Moon Duo @ La Belle Angèle, Edinburgh, 31 Jan

Moon Duo waste no time revving up their cosmic motorcycle tonight, tearing off at full throttle from the first note and never looking back. Driving, psychedelic euphoria ensues, mesmerising the respectable crowd at La Belle Angèle.

They've been bumped up to a Moon Trio for a while now, but tonight, with live drummer John Jeffrey in tow behind synth-wielder/song singer Sanae Yamada and guitarist/vocalist Ripley Johnson, the group sound about as bold and as perfectly balanced as it is possible to be in a live setting; boasting arguably one of the the most impressive front of house mixes you're ever likely to hear. Seriously, it sounds incredible. Visually, the entire room is enveloped in trippy projections, and everyone who isn't extending their mosaic-covered arms out in salute to the galactic moon gods is just swaying in a close-eyed, boozy trance. 

It would be counter-productive, presumably, to Moon Duo's entire modus operandi to dissect individual songs and pull the whole thing apart, because this set is a single entity; every component of it beating with the same heart. It's a journey, not a series of short trips, and one that needs to be enjoyed in full – something nobody vibing out here needs to be told twice. However, it is worth noting that before MD finally pull into the station, they treat the capital crowd to a fantastic encore of both sides of a recent 12" covers single, beginning with their suitably psychobilly take on Alan Vega's Jukebox Babe and ending on a stoned, groovy version of The Stooges' No Fun that's still being hummed halfway up the street by everyone as they pour out into the cold, dark night.

Among many things, tonight is a masterclass in how to sound pretty much perfect without being clinical, phoned in, or overly reliant on a laptop. And while there might not be too much in the way of variety within the band's scope, they still find a way to hook into your veins and give you a rush you won't forget.