Riding the multicoloured wave of Australia’s psych-rock explosion with big smiles on their faces are Sydney locals Sloom. With a couple of EPs under their belt, the rockers are making a name for themselves by taking trippy to astounding new levels.
They’re also putting on some of the most awesome, unique shows going around Sydney right now. Psych Out is their residence at The Oxford Circus, a weekly psychovisual spectacular featuring the band themselves and a set of talented Go-Go dancers. This Saturday is set to be their weirdest yet, and we caught up with the fellas to chat about the killer gigs.
If you’re a fan of getting a little loopy, Sloom is a fan of yours. Before jumping down the rabbit-hole at Psych Out this weekend, we chat to the band about all things dreamy.
HAPPY: You’re in the middle of a ongoing residency at the Oxford Circus called Psych Out. How have the shows been going so far?
SLOOM: So far so good, we’re in the process of getting the word out. Psych Out has really offered us the environment to explore our sound while collaborating with some amazingly talented dancers and musicians.
HAPPY: These gigs remind me a little of the events back in the 60’s at venues like the UFO Club, and the famous 14 Hour Technicolour Dream. What was the inspiration behind Psych Out?
SLOOM: That is exactly the idea. Sydney is losing its vibrance and the 60s is one of the right periods to look for inspiration to bring back some of that colour. Rather than your regular pub show, we are trying to make a more creative and inviting place for people to get their groove on.
HAPPY: The Oxford Circus is a great new Sydney venue. Why’d you choose it as the location for Psych Out?
SLOOM: The Oxford Circus is one of the few venues that are willing to host a night like Psych Out and we are more than keen to be a part of anything that allows us creative space for our music.
HAPPY: 10:30pm is a pretty late kick off time for a show. What’s the reason behind this?
SLOOM: Eh, its not that late. People shouldn’t get to used to somebody telling them when their bedtime is. Sydney has plenty of people wanting to enjoy themselves in the early hours of the morning. We tell them to come to join the freakshow at the Oxford Circus.
HAPPY: Can you tell us a little about the Go-Go Dancers?
SLOOM: BB Bergman, Rosie Rivette and Bell Louche are the Go-Go Dancers. They are all amazing burlesque performers and have been developing the night along side the circus since earlier this year.
HAPPY: How does their performance interact with the band’s?
SLOOM: Dancing in our peripherals off stage, we vibe off each other, we provide different rhythms for the dancers to jam off. As soon as the girls start dancing the crowd starts dancing.
HAPPY: 2 x 45 minute performances is more than double what a band might usually play at your average club show. How do you guys fill out the sets?
SLOOM: The first set is majority improvised jams we take the time to explore with sound and the feel of the room. The second consists more of our structured songs from our recorded material mixed with more jams. We have put up one of those jams on our Soundcloud.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/285830304″ params=”color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
HAPPY: I love the posters for the Psych Out shows. How much involvement do you guys have there? Who manages your art direction?
SLOOM: Sloom’s soul sister Lilly Miranda Perrott is our go-to designer, she is an extremely talented lady. All the art direction is handled by the Sloom family.
HAPPY: How does this kind of psychedelic art manifest itself in the show? What can punters expect from Psych Out visually?
SLOOM: The artwork is designed to create interest and draw people in. Visually, there’s stunning women encouraging you to boogie.
HAPPY: On a local scale in Sydney, we’ve seen a pretty huge psych resurgence in recent years, and subsequent events such as the Sydney Psych Fest and the Velvet Underground tribute night amongst heaps of others. Where do you guys feel this is heading? Is the psych renaissance petering out already or do you feel its something that will stick around?
SLOOM: Psychedelic music has manifested in many different forms over the last 50 years. To us, the psych movement isn’t just about trippy colours and reverb, but the experience. We think people will always be chasing a unique experience.
HAPPY: Any last words?
SLOOM: We were super lazy with promoting our EP when it came out so I guess we will take this opportunity to do that. The Bends is on Spotify or you can download it for free from our Soundcloud or Bandcamp.
