23rd February 2008: Beck's Music Box, Perth, Australia

easy to read version

A squadron of seagulls plummeting to their death. My worst fears have been confirmed; that sound tearing through the atmosphere is Silver Rocket and the show really did start at 8.30. Madness. In retrospect I can only believe there's some arcane weirdniks living in central Perth who've to colluded to ensure this essentially open- air metropolitan gig concludes by 10.30. These shit-eating reptiles like to sleep. They'll pay for this one day. I've missed Teen Age Riot and whilst I've enjoyed the splitting midway breakdown of Silver Rocket whilst running through the trees of the Esplanade in a frenzied confusion the climax approaching as I hit the open air, the temporarily constructed stage insight glowing like some phantasmagorical beacon (Jeez, less of the Lovecraft), the brutal truth is I could have actually been there front and centre, in the heart of the maelstrom agog with wonder. That I've spent the whole day at a party is purely incidental.

Sonic Youth have guitars coming out of their arse. Man. On my side of the stage their are two racks with seventeen altogether and another rack with four basses. There's at least one more rack on the other side of the stage but I can't how many are on it. I'm almost disappointed we haven't been treated to an unscheduled bout of instrument destruction. There's plenty spare for Christsake. But I think its been a long time since the ' Youth have indulged in that kind of teenage malarkey. Maybe they did it back when they were originally touring Daydream Nation. It's strange how memories return over time. I'm trying to capture a glimmer in their eyes, some telltale sign of recognition, something, anything in themselves that reveals a portal in time has been opened to 1988, and we are all there in that moment. I've never saw Sonic Youth back then, or even in the 90s, so I really have no indication of what to look out for other than brief snaps of recorded footage. All I can hope for is one moment of alchemy and revelation.

It never really comes. They play proficiently, and with more bounce than I remember; no doubt a demand of tonight's material. Thurston Moore threatens to semi-pogo and Kim Gordon makes little bunny hops, pushing her bass forward with her hips. Lee Ranaldo's presence is noteworthy, especially at the microphone for songs such as Eric's Trip facing us at an angle, one leg behind the other as if bracing himself against a wave. Now this is something we haven't seen for a while. Despite being partially absent for Silver Rocket there are still plenty rounds of unrestrained static, orchestrated over Steve Shelley's tension-racking drums. There's something not quite there, something elusive, missing from the start of Candle and at a few other moments. At times the vocals have seemed a bit distant and it strikes me that it could be the mix, until Gordon lets go a banshee orgasm during Kissability. Maybe it's the odd sensation of knowing not only which songs will be played, but also in what order. Besides that there's even more depth and quality to Daydream Nation than I remember.

This gig sold out in three days. That's goddamn miraculous. Nothing sells out in three days around here. The cheers have all the enthusiasm you'd hope from such eager crowd. And with the encore, the fun starts. I'd dismissed their latest work Rather Ripped as a collection of inoffensive easy-rockers. Tonight, it's a ball. The band is joined by an extra Joe on bass. Not only does this ramp up their sound, filling it with just a little extra body, it allows for moments of freedom, especially for Gordon who dances like a drunken prom-queen. How long has it been since she swung like this? It's certainly been a couple of decades since she fitted the description of anything like prom-queen but that's beside the point, right now this really is peeling off years. Incinerate has a disposable charm, a kind of carefree whatever, that fits the happy burnout it's describing. Reena and James Run Free reunite Gordon with microphone and its only appropriate as it underlines the exceptional contribution she's brought to this new direction. With idiosyncratic breathless cooing, she circles each arm over her head one at a time as if swimming with long, easy strokes. There's a tangible positivity eminating from the band. It's been twenty years since the release of Daydream Nation and on this kind of tails up form I see no reason why we won't be watching a Rather Ripped tour twenty years hence.

Transcribed by Reverend Chris.