The widely played but seldom exhibited strands of psychedelic, surf, garage and mod music were celebrated by way of the Eight Miles High Festival, making its debut in Brisbane’s esteemed music venue, The Zoo. What is set to be an annual event saw the finest local and interstate bands come together to showcase what is often an underestimated genre, with vastly talented musicians proving the fluidity and infectiousness of psychedelia by adapting it to their own styles.

Brisbane’s own Howling Rabbits started the night on an unprecedented high note; as the crowd slowly trickled in, they were greeted by the band’s own strand of psychedelic stomp-rock. They played familiar tracks for those who had been acquainted with the band before and so received a warm reception, and a setlist that easily won over newcomers with quirky eclecticism interwoven into classic rock. Venturing into the darker depths of psych and coming back with a punch, these guys presented an overall refined sound with the soul and seduction of The Bad Seeds, infused with old-school contagiousness—their rhythms had the audience hooked before they even realised it. Stand out tracks included the eerily seductive Killerman as well as the shoulder-popping track Cut Me I Don’t Bleed providing evidence of the scope of this five-piece to keep your eye on.

The good-humoured and home-grown Dead Shades followed with a part garage rock, part western and wholly grunge set that maintained a high atmosphere throughout their time on stage. The surprisingly polished lyrics within the unstructured psych-rock sound mashed together to create an undeniably smooth set that was lapped up like a guilty pleasure. A highlight of their undeniable repertoire included It Ain’t Easy, and the elegantly introduced track Springhill: “This is a song we wrote about Springhill. It’s called… Springhill”. Overall, a carefully crafted sound that that was effortlessly presented by the trio, who seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as their audience.

Grand Atlantic have been making strides internationally for their recent psychedelic deliverance, and there is no guessing why. By the time they hit the stage the venue was a buzz, and the energy skyrocketed onwards. Their set was an atmospheric juxtaposition of rumbling power guitars and high-intensity, hard-rock drumming interlaced with the psychedelic dreamy tones of the evening. Their track Fresh Ideas in Home Security showcased the best of their highs and lows and provided a ride in itself for the audience within a greater set of classic rock that served as a reminder from the band that such timeless sounds should never be underestimated.

Ordinarily described as “electro-rockers”, Melbourne’s Black Cab opted for a minimal approach to their show for the evening, casting their drums and guitars aside in favour of a set of experimental synthesizers. The show, filled with elongated, uncluttered tracks, was effective in its use of layering and distortion to create an ethereal haze of sound that enveloped gig-goers like a thick smog. While the crowd may have turned restless in parts, perhaps due to some tracks losing resonance in their slower progressions, it was impressive to see the band strip back their sound for the benefit of celebrating the playful psychedelia of the night.

Fellow Melbournians The Sand Pebbles introduced themselves to Brisbane by way of an impressive soundtrack to an idealistic island escape. These were the sounds of floating across the ocean, of waltzing through the sand dunes, played by performers who couldn’t be more at ease on the stage. Their sound was refined and agreeably simplistic, which allowed all concert-goers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the uncrowded audio oasis. Songs favoured by the crowd included the dreamy Dark Magic that left the crowd hypnotised with its intricate composition but with an added kick. These guys added a new level of appreciation for the psychedelic genre and the many faces it donned throughout the night.

Belles Will Ring of the Blue Mountains could not have been more ideal to play in a night of all things psychedelic. Theirs was a set of luscious bass lines and hallucinatory harmonies, lulling those in attendance into a dreamy state not often associated with modern music. When audience members weren’t being enticed to sway along to lullabies of vintage sound, they were invited to stomp their feet to further a journey of Beatles-esque revival, always uplifting and modern in their approach. While all songs were in themselves a showcase of their talents, particular mention goes to Bald Mountain and Street Lamp Stomp as complementary ends of the broad psychedelic spectrum.

Sydneysiders Richard In Your Mind were the second last act of the night, and arguably saw the largest crowd of enthusiasts of psychedelia. Once they started their set, it was clear that not only were their audience immediately charmed further into a reverberating kaleidoscopic haze by their fantastical overall sound, but such a cohesive performance was second nature to the six-piece. They flaunted their way through songs with hints of surf-pop that were wholly derivative of a peace-and-love affirming era gone by, which included Candelabra and Vision in particular. It was a treat to see so many strands of various genres constructed to create a unique, prolific sound ideally suited to the live music scene.

It seemed more than fitting to bookend the night’s psychedelia with a band that is not only a local talent, but wholly exemplifying of the genre itself—enter, Los Huevos. A unique mixed bag of synthetic effects, powerful progressions of sound, all combining into a predominantly instrumental soundtrack to cap off the night. The quartet assembled a more-than-danceworthy set full of surf-rock, psychedelia and spaghetti-western influences that did not take itself too seriously. A particular favourite entitled Antibueno was a showcase of the playfulness of psych, while serving as an example of the mastery behind it.