AL JARDINE & THE PET SOUNDS BAND – HAMER HALL – MELBOURNE

AL JARDINE & THE PET SOUNDS BAND – HAMER HALL – MELBOURNE
June 28, 2026
Review: Bryget Chrisfield. Photos: David Harris Photography

Just over a year after Brian Wilson joined the great gig in the sky, Al Jardine – one of The Beach Boys’ founding members – tours Australia, alongside The Pet Sounds Band (Wilson’s long-time backing band) for DRW Entertainment.

Rapturous applause welcomes Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band to the stage, mostly resplendent in colourful, summery floral – and Hawaiian – shirts. After introducing his son, Matt – a vocalist supreme – Jardine jests, “It used to be a bunch of Wilsons,” before adding, “Sorry, Brian, we love you, too”. Then after a count in, we immediately recognise the shiny, descending guitar melody and jaunty synth that opens “California Girls” – straight into it, then! The audience claps along as The Beach Boys’ trademark swoon-worthy, doo-wop vocal harmonies wash over us.

He was Wilson’s Music Director for over 25 years and now Darian Sahanaja (of The Wondermints) steps into the same role for Jardine, who is bookended by two more vocalist/keyboardists: Australia’s own Lewis Coleman and Debbie Shair, who doubles as “dance captain” (more on that later).

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world…” – nine out of the 11 musicians on stage also sing and their harmonising is biblical; most notably Sahanaja and Jardine Jr., whose pristine pipes soar to lofty heights. It’s all good vibrations up on stage as the band members grin from ear to ear, exchanging chuffed glances – especially Shair, she’s a vibe.

Jardine introduces “Surfer Girl” as “the first very first song Brian ever composed, I believe”. He then recalls The Beach Boys coming off tour – “right off the truck” – when inspiration struck Wilson. “Down to the studio, quick! I’ve got another song,” Wilson enthused and off they went. The resulting song was “Don’t Worry Baby”, which Jardine reveals is one of his favourites.

The Beach Boys are widely renowned for their songs about surfing, cars and girls, and the chugging “Little Deuce Coupe” follows. “‘Round ‘round get around, I get around…” – cue: another enthusiastic clap-along follows, as drummer Mike D’Amico outdoes himself during this number.

Percussionist Jim Laspesa plays finger cymbals during “In My Room”, which closes out with a perfectly executed, sustained note high from Matt Jardine. Sahanaja then takes lead vocals for “Darlin’”, which was originally sung by Carl Wilson.

Randell Kirsch, the statuesque guitarist stage left, sings lead on “Sail On, Sailor” (from The Beach Boys’ 1973 Holland album).

“I Can Hear Music” requires two sets of sleigh bells, played using different techniques. Jardine Jr. slaps the bells rhythmically into his palm, while the saxophonist/woodwindist/multi-instrumentalist Paul Von Mertens holds the sleighbells upside down, smacking the handle’s base.

Saxophone kicks off “Heroes And Villains”: a complex, expansive Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks number. As we move into the late-’70s with “Let Us Go On This Way”, from The Beach Boys Love You album (1977), Al Jardine acknowledges Wilson was a “very quirky and very original” songwriter.

During one rhythmic breakdown, the entire band tilts in unison from side to side, much to the delight of the audience (Shair’s dance captain role comes into play here). Then Shair shows off a series of high kicks.

Introducing “Solar System”, Jardine points out Wilson was encouraged by his therapist to take an astronomy class at UCLA. Although the teacher told him he was “never gonna go anywhere”, his studies still inspired a great song.

Jardine tells us that one day the band arrived at Wilson’s studio, only to be greeted by a sign on the door that read: “No Beach Boys Allowed.”

“Ding Dang” is an absolute hoot, with the crowd hollering “WHOO!”s with gusto.

“Pet Sounds” is brought to life by wonderfully wonky guitar parts, Coleman’s metrical güiro playing and D’Amico absolutely smashing his drum kit to close. Von Mertens’ soaring, meditative flute playing concludes “Caroline, No”.

With Matt Jardine on lead vocals, “God Only Knows” is heavenly – melancholic beauty that touches your soul. Endless applause follows this standout performance. The upbeat “Sloop John B” follows, closing out with a crowd-pleasing slight amendment to the lyrics: “This is the best trip I’ve ever been on.”

There’s a bit of confusion about what comes next. “Too many cooks in the kitchen,” Al Jardine observes, before his son hilariously counters, “Too many songs in the setlist!”

We immediately recognise the shimmering circular guitar melody that opens “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, which is followed by the main-set closer, “Good Vibrations” – talk about a serotonin boost! When we clock Shair hunched over her console with a giant smile on her dial – supplying the warped, slide-control theremin sounds – our “excitations” go up another notch.

Von Mertens is tasked with introducing the band. He points out that The Pet Sounds Band played with Wilson for many, many years, adding, “We’re all so grateful that Al wants to continue to honour the legacy and to play the music – it’s a rare and beautiful thing.”

Before the encore, Al Jardine announces, “The dancefloor is open!” and we all jump to our feet for the closing trifecta: “Help Me, Rhonda”, “Surfin’ U.S.A.” – Matt’s sky-high “Oo-OOOOO!”s are so pitch perfect! – and “Fun, Fun, Fun”.

In the toilet queue post-show, a little girl clasps the setlist she scored, counting the number of songs out loud: “one, two… 36!” That’s 36 songs in two hours, folks!

Smash hits, deep cuts, complex arrangements recreated to perfection and flawless, multi-part harmonies – “Fun, Fun, Fun” was had by all. As Jardine said earlier on in the show: “The music brings us together and we all feel better for it.”

Setlist
California Girls
Do It Again
Catch A Wave
Hawaii
Surfer Girl
Don’t Worry Baby
Little Deuce Coupe
I Get Around
In My Room
Darlin’
Sail On, Sailor
I Can Hear Music
Heroes And Villains
Let Us Go On This Way
Roller Skating Child
Johnny Carson
The Night Was So Young
Solar System
Honkin’ Down The Highway
I’ll Bet He’s Nice
Good Time
Ding Dang
Airplane
Pet Sounds
I Know There’s An Answer
You Still Believe In Me
I’m Waiting For The Day
Caroline, No
Here Today
God Only Knows
Sloop John B
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
Good Vibrations