Fellow spuds, rejoice! DEVO - the original free thinkers, inadvertent inventors of electro-pop, the drum machine and the energy dome - return to Australia this coming winter to headline the Splendour in the Grass Festival and to perform a series of side shows in concert halls around the country.
Original members Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald and Bob Casale, are joined by current drummer Neil Taylor in presenting a crash course in DE-Evolution - the alternative DEVO theory that suggests that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed - as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society. A sentiment that resonates even stronger now than when first introduced thirty years ago.
"Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Blockhead", "Freedom Of Choice", "Girl U Want", "Whip It" and "Beautiful World" are just some of the song titles and sentiments of DE-Evolution and Australian DEVOtees can expect to hear these and more on this, DEVO's third Australian visit.
And helping DEVO spread the word will be Regurgitator presenting their own skeweif take on DE-Evolution by way of their hits "Polyester Girl" and "Blubber Boy", while Sydney and Melbourne audiences will have the added bonus of the sharpest pencil in the box when young Melbourne combo the Eddy Current Suppression Ring present their primitive garage groove - the ultimate end result of DE-Evolution.
DEVO have visited Australia just twice before: first, in 1982 off the back of their no.1 mini-LP, DEV-O Live, and follow up hit album "New Traditionalists", and again in 1997 for a one-off appearance as headliners of the prestigious and now defunct Brisbane based Livid Festival, on a day that also featured Ween, Cake, Dinosaur Jr and Powderfinger. In the years between Australian visits DEVO have remained in constant demand and have been the subject of at least three CD anthologies and various live DVDs, each of them chronicling the importance of DEVO on popular culture by way of their hits, rarities, video and the all-important theory of DE-Evolution.