The Babe Rainbow have struck a union with a very specific era, sub-culture and soundtrack. That is: the mid-‘60s, summer of love/flower power and psych-tinged British pop music. The dream ain’t over as far as these guys are concerned. Tonight they ran through a bunch of songs openly indebted to the work of The Beatles, The Kinks and Barrett-era Pink Floyd – shrewdly formed, instantly familiar melodies dressed a hallucinogenic backdrop. Accordingly, they wore their hair down low and guitars slung high. And from this vantage point, it was still another two decades before sunglasses at night would be declared a faux pas.
It’s a formula that could easily sit poorly with audiences. For starters, their entire shtick – from the sticky sweet tunes and surrealist lyrics to the no-nonsense instrumental set-up and throwback fashion – is nostalgic to the point of rigidity. On top of that, the band exuded brazen positivity and, despite their psychedelic leaning, the performance was exceedingly controlled.
But The Babe Rainbow deployed a power that extended beyond their tributary aesthetic. They seemed entirely at home inhabiting the time warp, and as a result a significant portion of the audience were entranced, eager to join them in their hazy-eyed bubble of joy.
In certain contexts, indulging in nostalgia is the first step towards complacency and subsequent greed. But even if this gig wasn’t your bag, it was hard to find it anything short of pleasant.
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
Photo by Robert Marks
Loved: Forever.
Hated: The future.
Drank: Tinnies, mate.
