Live Review: The Bombay Royale - The Hi-Fi

Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the water, The Bluebottles have been spotted washed ashore on Melbourne beaches. It is hard not to feel transported back in time as Eagle And The Worm splinter group The Bluebottles deliver a set of classic, '60s, instrumental surf rock. In matching jackets, their pre-psychedelic, pre-British invasion sound is cutely clean cut. Mixing originals with covers, these lads combine irresistible reverb-drenched riffs and bouncy four-on-the floor beats to create the kind of danceable rock'n'roll to which our grandparents would have grooved. Their cover of Walk Don't Run by The Ventures lends a nostalgic note to the evening but it blends well with their own aquatic adventures whether doing The Shrimp's Tango or simply rocking it Oceanside. The groovers and shakers on the floor bump and grind like there is no tomorrow, a few are even doing the Watusi like their life depends on it. The old folks dig it too, as memories of hits by The Chantays, Surfaris and of course Sydney's The Atlantics come flooding back. The Hi-Fi is packed out as their set concludes to the sound of thunderous applause.

Gigging around town for the past 12 months has ensured that The Bombay Royale have caught the imagination and loyal devotion of a legion of fans, all of whom seem to be here tonight. The 11-piece funk combo is a revelation as they drop a glittering explosion of filmi music as implausible plots rife with suspicious characters are screened over our heads. It's not all boy meets girl, loses girl and gets her in the end either. Lead vocalist, the super glamorous Mysterious Lady has got plenty of sly moves up her sleeve so it's not surprising to see a gun in her hand at the end of the movie when she makes off with a suitcase full of cash. She sounds like a playback singer marooned in Melbourne yearning to lend her voice to a Bollywood musical extravaganza. Teaming up with male lead vocalist The Tiger, the formidable duo work their way through lovingly crafted original songs in Hindi and Bengali that meticulously recreate that funky, subcontinental vibe. Surprisingly, Tania Zaetta is nowhere to be seen.

The Bombay Royale's riotous take on Bollywood music is unapologetically kitsch and retro. It recalls a time in the '70s when western psychedelic rock, funk and blaxploitation had all exerted their influence on Bollywood music. Think Parveen Barbi on the cover of Time magazine, paisley bodyshirts, saris with bling and Rishi Kapoor taking a cue from his father and starting a career with Mera Naam Joker and Bobby. The band provides an exotic and unexpected twist on funk music, as western audiences might understand it. These cocktail sipping lounge lizard dacoits command our attention with irresistible hooks and sheer energy even though few in the room can understand the lyrics. The band's anarchic sense of fun and the desire to dance the night away is not lost in translation. As The General, a giant inflatable elephant, is paraded around the room, a certain hysteria is unleashed and it is clear that The Bombay Royale have brought the partaay. Amusingly, a handful of subcontinental expats have confused looks on their faces as they try to work out what exactly is going on here. The infectious fun of their debut CD You Me Bullets Love is guaranteed to have you pulling Bollywood-style dance moves that they teach us via your living room. Even Asha would smile if she heard their cover of Dum Maro Dum, which brings down the show.