My ears are still ringing.

I’ve been looking forward to Ed Kuepper’s gig at the Basement for ages. And what we could hear through the noise sounded like it was probably good, but the sound was so loud. So loud. All I could hear around me was glass shatter treble splashing, reverberation and people complaining about the sound. I assume the Basement would hire a sound guy, but there was no evidence to support that tonight.

It started well. I arrived at about 7 to interview Ed for my radio show. We caught the last bit of sound check, including the band’s gorgeous Go Betweens cover, ‘Finding You’. I chatted with Ed over a beer for half an hour (it’ll air on my show in a couple of weeks), then went back to the bar as the tables filled up.

Married 50-somethings - a fair few looked like fading rock stars themselves - took up most of the dining area. Bottles of red wine, steaks and plenty of gesticulation. The band took the stage with little fanfare, horn section, keys/double bass, former Saint/Laughing Clown Jeffrey Wegener’s handlebar moustache and Sunnyboys bassist Peter Oxley.

It was LOUD from the first moment they touched instruments. Bogong moths careered down towards Ed’s mic as though their kamikaze manoeuvres could stop the frightening, ear quiveringly dense sound. No luck.

A shame because at points it was transcendent in a way few music makers can manage. Those 50-somethings had their fancy phones recording video and pictures, and instrumental space jazz jams gave way to bluesy riffs, the fantastic sax player blasted squealing vocalisations, and it was just magical.

Too bad we had to leave before the second set.