The Pictures, The Vandas @Republic Bar & Cafe, 29/07/05

Fri 5th Aug, 2005 in Gig Reviews

Over the past year, The Vandas and The Pictures have been two bands that have surprisingly maintained a place at the forefront of people’s minds without doing much.  With new releases and a nationwide tour this was a chance to make sure they are remembered for the next twelve months, and for the right reasons too.

Clad in impossibly tight jeans The Vandas launched themselves on a nearly full room and warmed the audience up with bright harmonies, Roger McGuinn-like 12-string guitar playing and a good set that peaked in the right places. The set was based on their upcoming EP Didn’t Come Here to Be Alone and songs from it, like Silence, Leaving Home, Hours and Capsule are great examples of the band’s already well-developed song writing skills and unquestionable potential. Their finale featured the almost obligatory tribute to their namesake, George Vanda, in the form of a strangely mellow version of the Easybeats’ Happy. 

With a few more releases under their belt, and sets as interesting as the one they played at the Republic, it will not be too long before The Vandas make the step up from support act to headliners.

While appreciating The Vandas, it was obvious the crowd was there to see The Pictures, and in particular, Davey Lane. With an ethereal presence that reminded me of a pre-freak out Syd Barrett, Davey joined the rest of the band (Luke Thomas on bass, Johnny T on drums) on stage. To be fair, the band had been touring for the best part of a month, and so, sadly, the penultimate gig was not quite as energetic as the first run of dates four weeks ago.  However, The Pictures on a bad day would still blow a lot of other bands off stage, and they hammered the point home as they ripped into new tracks from Pieces of Eight. 

Knocked Out, I Don’t Care and Stupid Me played on all the light and shade that made the album much more than just another hackneyed collection of cheesy retro-rock riffs, and showed the particular song writing talents of Davey. 

Davey still seemed a little sluggish occasionally.  In between playing How Do You Feel?, What You Want and All My Ties he explained he had a cold and not enough scotch and worked on winning the crowd over with banter between songs. 

Some additional scotch seemed to have a medicinal effect on the set and by the time the Pictures blasted through enthusiastic and raucous versions of Something I Don’t Know and Pissin’ With the Cat Man they were definitely on another level.  The crowd really appreciated the extra effort, and were rewarded with an encore. 

Their choice of encore:  a You Am I song?  Syd Barrett-era Floyd perhaps?  No, it was Handle With Care by the Travelling Willburys.