Perth, Australia’s Tame Impala showed up at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on April 21 (as headliners on a tour with Yuck) and came complete with a swirlie lightshow, a pretty fucking rad bass guitar sported by Nick Allbrook and enough dry ice to fake-freeze the stoner audience. Or was that spliff? Yep, it totally was spliff. The girl behind me was dancing like it was Woodstock.

Anyway, was totally one of those shows where I wished I’d actually been stoned, because the reviews all swung between “HOLY CRAP, BLEW MY MIND, DUDE” to “their name fits.” And I have to admit I had my feet planted firmly in the muddy latter campsite. Tame Impala do actually rock, and I can totally dig their psychedelic pop, but live? Great lights. But when every song mushes into another and makes you feel like you could just be staying at home dealing with your munchies more effectively whilst playing the album…it’s hard for me to stir up a passionate response. But for all those whose third eyes were totally opened by the majesty shredding of the Tame Impalas, glad you enjoyed. That’s what it’s about, hey? \m/

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s new album Beat the Devil’s Tattoo is out March 8/9.

PS, I’ll have you know that Peter Hayes came over to us after the show in Van, because we’re that cool. Good to chat with him – though I had also interviewed him before sometime around 2001 in London, England. “I, uh, am sorry I don’t remember that,” he shyly mumbled. “Was it good for you?” I asked. “If it was good for you, it was good for me,” he replied. Points for that. And for the ‘chops.