*****
A masterclass in psych-rock is what fans expect from Anton Newcombe’s crowd these days, as the group began their two-night lodge at the seafront venue.
A selection of tracks from a vast back-catalogue was performed during a mesmerising two-hour set. Crowd favourite, Joel Gion, stood centre stage, showing off endless tambourine-playing techniques as the seven members spread out around him.
“We don’t take requests and we don’t like people who make them either” - the first of many verbal jousts between Anton and onlookers, some of whom seemed intent on gaining a reaction.
The howling vocals of Who? descended into a huge wall of sound, with jangly chords making way for a prolonged solo. After a scathing attack on a heckler, two new albums were proudly announced, and two tracks premiered.
Gion switched to maracas as Newcombe paused, mid-song, to address a feedback issue. A haunting synth note filled the room with anticipation before Anemone broke out.
A droned, ambient instrumental during The Devil May Care brought energy levels down, before a lonesome Newcombe drew the night to a chilling close.
Although the in-band fights seem a thing of the past, Newcombe’s passion is still as raw as ever.
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