The Vines @ The Astor, Perth(29/07/11)

Mon 4th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The Vines emerged in a time when grunge was long over and adolescents were keen for a distinctive sound to become the soundtrack to their teen years; to some, that sound was the grungy rock music of the Vines. Typically a Vines gig is an unpredictable multi-sensory experience, dominated by lengthy organic experimental sounds and front man Craig Nicholls’ care free persona. Simply put, The band knows how to keep the audience intrigued with anticipation. The charity event at the Astor was a chance for the band to please fans with their usual antics but at the same time, it exposed a more mature and developed side of their music.

Because the gig was an all ages charity Telethon event organized by Nova the vibe of the night was quite clean cut. Although the event was for a very good cause and the Vines should be commended for their humanitarian efforts, the whole night simply seemed off beat, whether it was the obnoxious nova presenters or the loud top 40 music playing whilst punters waited, something was not right. What seemed even odder was that the Vines had agreed to play a show for a commercial radio station even though they proclaim their stance against commercialization in their song “Don’t listen to the radio”. A Vines gig usually goes hand in hand with mosh pits, stage diving and intensive head banging, so the seating arrangement at the Astor really didn’t cut it when compared to a big day out setting. Could a Vines show really be experienced sitting down?

The night kicked off with emerging local band Beside Lights, which has only been together for seven months. This group of five young members seemed very excited to be performing. Although the support act managed to get a few heads nodding in the crowd with their feel good rock, the songs lacked depth and originality. The lyrics were simple and innocent, appealing to pre-teens and sounding great -on Nova. Nonetheless, Beside Lights sound was tolerable, they simply need to find uniqueness in their music that will make them stand out in the Perth music scene.

The Vines ran out to an applauding crowd and got straight into some new tracks from their latest album Future Primitive. The new material fell short of getting the crowd pumped, instead fans kept relatively still; simply nodding their heads to the beat. Craig Nicholls was a charismatic presence, playing each song with his eyes closed whilst swaying his hair back and forth in a hypnotic motion, captivating his audience in the process.

As soon as the band started playing old favourites like Ride Me With Me and Outtadaway the crowd exploded with excitement, the middle section transformed into a semi fiery mosh pit with a few brave individuals opting for stage diving and reckless jumping. By impulsively rolling around the stage playing guitar Nicholls kept the audience amused and wanting more. However all the stage antics were predictable and underwhelming, lacking the much needed shock factor. Although Nicholls played the role of the mellow stoner musican well, at times it felt like he was just putting on an act which he had been rehearsing for years.

Technically speaking, the band sounded exactly like a studio recording. With captivating epic Pink Floyd like guitar solos and Nicholls hitting every note with his piercing screeches and eerie soft tones, the Vines easily won over the crowd with pure skill alone.What was mesmerizing was the subdued lighting and smoke arrangement which tied in well when the band performed the lucid ballad Winning Days creating a picturesque setting and a moody atmospheric quality.

The band managed to slip one surprise in by having a few members from two local Perth bands The Silents and Abbey May join them to sing the song Get free. The inclusion of Perth musicians and maracas and trombone gave the crowd-pleaser added depth and excitement, and the crowd got rowdy.

The Vines proved to Perth that they still maintain the skill to truly captivate an audience just with their musical talent. However The gig simply fell short of what the Vines are characteristically known for; there was nothing remarkably interesting because it felt like the unpredictable moments were planned in advance.