Category: Live Reviews
Tags: the sonics

A couple of years ago I missed the chance to see them live for the first time in Greece. This time I made it to Gagarin 205 around 23:00 and that means I missed Down & Out but that’s ok I’ve seen them before. A few minutes later the Meanie Geanies came on stage with their girly 60’s garage, with their farfisa and with every single one of these girls trying hard to look as retro and 60’s as possible which was, let’s say entertaining. But when you’re opening for the SONICS you can’t go on playing forever as they did. You go up sing for a half hour and then get the hell out, but no. They played for more than an hour and the clock was already showing 12.20.

So when they finally get off I see those dirty old men come on stage and hold my breath. When the first notes of “He’s waitin’” start to come to my ears I feel relieved. Ok that’s actually not bad at all! “Money” and “Cinderella” after that and I’m jumping like a little kid. Those guys really still got it, J. Roslie’s voice is intact and we’re talking about a really old man. Everything was there, “Boss Hoss”, “Have love will travel”, “Psycho” and of course the 4 tracks of their new ep which weren’t bad at all but actually nobody cared.

After playing “Strychnine”, “Shot Down”, “Dirty Robber” and “Psycho” one after the other they get off the stage gently saying goodnight but wait a minute..  Didn’t they forget something? 2 Minutes later and under the loud calling of the audience the Sonics are on stage once again for the encore. “Louie Louie” and the crowd gone crazy (even some crowdsurfing was noticed), then “The witch” and then just when you thought you’d seen it all they play Little Richard’s “Keep a Knockin’” in the raw way only the sonics know.

So even if I’m against the dinosaurs from the 60’s and the 70’s coming to our town to make their last money, this was a pure garage rock ‘n roll show no less than any band from any decade. Rock and Roll at its best!

SET LIST

1. He’s Waiting

2. Money

3. Cinderella

4. Have Love, Will Travel

5. Vampire Kiss

6. Don’t be Afraid of the Dark

7. Boss Hoss

8. You’ve Got to Head on Backwards

9. Don’t Back Down

10. Lucille

11. Cheap Shades

12. The Hustler

13. Bad Attitude

14. Strychnine

15. Shot Down

16. Dirty Robber

17. Psycho

Encore

18. Louie Louie

19. The Witch

20. Keep a Knockin’

By Petros Loukas

About the Author: CnB