The setlist flitted all over Segall’s catalogue, in the first “segment” reaching back to 2010’s Melted with ‘Finger’, before turning a trio of tracks from 2016’s analogue experimentation Emotional Mugger into blistering thunderbolts of rock prowess. This thrilled the crowd so much that an almost-full pint of beer came arcing out of the crowd to hit Ben Boye’s keyboards – not that it halted or distracted them for a split second. Of course, these are absolutely virtuosic performers, of which we are left in no doubt when they roll us through the first of many stomach-turning transitions from the opening ‘Wave Goodbye’ into the night’s first singalong ‘Fanny Dog’. The ultimate feeling is of standing in the garage with a bunch of friends as they jam – and it’s all the more compelling because of it. Most interestingly, they line up along the stage with their “leader” Ty Segall at the viewers’ far right, essentially creating a circle with the audience filling in the gap. Ty Segall & the Freedom Band are the least pretentious rock band going there’s no backdrop or screens, their bodies move and contort with the music with no thoughts about how “uncool” they might look, there’s minimal talking between songs, and when they have to switch instruments there’s absolutely nobody on hand to help them with the changeover - they merely lean their guitars up against the amps and get the next one out of its case.

See, the volume and the sheer energy and fun of the songs they play is more than enough to make their concerts a non-stop joyride, but this is all elevated when you can watch the 5 men onstage and the musicianship they each bring. Having seen them steamroll through Barcelona at Primavera Sound the weekend before their arrival at The Forum in London’s Kentish Town, I opted on this occasion to take a seat in the balcony, in order to fully immerse myself in the Freedom Band experience.

Ty Segall & the Freedom Band is the latest incarnation of the Californian’s ever-evolving garage rock wrecking crew, featuring usual suspects Mikal Cronin on bass and sax, Charles Moothart on drums, Emmet Kelly on guitar, joined by Ben Boye on piano.

Ty segall tour review