The Sonics @ Le Beat Weekender, 229 Great Portland St

Now in its 6th year Le Beat Weekender has become something of an underground Mecca for London’s vibrant 60s scene. With 3 rooms drenched in psychedelic lights and playing a mixture of rare reggae, Northern soul, r n’ b and garage rock, the event is a melting pot for a variety of sub-cultures. Mutton chops, brothel-creepers, winkle-pickers, kohl eyes, big hair, floral shirts, turtle necks, and even an authentic zebra-skin Nehru-collared suit all vie for attention.

Many are here to see a band who, during a short career, never played outside the American Northwest and only recorded two notable albums (Here Are The Sonics and Sonics BOOM!), but nevertheless enjoy a popularity unparalleled by many of their contemporaries; with bands such as The Stooges, Nirvana and The White Stripes citing their proto-punk as an influence.

With hard, fast songs about poison, madness and witches, to parents The Sonics must have sounded like a B-movie nightmare. Although they have toured regularly since reuniting in 2007, like an old locomotive it takes them a few songs to get their pistons firing properly.

Saxophonist Rob Lind gets drowned out initially, making him look like a man trying to blow a big cotton wool ball out of his instrument, but by ‘Have Love Will Travel’ he’s found his groove. On centre stage the waist-coated, moustachioed Larry Parypa shows a matador-like mastery over his wildly distorted guitar. Meanwhile singer Gerry Roslie leads a key-slamming ‘Dirty Robber’ and bassist Freddie Dennis (looking like a squat version of Charles Bronson circa Once Upon A Time In The West) screams his way through garage versions of ‘Keep A Knockin’ and ‘Lucille’.

Although a cynic could say that events like Le Beat are ultimately a pastiche of a bygone era, when a room of people looking this good are shimmying sideways to frat rock staple ‘Louie Louie’ it’s hard to resist indulging in a bit of time-travel.