Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe delivered a double whammy of psychedelics at London's Oslo

But there’s something that emerges from the collaboration between the rakish mid-twenties Parks and the forty-something rock ’n’ roll addled Newcombe that interlocks perfectly. And this was more than apparent at tonight’s (18 July) show at London’s Oslo.

Tonight Parks and Newcombe were backed by four fellow musicians, which seems like the minimum number required in order to recreate the bubbling sonic textures on the pair’s recent album I Declare Nothing, which was aired in full tonight. Launching into “Voyage de L'âme” closely followed by recent single “Cocaine Cat”, it became clear that tonight was definitely not an “onstage banter” kind of event as Parks barely said a word to the crowd. But then again, she didn’t really have to.

The thing about Tess Parks is that it’s almost impossible to believe that the waifish, demure figure she cuts on stage, swaying to the music with a vintage Vox guitar slung casually around her shoulder, is capable of generating such a low soulful husk in her delivery. It’s almost as though she’s channeling the spirit of Janis Joplin via Neko Case. The fact that this comes complete with a biting standoffishness only serves to add to the confrontational nature of the music.

But as the set progressed, it was clear Newcombe was the commander of this psychedelic voyage. Their album may be credited to Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe, but tonight it was clear that billing should be reversed. Newcombe, barely moving from the spot for the entire duration of the show, loomed large as the focus of the gig, his perennial sunglasses firmly in place. The power of Newcombe’s guitar work really came to the fore during the band’s rendition of “Gone”, which also saw Newcombe briefly take on backing vocal duties, as he showcased his ability to change and develop the mood of the music using single elongated notes that gradually morphed into cycles of resonating feedback. Several times, and no doubt when the ‘vibe ‘ was right, all it took to bring the song to a close was a casual nod from Newcombe as he stood like a disheveled but benevolent conductor near the edge of the stage.

When performed live, the tracks on I Declare Nothing gained a raw edge that’s softened by the album’s production. “Melorist” was a power stomp of bluesy attitude with its chewed up rag-time riff and brawny tremolo, and during the end of the set the band performed an elongated version of album stand-out “Mama” which saw Parks brandishing an oversized tambourine, posing in full-on ‘Nico mode’. But as the song progressed, the track built into a tidal wave of psychedelics and it was clear all six musicians were fully locked into one another and happy to ride the sonic wave to wherever it took them. It was beautiful thing to witness.

But not everyone appreciated the spur of the moment, improvisational detour as parts of the crowd began to thin out as the set came to a close. It didn’t help that the sold out venue had gradually turned into a steaming sweat box over the course of the night. But those that left a little early did themselves a disservice missing out on an outstanding cover of the Doors’ “Five to One”, the band imbuing the song with an even higher level of sludgy trippiness than the original.

The partnership of Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe may have been far from a no-brainer at the outset, but tonight proved that sometimes the unlikeliest of partnerships can yield inspiring results.