King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Make Triumphant Return To Colorado For Field Of Vision 2 Festival

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard returned to Meadow Creek in Buena Vista, Colorado for the second edition of their Field of Vision festival. I also returned to the picturesque property in the shadow of the 14,000 Collegiate Peaks after attending FoV’s premiere in 2025 and once again KGLW curated a choice lineup.

The 2026 iteration did come under a different context than 2025. For one, the band had not performed since wrapping up their Australian tour last December. They also released their 28th studio album, Alien Metal, on the first day of the festival.

That first day’s main stage offerings included a must-see performance from Canadian microtonal makers Angine de Poitrine, which was preceded by a raucous set from Atlanta punk purveyors Upchuck. This acted as a centerpiece for intimate sets at the Castle Stage from Shana Cleveland of La Luz as well as late-night sets from Blood Incantation and Moktar. A fantastic start to day one at a festival that has become one of the most anticipated events of the year. Step into the magical world of the Gizzverse.

Friday afternoon I made my way over to Shana Cleveland’s set at the Castle Stage in the same spot as last year’s Timeland Stage, updated with a vine-covered castle. It was a perfect setting for the La Luz guitarist’s acoustic set.

It was then to the main stage to catch Upchuck kick off one of three outstanding bands in the festival’s principal theatre. Die Spitz was also set to rock the main stage but unfortunately the Austin band had to cancel due to medical reasons.

Following Upchuck’s rowdy frame, perhaps one of the most anticipated performances of the festival went down with the otherworldly Angine de Poitrine. The band’s intrigue stems from a fusion of impressive musicianship and their mysterious, masked polka-dot and pyramid aesthetic. The band is currently making their first tour of the United States and has been blowing minds as they go. The duo’s FoV2 set moved through banger after banger including favorites “Fabienk,” “Sherpa,” “Sarniezz” and “Mata Zyklek.”

Following an indigenous lands acknowledgment from member of the Ute nation Ernest House Jr., King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard — Stu Mackenzie, Joey Walker, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Lucas Harwood and Michael Cavanagh — then assembled for their first show of 2026. The Australian six-piece launched the set with a metal suite “Self-Immolate,” “Extinction,” “Mars For the Rich,” and “Predator X,” a selection from the band’s metal album Infest The Rats Nest, save for “Extinction,” notable in that the band played the song from their 2023 electronic album The Silver Cord in a rock arrangement.

The mystical Mind Fuzz cut “Am I In Heaven” rolled over Meadow Creek next ahead of “Stressin.” Mackenzie and Walker then shouldered their microtonal guitars for a run through of “Open Water” followed by “Ataraxia.” “Honey” and “Sleep Drifter” rounded out the microtonal movement.

King Gizzard then made their way to Nathan, the band’s Eurostack modular synthesizer, and delivered an electronic arrangement of “Magma.” Next, Kenny-Smith stepped into the spotlight, something he is extremely adept at, as the band backed him on “Smoke and Mirrors,” which Amby peppered with “Presumptuous,” “Black Market Bargain,” and “The Grim Reaper” quotes.

Gizz then turned to their brand-new album, Alien Metal, for a pair of live debuts from the record that arrived the same day as their FoV 2 kickoff. First up was an otherworldly “Level 5,” the record’s lead single, and its operatic vocoder-soaked vocal lines. The band then rolled through “Rapid Alpha Decay,” a song that had been unreleased until Friday. Kenny-Smith took center stage once again for a rendition of “Let Me Mend The Past,” which saw Stu heading to Amby’s keyboard setup and introducing himself as Ambrose Kenny-Smith.

On the drive through the winding Rockies on the way up, we had on Laminated Denim and agreed it would be nice to hear something from the record, one of five studio albums Gizz released in 2022. Lo and behold the band delivered the live premiere of “The Land Before Time Land.” The band also injected the song with teases of its sole companion on the two-track record, “Hypertension.”

The six-piece then moved into a standout from another 2022 LP, Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava, with a performance of “Iron Lung,” that contained a somewhat altered intro making the drop into the song’s familiar clip all the sweeter. King Gizzard then fit “Cut Throat Boogie” within a raucous “Robot Stop” before heading into “Big Fig Wasp.” Another jammy favorite, “The River,” parts one and two only, rounded out King Gizzard’s opening salvo at Field of Vision 2.

Day two promised more eclectic and well-curated acts. I made sure to head over to The Castle to check the entrancing modular synth conjurings of Lisa Bella Donna. Boasting a towering modular setup, the artist was able to transport the audience to other worlds.

It was then back to the main stage to catch another highlight, Zambian “Zamrock” outfit W.I.T.C.H., or We Intend To Cause Havoc. Frontman Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda led the band through the band on favorites such as “Chifundo,” “Feeling High” and “Like A Chicken.”

Another absolute killer performance came when Denver’s own Blood Incantation took the main stage. Descendants of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, the psychedelic metal band creates its own take on the heavier sides of psych-rock.

It was then time for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s second round, and the Aussie rockers did not disappoint. They launched the marathon set by finishing up “The River” with part 3, after closing night one with parts 1 and 2. The band then rolled into “The River” live companion “Wah Wah” before breaking out “Black Tooth” for the first time since November 9, 2024.

KGLW then stepped up the bust-outs with the first “Dead Beat” since April 18, 2022. “Dirt” followed before the six-piece dropped into Polygondwanaland pairing “Crumbling Castle” and “The Fourth Colour.” The latter saw Stu going off script and introducing a jam that found its legs before heading back into the song. After the Polygondwanaland section, Walker enlisted the audience in a throat-singing session.

Next, the band returned to Rats Nest with a rendition of “Organ Farmer” ahead of a standalone “Road Train.” The Nonagon Infinity track saw a few alterations including C#-tuned guitars and the first outro since 2019. Frequent collaborator drummer Jay Weinberg (Slipknot) rolled out for a burgeoning tradition at Field of Vision to help the band out on a boisterous “Hell.”

KGLW kicked off their synth sequence with a pair of rock songs that have recently become standout Nathan explorations, “The Bitter Boogie” and “Muddy Water.” A raucous electronic “Perihelion” followed before the band turned once again to Alien Metal. Night two saw the six-piece unveiling two of the album’s singles, “Alien Metal” and “Kill For The Steel.” Both techno tunes turned up the dance mode at Meadow Creek.

Returning to their instruments, King Gizzard rolled through the first Murder of the Universe suite of the festival, mining the first disc’s “Alter Me I,” “Altered Beast II,” “Alter Me II,” and “Altered Beast IV.” Gizz then offered yet another debut, this time performing “Gliese 710” off Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava.

A choice “Trapdoor” followed before the band completed Laminated Denim with its second track, “Hypertension.” Mackenzie then took a moment to thank the crew who helped Field of Vision happen, noting there were around 500 people working behind the scenes. Night two of Gizz came to a close with a treat that was not on the setlist, “Head On/Pill,” which once again the band left unfinished.

Sunday’s music schedule featured Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys fame, who guested with KGLW in 2025, kicking out the jams with a DJ set on the Phantom Island stage that had the festive Meadow Creek pond rocking. It was then on to the main stage for another anticipated set from New Zealand-formed, Berlin-based heavy psych rock duo Earth Tongue followed by Australian punk rockers Destrends. As has become tradition, Sunday was drag day. Pattie Gonia headlined a drag show which carried a Magic School Bus theme, harkening back to the beloved PBS animated educational series.

Pattie and company then introduced Gizz as “Queen Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard” as the band emerged with their drag outfits for the second year in a row at Field of Vision and fourth overall drag performance. KGLW then finished up “Head On/Pill” with the “Pill” section, once again bridging together sets from the night previous. “Pill” also contained the tail end of “The Dripping Tap,” a song that the band teased throughout the fest but never played in full.

King Gizzard then took it back to their 2012 debut album, 12 Bar Bruise, with the excellent track “Sea Of Trees,” which saw drummer Michael Cavanagh shining on an extended drum solo. Gizz then went on a run of microtonal numbers: “Anoxia,” “Doom City,” and the standout Joey Walker song “Minimum Brain Size.”

Following Sketches of Brunswick East cut “The Book,” KGLW assembled at the synth station for a run of interesting Nathan selections, beginning with “Ice V” sandwiched between “Slow Jam 1.” A crowd-pleasing electronic arrangement of “Murder of the Universe” followed. Alien Metal then returned as the band unveiled opening track “Sapience” alongside “Superheavy, Supercritical.”

The final synth section saw the band performing the poignant “Hell’s Itch.” The band premiered the song originally appearing on Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava last year in Manchester, England on their rave tour.

KGLW then offered the Joey Walker-led rocker “This Thing,” which saw Mother Nature putting on a show of her own with some wild lightning. Next, the six-piece brought another The Silver Cord cut, “Gilgamesh,” into the rock realm. Stu then told everyone that the next song was about “Cookiedawg,” referencing multi-instrumentalist Cook Craig, before launching into the epic PetroDragonic Apocalypse epic “Dragon.” After Gumboot Soup song “The Great Chain of Being,” Joey stepped back into the spotlight.

First up, the guitarist presided over “Ambergris” before ripping through a fiery solo followed by another standout play of “Work This Time.” King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard wrapped up their finale at Field of Vision with a fitting performance of the festival’s namesake song.

Joey just kept on shining, however, as he took The Castle stage for a late-night performance with his DJ project Bullant. The high-energy outing turned up the Field Of Vision crowd and featured a finale that saw his KGLW bandmates joining him onstage to send the festival off right.

During night three, Stu Mackenzie asked, “who’s coming back next year?” signaling the band’s return to Meadow Creek in 2027. I will certainly be back and judging from the audience’s reaction, most 2026 attendees will too. In the meantime, check out the livestream from the finale below along with photos by Regan Marscher and King Gizzard setlists via KGLW.net.

Night 1 Setlist

Set: Self-Immolate[1], Extinction[2], Mars For the Rich, Predator X, Am I In Heaven?, Stressin’, Open Water, Ataraxia, Honey > Sleep Drifter, Magma[3] > Smoke & Mirrors, Level 5[4] > Rapid Alpha Decay[4], Let Me Mend the Past, The Land Before Timeland[4] > Iron Lung, Robot Stop -> Cut Throat Boogie -> Robot Stop > Big Fig Wasp, The River[5]

Footnotes:

• [1] With drum solo
• [2] First performance of metal arrangement
• [3] Electronic arrangement; no “rumble” section
• [4] Debut
• [5] Parts I and II

Show Notes:

This show contains the debut of the metal arrangement of Extinction, Level 5, Rapid Alpha Decay, and The Land Before Timeland. Self-Immolate contained a drum solo. Extinction contained This Thing and Le Risque teases. Am I In Heaven? contained teases of The Land Before Timeland and a People-Vultures jam. Before Stressin’ the band talked about the song’s recording history. Ataraxia was last performed 2024-09-06 (76 show gap). Honey contained Sleep Drifter teases. Magma contained an Iron Lung quote, Smoke & Mirrors teases, and did not contain the “rumble” section. Smoke & Mirrors contained Presumptuous, Black Market Bargain, and The Grim Reaper quotes. The Land Before Timeland contained Iron Lung teases and quotes and a Hypertension jam. Robot Stop contained This Thing, Hot Water, Am I In Heaven?, Magma, Cut Throat Boogie, and East-West (Paul Butterfield) teases, as well as Extinction teases and quotes. Cut Throat Boogie had Am I In Heaven? and Magma teases, and Field of Vision and Big Fig Wasp quotes. The River contained Crumbling Castle teases and only consisted of the first two parts. At the end of the second part Stu said they’d finish the song tomorrow. Perihelion (electronic arrangement) and Rats In The Sky were on the printed setlist but not played, while The River was added. The printed setlist also had a different ending segement with Robot Stop being followed by Big Fig Wasp, the cut Rats In The Sky, and ending with a show closing Cut Throat Boogie.

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Night 2 Setlist

Set: The River[1] -> Wah Wah, Black Tooth, Dead-Beat, Dirt, Crumbling Castle > The Fourth Colour, Organ Farmer, Road Train[2], Hell[3], The Bitter Boogie[4] > Muddy Water[4] > Perihelion[4] > Alien Metal[5] -> Kill For the Steel[5], Alter Me I > Altered Beast II > Alter Me II > Altered Beast IV, Gliese 710[5], Trapdoor, Hypertension, Head On/Pill

Footnotes:

• [1] Part III
• [2] first time on C# guitars
• [3] Jay Weinberg on drums
• [4] Electronic arrangement
• [5] Debut

Show Notes:

This show featured the debut of Alien Metal, Kill For the Steel, and Gliese 710. The River, which was continued from Part III following its incomplete state the previous night, contained a Crumbling Castle tease and Wah Wah teases and quotes. Wah Wah contained a The River quote and jam. Black Tooth was played for the first time since 2024-11-09. (64 show gap) Dead-Beat was played for the first time since 2022-04-18. (239 show gap) Following Dirt, Stu and Joey talked about their time in upstate New York during the recording of Mind Fuzz, and apologized to their wives for the long time spent there. Following The Fourth Colour, Joey had the crowd simultaneously throat sing, and then said that the band had become Jacob Collier (due to his love for audience participation). Organ Farmer was introduced as being about Stu’s best friends, and was played for the first time since 2025-05-23. (50 show gap) Road Train was played by itself and on C# guitars (instead of E) for the first time, and contained a Hell tease, and the first outro since 2019-01-01. Hell featured Jay Weinberg on drums. The Bitter Boogie contained Muddy Water teases. Alter Me II contained Kill For the Steel teases and a Hypertension jam. Gliese 710 was paused due to an incident in the crowd. Trapdoor contained a Jocko Homo (Devo) quote. Hypertension was paused due to an incident in the crowd, leading Stu to later tell the audience to drink water during a jam. The song also contained Head On/Pill teases and quotes and Evil Death Roll teases. Stu took time to recognize the crew and event organizers before Head On/Pill. At the end of Pill Stu said that they’d finish the song tomorrow. Head On/Pill was not on the printed setlist.

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Night 3 Setlist

Set: Pill[1] -> Sea of Trees[2], Anoxia, Doom City, Minimum Brain Size, The Book, Slow Jam 1[3] > Ice V[3] -> Slow Jam 1[3] -> Murder of the Universe[3] > Sapience[4] -> Superheavy, Supercritical[4], Hell’s Itch[3], This Thing, Gilgamesh[5], Dragon, The Great Chain of Being, Ambergris > Work This Time, Field of Vision

Footnotes:

• [1] “Pill” section only
• [2] With drum solo
• [3] Electronic arrangement
• [4] Debut
• [5] First performance of metal arrangement

Show Notes:

This show was the band’s fourth annual drag night and featured the debut of Sapience, Superheavy, Supercritical, and the metal arrangement of Gilgamesh. Pill, which was the first known standalone Pill, was continued from the previous night’s Head On/Pill and contained The Dripping Tap teases and quotes, Hypertension drums, and Sea of Trees teases. Sea of Trees contained a Head On/Pill jam and a drum solo from Cavs. The Book had a lyric changed to “God’s not real”. During This Thing, lightning struck behind the stage eliciting huge cheers from the audience. Hell’s Itch contained a Pure Shores (All Saints) vocal jam. Dragon was introduced as being about Cookiedawg and contained a false start. The Great Chain of Being was played for the first time since 2025-05-23. (51 show gap) Ambergris contained a Work This Time tease.