name on it, which I had to think really hard about buying until finally deciding that I would be okay with having the word “porn” in the middle of my forehead all winter. I still wouldn’t even be the worst-dressed. Colorado is a strange place. 

At one point during the evening, reminiscing on their previous visit to Colorado, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ lead singer Jack McEwan remarked about the recent decriminalization of magic mushrooms in Denver and being offered what he described as “two-week-old pocket mushrooms from ‘some guy’, not exactly the freshest'' and about becoming sick drinking our treasured local craft IPAs, which he described as “12%, brewed through five cows found atop a mountain”. I always laugh a little when people remark about Colorado and its prevalent scene of drugs and alcohol. One time I heard the vibe described as “Coloradoans will run up a 14er, smoke a joint naked at the summit to celebrate, and then run back down and rehydrate with a local craft IPA.” 

McEwan also teased the crowd by sarcastically introducing a few of their songs as “covers” of popular acts such as Rodrigo y Gabriella and Metallica, which definitely got some laughs out of the crowd, while others, maybe a little too sucked-in to their psychedelic-headspaces, seemed confused yet somewhat excited to see what these musicians might do to capture the energy of such acts... I’m sure glad they didn’t; a band like this doesn’t need to play covers. But I’m sure whatever covers they do play are done with good intent and clarity.

I don't know any of these guys personally, but I would like to think they must be some beautiful people based upon their ability to create such gorgeous other-wordly layers of sound and infectious grooves while somehow still keeping their heads on the ground. Both of the bands and their sea of effects pedals ignited the airwaves in what felt like to both the eyes and the ears, an endless loop of synesthetic rainbows and kaleidoscopic visuals - which were produced by Denver’s own Earl The VJ of Moth Powder Light Show.  

In the past, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have performed as support for bands such as King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Interpol, Dune Rats, Black Mountain, Goons of Doom, and Skegss.

The Crumpets’ 22-date tour with Acid Dad will end on November 1st at one of San Diego’s renowned venues, Casbah.

Gab's Full Photo Gallery

www.psychedelicporncrumpets.com

www.aciddad666.com

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets' Ssetlist: Tally Ho, Lava Lamp Pisco, Bill’s Mandolin, Mundugus, Found God In A Tomato, November, Mr. Prism, Hymn For A Droid, Acid Dent, Marmalade March, Cubensis Lenses

Encore: Cornflake