Fun, Fun, Fun – Al Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band In Concert

Review by Brian Wise

Al Jardine & Pet Sounds Band – Hamer Hall, Melbourne – Sunday June 28, 2026

For two hours at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, Al Jardine and his superb Pet Sounds band transported the audience from the gloomy depths of a Melbourne winter to the sunny climes of Southern California where the surf was up ‘and the beach was the place to go’, the hot rods were roaring and life was a whole lot simpler and a lot more fun.

This was the world of the Beach Boys’ songwriting genius Brian Wilson and less than three weeks after the first anniversary of his death, the 83-year-old Al Jardine, one of his oldest friends and a founding member of the group, walked onto the stage with a band that was able to not only superbly recreate the music but also keep Brian Wilson’s legacy alive. They not only recreated the sound of the Beach Boys but also the optimism and joy that makes this music timeless. And let’s face it, the catalogue that Wilson created, along with numerous co-writers within and out of the Beach Boys, is incredible. That becomes even more apparent when you hear the songs strung together: 36 songs with at least 20 certified hits among them plus selections from the much-under-rated 1977 album The Beach Boys Love Youand other relative obscurities.

Having seen Wilson perform both Pet Sounds and SMiLE over the past two decades I was unsure what to expect. The fact that Jardine was using some of the same musicians who were in Wilson’s touring band, including musical director Darian Sahanaja (keyboards and vocals), confirmed that the music would be accurate with an amazing ten-piece outfit, that included multi-talented players and the ‘unofficial dance captain’ in keyboard player Debbie Shair, who had a permanent beaming smile.

Of course, the lead vocals and harmonies were the crucial part of the Beach Boys sound and, apart from a few notable hits, Jardine was not the main performer. In this setting he takes a little more of the lead – a little shaky at first but soon warming up.

Early on he mentioned that the show was a tribute to Brian Wilson and between songs he often related anecdotes about Wilson’s writing. (He also joked that being Down Under he felt upside down, but urged us not to travel north and added to loud applause, “at least not until the next President”).

The big revelation and the show’s secret weapon is Al’s son Matt Jardine, whose voice is absolutely outstanding. If there was any doubt, the opening lines of ‘Good Vibrations’, later in the show, erased it. With Sahanaja’s contributions, several other band members taking lead and everyone singing harmonies the vocal department is totally covered. (Interestingly, another original member, Mike Love, has been touring with a version of the Beach Boys that includes Bruce Johnston, with approval of the Wilson family but it is hard to imagine that would sound better than this).

After blasting through 13 hits in the first 45 minutes, starting with ‘California Girls’ and ending with a great version of the eccentric ‘Heroes and Villains’, the band turned its attention to The Beach Boys Love You. This much-loved album (by a few of us) was sadly ignored at the time of release in 1977, probably because of everything else that was happening in music at the time (punk) and the fact that by then The Beach Boys were considered a dinosaur band, along with the Rolling Stones. Who’s laughing now?

This was also the album that transported me out of the depths of another winter, London 1976-77, when (long story short) I could hear an advance copy played at Rock On Records next to Camden underground every weeknight for months as I waited for the connecting bus home.

This evening, Jardine and band performed 10 songs from what was essentially a Brian Wilson solo album, including an extended version of ‘Ding Dang’, featuring additional lyrics by Jardine, a song that originally clocked in at a mere 57 seconds. This was a delightful half-hour excursion through songs that might not have been familiar to most in the audience but might prompt them to search out the album and some of the other lesser-known Wilson creations.

Like most of Wilson’s work, the songs were observations of the simple things in life turned into wonderful musical vignettes, in this case almost all brief ones: ‘Honkin’ Down The Highway’, ‘Johnny Carson’, ‘Roller Skating Child’, with none longer than three minutes. Wilson could also look at the night sky and on ‘Solar System’ and ruminate on human nature. His view of relationships with women was also strikingly different than that of his English counterparts. (Probably due to the laidback California lifestyle as opposed to the uptight English one. Worth a thesis?). Listening to these songs reminded me that when Sticky Fingers celebrated its 50^th anniversary the Rolling Stones were rumoured to be going out on tour performing it in full as part of their set. In the end, unfortunately, they decided not to do so.

Personally, I would have liked to have heard a couple more songs from 1973’s Holland, apart from ‘Sail On Sailor’, an album that Brian Wilson did not have such a hand in, but which also deserves more appreciation. Surprisingly, Jardine did not include ‘Don’t Go Near The Water’ from Surf’s Up (1971), a song that he had a hand in writing, and which is still relevant today. But, with such a huge catalogue you can’t have everything in one night.

After the Beach Boys Love You segment the show returned to familiar ground with songs from Pet Sounds and more hits leading into a stunning version of ‘Good Vibrations’, a song that seems almost impossible to replicate live.

After a band member introduction by saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Paul Von Mertens, the concert concluded with ‘Help Me Rhonda’, ‘Surfin’ USA’ (with its reference to Narrabeen) and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ with the audience on their feet, clapping and singing along.

It is hard to remember when I left a concert feeling so good and so uplifted. The smiles on the faces of everyone else seemed to indicate that I was not alone. The general consensus was that the show far exceeded all expectations. Long may the spirit of Brian Wilson live on.

SET LIST

1.California Girls

2. Do It Again
3. Catch a Wave
4. Hawaii
5. Surfer Girl
6. Don’t Worry Baby
7. Little Deuce Coupe
8. I Get Around
9. In My Room
10. Darlin’
11. Sail On, Sailor
12. I Can Hear Music
13. Heroes and Villains
14. Let Us Go On This Way
15. Roller Skating Child
16. Johnny Carson
17. The Night Was So Young
18. Solar System
19. Honkin’ Down the Highway
20. I’ll Bet He’s Nice
21. Good Time
22. Ding Dang
23. Airplane
24. Pet Sounds
25. I Know There’s an Answer
26. You Still Believe in Me
27. I’m Waiting for the Day
28. Caroline, No
29. Here Today
30. God Only Knows
31. Sloop John B
32. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
33. Good Vibrations
34. Encore:
35. Help Me, Rhonda
36. Surfin’ U.S.A.
37. Fun, Fun, Fun