Review and gallery of Hobsons Bay Coast Guard’s gig on 21 July 2023.

Descending the Brunswick Ballroom stage stairs in sunny yellow ponchos, the now-seven-piece kicked off their set with a joke about The Beatles’ fifth album.

Hobsons wear it better.

The band’s live act amps up the high energy surf rock heard in Tubular Swells, with some extra cheekiness on top. It’s a glistening sound – the sonic equivalent of bright sun catching the crests of rippling water in the band’s geographic namesake.

One of many set stand-outs was an almost-sarcastically-joyous extended version of Pastor Please, complete with dance moves from singer/guitarist Christopher Ray.

Jack Foy’s dizzying drumming also warrants a shout-out; at moments in the set he seemed to use his head as a metronome, shaking it side to side in what could also have been an attempt summon Ringo. (Hobsons drum better.)

These photos are more experimental than other MELMAG galleries. They are shot using the same old film lenses, but with some real-world effects to match the music’s sparkle.

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Coming soon: The Belair Lip Bombs, Full Fleshed, Bug Hunt and Porpoise Spit

Photos: Emily Kulich for MELMAG, feat. 70s/80s film lenses. Email us with image reuse, licensing, and sales requests.