Riding To The Sand - the Sand Pebbles

Straight psychedelia seems like a contradiction in terms. But, as Melbourne act the Sand Pebbles will tell you, in its drug dependency, psychedelia was simultaneously responsible for some of the most fascinating and banal music in history. What the Sand Pebbles and newcomers Black Cab try to do is use each other and their music to expand their horizons, aiming for some consistency in their creativity. It’s a positive wave that seems to be gradually rolling over the world of rock music like the fingers of a San Francisco fog.

With all the recent success of bands like Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and The Dandy Warhols, it’s not surprising to see Australian audiences jump onto the magic bus of their own psychedelic underground heroes in Black Cab and the Sand Pebbles. Both are first class rock outfits, benefitting from maturity and experience and purpose. Pilots with a firm destination in mind. But both bands were appreciably surprised to discover that tonight’s show, the official launch for the Pebbles’ new Ghost Transmissions album, had sold out well in advance, leaving many of their friends moping around the entrance forlornly.

There was a real buzz about this show and possibly it helped inspire extraordinary performances from both bands. Charging through their debut release, Altamont Diary, a psychedelic rock concept album (the audacity! In 2004!) of the tragic Rolling Stones Altamont concert, Black Cab were suitably unhurried and yet strikingly intense. Swelling, lulling and occasionally erupting like the event they were exploring, Black Cab soaked us with their fire hose of pyschedelic sounds. At their most frenetic, with Andrew Coates’ vocals saturated in distortion and drummer Richard Andrew taking to his drums like a man possessed, Black Cab were an awesome experience.

The stars of the show, the Sand Pebbles, built their set up gradually with a little more subtlety in contrast. Backed by a selection of classic films, from old westerns and road movies to the final surf scene in Big Wednesday, the Pebbles shone some love and sunshine on crowd. There is no doubt that the material on Ghost Transmissions is less meandering and more purposeful than that on their previous release Eastern Terrace, and the Pebbles wisely stick to the new songs.

Were there highlights? Maybe. 'Big Left’'s melodic mantra "As we turn our faces to the sun" certainly stood out with its wobbly Morriccone-like guitar break and the tried-and-trusted cover of Julian Cope’s 'Out of My Mind on Dope and Speed' was a deftly-executed crowd pleaser of a climax. But the rest was kinda like the musical equivalent of surfing a mighty long wave; sure you remember short moments – in fact you recall them more vividly and enthusiastically than just about anything else in your life – but for the most part, you’re so caught up in the exhilaration of the moment, taking notes, mental or physical, is the last thing on your mind.