Sonic Boom at Shout! NYC

October 10, 2004
Story and photos by Hal Miller

With the help of technology, both music and the indie scene have changed a lot since the ‘90s. But even with the recent explosion of DJ’s and sound manipulators out there, none project the mystique and presence of the elusive Sonic Boom. So when I learned that this founding member of Spacemen 3 was going to perform tonight at Shout!,(a weekly party at Bar 13) for free, I knew where I would be.

Although I’ve been aware of Sonic’s (born Pete Kember) notorious history of “taking drugs to make music to take drugs to” for quite some time, it wasn’t just the music that was at the forefront of my mind. The real question was, “Does Sonic Boom still have good hair?”

Sonic& his legendary locks at DC's Black Cat, 1994.

Reports on the Spaceman’s mane did not sound promising. My friend Jon, with whom I had seen Kember perform back in the day in DC, had recently caught a Sonic Boom show in Denver. According to Jon, the man still had hair, just less of it. It had been ten years since I had last seen the mystifying Sonic, so what could I expect?

The mysterious, late ‘80s/early ‘90s space-rock heroes Spacemen 3 were one of my favorite bands. In the early ‘90s, typical musician drama splintered the group into two separate but equally amazing incarnations: Spectrum (Kember) and Spiritualized (Jason “Spaceman” Pierce). Whereas a Spiritualized performance featured a massive wall of sound, full of blinding strobe lights and drug-induced mystique, Kember’s live outings as Sonic Boom, Spectrum or E.A.R. were sad portraits of a fallen genius in comparison.

Sonic takes on stubborn sound waves.

Back in 1994, indie scenesters filled Washington, DC’s Black Cat in anticipation of witnessing the man who took his namesake from breaking the sound barrier. But all we got was some wacky, mop-topped Brit furiously twisting knobs and cursing his band mates and the soundman. Kember, a rather intense bandleader with a remarkably symmetrical bowl haircut, was determined to unleash perfect sound in exactly the manner in which he heard it in his head.

But where were the damn songs? There were hints of the genius of “How You Satisfy Me,” but, ultimately, we weren’t satisfied. My mood shifted from perplexed to surprised and amused in the face of this tragicomic display. I did, however, maintain my respect for this poor bloke who, in facing high expectations from his fans, had apparently lost his mind. But history shows warped minds make warped music, so I never jumped ship.

Ten years and a haircut or two later, Sonic Boom announced on his web site that he would be visiting the states to play gigs for this year’s CMJ Music Marathon in NYC and Brooklyn. Not only that, he would also be playing songs from Spacemen 3 and Spectrum Better late than never, I suppose. At least I would be able to see whether I should still be jealous of his “good hair.”

The Shout! drink specials and psychedelic lighting prepared us well for this intimate evening with the man of many aliases. Deliberately bored-looking, Vincent Gallo-lookalike hipsters lounged about the couches and fed their comely dates drinks. Around midnight, a lanky Brit with short, spiky Kevin Bacon hair, a trendy “New York” hoody and moccasins (!) began setting up equipment in a tiny corner of the club. This Sonic Boom looked slightly older (now 39), but he still had that ice-cool, chiseled cheekbones-and-good-hair combo. Yes, the hair was still "good."

"The more you protest, Mr. Synth-Key, the harder I will push!"

As for his questionable choice in footwear, Sonic Boom is the only man who can get away with wearing moccasins in NYC. As a shoegazer, I expect to see the likes of Adidas or Converse on a guy like Kember. But Sonic is like an indie shaman, so his moccasins actually make fitting attire.

Wearing moccasins to make music to wear moccasins to.

Sitting Indian-style before the stage, I shut my eyes and focused on the sounds filling the room. I pushed all material fixations, even good hair and bad shoes, from my mind in favor of the heavy reverberations caressing the room. I opened my eyes occasionally to snap a picture or two and observe this eccentric man. It was difficult to know exactly where one song would end and the next one would begin; it seemed like three long suites in the space of an hour. All the rippling drones, monolithic echoing vocals and oceanic swirls recalled various bits from the Sonic repertoire.

As stated on the web site, the majority of Kember’s vocals were sparse, spoken word loops, strong but comfortably buried beneath waves of sound. He displayed that same passion and determination to control his sonic output as I had witnessed years ago, but this time, as a one-man operation, Sonic seemed to have more of a handle on things.

Fiercely twiddling knobs on retro-futuristic keyboards, synthesizers, effect pedals and other assorted toys, Sonic guided us through the ether like the captain of interstellar cruiser. To quote Sonic’s rival in Spiritualized, it felt like we were literally “floating in space.” There was no “band,” only a very focused Sonic Boom altering our psyches. After it was over, I opened my eyes and slowly stood up. I felt like I had drank too much and somehow performed yoga in the same hour.

The next day, I spoke to my friend and fellow Sonic fan Gregg, who had missed the show on account of a Morrissey appearance on that very evening.

“How was Sonic Boom last night?” he asked. “Does he still have great hair?”

- Hal, 10.10.04