Review: The Sonics, O2 Academy

John E Vistic of St Pauls plays primal rock that bludgeons you with monolithic riffs topped off with solos that sound like a crippled spaceship trying to reach escape velocity. His rhythm section hit a metronomic groove that got people moving and grooving as Vistic delivered a short, sharp set of “country death rock psychedelic trash blues punk”. In short then, the perfect support for the Sonics and a local act deserving maximum support.

On the other hand, Electric River followed a different path: whilst the JEV Experience played directly from the pelvis, Electric River’s music was more from the heart – way more conventional, with lyrics that clearly resonated with the fans they brought for their mid-bill slot. In truth their vibe was somewhat incongruous, squashed between the primal and the primeval, but the contrast served to whet the aural appetite for the main course.

As for the headliners, well The Sonics absolutely demolished their set, playing a beautifully paced mixture of old originals with new and liberally peppered with choice covers they made their own. Three original members survive from the short lived mid-sixties incarnation (Jerry Roslie keyboards & lead vocals, Rob Lind, sax, harp & occasional vocals alongside Larry Parypa, on guitar & backing vocals) and those guys can really play, ably demonstrating why the band are held in such high regard despite their short lived crash’n’burn sixties career. The back drop of frantic drag strip girls, hot rod mamas and auto-delinquents was a knowing wink to their origins as the seminal garage band, and man did they deliver a blistering set.

The newer Sonics had their work cut out keeping up with the originals. Dusty Watson battered the crap out of his drums, killer beats keeping the songs grounded and splattered with fills that would fell an elephant. Seriously, the guy pounded those skins to the point of exhaustion. Freddie Dennis’ bass belongs to the Lemmy/Entwistle school of thought, i.e. “Of course I can mesh with the drums but screw that, I’m gonna play rhythm guitar too”, and that fitted perfectly with the attack of each and every song. He shared lead vocals with Roslie, and his Little Richard styling perfectly complimented the material and competed with the aggression of the instruments.

The new LP – This is the Sonics – was well represented, stand out cut Bad Betty fitted beautifully with the older material, and the rest of that material left one hoping they won’t leave it another four decades before cutting new sides. The band’s set was a short, sharp shock but then the intensity left the ecstatic crowd sated and elated, even though they’d been subjected to a sustained aural assault.

Gig of the year (so far) then? Probably. Just don’t tell George Clinton.