Indie/alternative rock band The Veils were in Melbourne for their ‘Sun Gang Tour’, with two headlining shows at the Toff and an appearance at the Queenscliff Music Festival. Their first night at the Toff kicked off the whirl-wind visit and it certainly gave them a running start. The audience was soothed, moved and transfixed by their mellow sounds, perpetrating a calm and a satisfaction that was sure to last long after they had departed from the stage.

The support acts made for a stellar line-up and were as highly anticipated as the main event, with both of them providing exemplary performances. The night opened with Melbourne’s own White Birds & Lemons, an alternative/rock/electronica outfit with immense talent and an awe-inspiring stage show. Each member of the four-piece displayed a rare musical versatility, with all of them rotating instruments and at times, vocalists. A band that truly understands and embraces the notion of team work, they present a commendable group dynamic and demand a great deal of respect.

After a speedy set change, Oh Mercy took to the stage with their usual charm and flawless vocal harmonies. Fresh off their recent album tour, the quartet remained to be in fine form and quickly impressed the sold out crowd. Captivating the room with their sweet lyrics and beautiful melodies, it was safe to rely on this set to put you at ease and lift your mood. With a humble confidence they delivered a string of their eloquently written songs, including crowd pleasers Get You Back and Lay Everything On Me.

The night’s quota of musical entertainment had most definitely been filled by this point, however the crowd was more than keen for the good times to keep on rolling. As the curtains were drawn back and The Veils came into view, the entire Toff was forward focused.

With a powerful stage presence and a solid vocal strength, frontman Finn Andrews became the centre of everyone’s world. His voice contains that element, that true raw quality, which makes a performance all the more believable. He manages to maintain a slight vocal strain that fills his lyrics with emotion, while still instilling faith in his ability to hit every note.

Their distinctive sound provides the listener with something different and unusual, an accomplishment which isn’t easily done. This originality, however, seems to have won them a broad following with an entire room engrossed in their performance. Hands raised swaying in time to the beat, lips mouthing the lyrics in perfect synchronisation, it was a sight that any band would have been happy to create.

Andrews in particular made a lasting impression on his Australian fans, wowing them with a highly intimate encore filled mostly with solo tracks. Demonstrating his vocal range he graced the stage as simply one man with his guitar, playing a series of his softer compositions.

It was easy to see why this was a sold out gig, it had all the elements to make live music great. Strong bands with good songs at an intimate location; it was as close to perfect as you are likely to get.