Live In London: The Sonics

Kayleigh Hinsley · August 07 2015

THIS IS THE SONICS: Garage rock legends release first new material in 50 years and play explosive gig at London’s Forum.

This Is The Sonics is the new album by garage rock legends The Sonics. It’s the band’s first album of new material in almost 50 years. I knew I’d like this one before I even heard it because I don’t think it’s possible for a band of The Sonics’ calibre to make a bad album. Their first two LPs, Here Are The Sonics (1965) and Boom (1966) are among some of the greatest albums of the 60s and their music has influenced a string of bands from The Cramps to The White Stripes. Of the new material, “Bad Betty” and “Sugaree” are the stand-out tracks on a powerful and energizing record.

I bought the album on CD as soon as it came out in the UK. I would have pre-ordered the vinyl but there was an extra $20 shipping cost from the US. I’d already heard the album online via Spotify. People always ask why buy it if you can hear it online for free, but to me an album is more than just the music. It’s the cover art, the liner notes on the sleeve or in the little booklet, the label on the record or the design of the compact disc. In short, I buy an album because I like to own the physical object. One thing that excited me about this album is that it’s the first one I’ve bought that didn’t come in a jewel case - not even digipak style - a proper card slip case just like a little LP! I love this style of packaging because not only is it better for the environment because it doesn’t use plastic, it’s also so much easier to store and there’s no fiddling with getting booklets in and out, and the look and feel (and the smell of card sleeves) is so much nicer than an awkward piece of plastic.

If you want my opinion in a nutshell, I’d say This Is The Sonics is one of the best new releases in a long time, of any genre, and it’s certainly refreshing to hear a new album of real rock and roll songs. I’d also just like to say, if there are any kids reading this who are hesitant about listening to an album by an apparent ‘bunch of old guys’, you really need to get over yourself. These guys are the original legends of garage rock, age doesn’t make any difference whatsoever (well, other than confirming legendary status), and they’re making music better than anything I’ve heard from any other band, young or old. A lot of reviews I’ve read have focused on the age thing throughout, but to be honest I really don’t care and I’ll leave it at that.

The album opens with a rockin’ cover of Ray Charles’ “I Don’t Need No Doctor”. Usually I always prefer the original to any cover, but with this one I think I like The Sonics’ version better. The album certainly has some great 60s rock and roll vibes, with a couple more covers including “You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover” (Bo Diddley, 1962) and “Leaving Here” (Eddie Holland, 1963), a track that’s been covered by many artists - notably Motörhead - but I heard the Jimmy Hanna version first. The Sonics have managed to bring these classics right up to date, turning them into current garage rock hits while retaining the brilliant vibe of the 60s.

Of the rest of the tracks on the album, the single “Bad Betty” along with “Sugaree” and “Spend The Night” are my favorites. The whole album has a great energy; its an uplifting, energizing, feel-good record. When I first heard the album I said it made me want to play it real loud and dance all night, so fast-forward to a perfectly-timed UK tour which coincided with my 18th birthday treat and you have a cute little fulfillment-of-a-dream moment.

The Sonics live at London’s Forum, July 30 2015. Photo © Kayleigh Hinsley.

I got into The Sonics because of The Cramps - somehow I manage to work them into everything I write. The Cramps covered “Strychnine” on Songs The Lord Taught Us and of course Lux and Ivy had mentioned The Sonics a couple times in interviews, so when I saw a Sonics CD in a charity shop I bought immediately because I knew I’d like it, and it didn’t disappoint. I gotta thank whoever donated that CD to charity because they’re the reason I ended up seeing The Sonics on tour a few months ago. They played The Forum, London on July 30th, and I cannot remember the setlist for the life of me. I was too busy having a good time to take notes! There’s no point standing about analyzing everything that’s happening just so that you can write about it later. My blog is just a collection of odd things that I write about as and when I have time; it certainly doesn’t have a structure and I don’t set out to do something with the thought of writing about it later. Anyway, the show was amazing, full of energy and extra special because The Forum was the first venue they played when The Sonics came to the UK for the first time in 2008. During the opening acts there was hardly anyone there, but by the time The Sonics came on the place was packed and buzzing. I also loved the fact that there were literally no phones or cameras being waved around except for the occasional quick photo, which made for a much better atmosphere. I think if you’re constantly taking pictures you’ll forget to enjoy the moment.

I want to give a special mention to Dusty Watson first, because in most of the stuff I’ve read he’s only briefly referred to as “drummer Dusty Watson” and nothing else. At the risk of sounding like a crazy fan-girl, I wanted to say that he’s totally awesome and deserves way more credit than I’ve seen him get. He’s played with Lita Ford and Davie Allan, who happen to be two of my favourite guitarists, and he’s brilliant to watch live. Sometimes you forget about the drummer but not with this guy - he’s kinda like the centrepiece of the band, if you know what I mean. I wasn’t around to see the original Sonics line-up, but I don’t think having new members has taken anything away as far as the music goes - or the ‘image’ for that matter. Sometimes when bands have new members they’re not as good as they were before, but I think both Freddie Dennis (bass, vocals, formerly of The Kingsmen) and Dusty are fantastic musicians who fit right in with The Sonics.

Larry Parypa was awe-inspiring on guitar, and Jerry Roslie’s famous howl sounded just as raw and powerful as 50 years ago. Rob Lind (saxophone and harmonica) came across as the guy who really got the crowd going, and a pretty good salesman too - I ended up buying a shirt because he mentioned them between songs. I also got a Sonics Boom LP and it was so funny trying to explain to the merch guy which record I wanted - we ended up pointing and doing the left a bit, up a bit, vinyl not CD! thing because neither of us could hear anything. It’s on Norton Records too, so of course I got in the car afterwards and said to my dad, “Look it’s on Norton with liner notes by Miriam Linna!” and of course he had no idea what I was talking about. “Psycho” was the last song before the encore and the one everyone was waiting for. I have no idea how to use my camera for video so I gave it to my dad and ended up with this minute and a half of awesomeness:

Like I said, completely forgot the setlist, but I remember they ended with “The Witch”. You could feel the build up to the last song, everybody knew what it was going to be, and as soon as that iconic intro kicked in the whole place went wild. A brilliant end to a perfect night, the only criticism I could possibly have is that it was over too soon!

Without a doubt, The Sonics are legends, and with an amazing new album and tour, they definitely live up to the status they’ve achieved. It seems like they’ve picked up exactly where they left off, and yet their music today sounds just as fresh and explosive as any of the newer bands around, bands who will almost certainly have been influenced by The Sonics themselves.