The Vasco Era, The FearlessVampire Killers, Kitchen KnifeWife @ Alhambra, Brisbane(20/08/2011)

Mon 22nd Aug, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Nestled away in an unassuming corner of the Valley, Alhambra Lounge is already buzzing warmly even before nine on Saturday evening. The lantern-lit venue is cosy in size and character, with most people choosing to remain comfortably on the venue’s elaborate couches this early in the night. A brave few, however, are already flinging their limbs around to Melbourne’s Kitchen Knife Wife. The energetic five-piece are the first of three peculiarly-named Melbournian bands to squeeze onto Alhambra’s intimate stage tonight. The band’s danceable rock and friendly melodies are easy to digest and offer an enticing appetiser for the rest of the night’s musical tastings.

Drinks flow more frequently from the bar by the time The Fearless Vampire Killers begin to mercilessly blitz the ears of those dwelling in the dark corners. Their loud, blues-inspired surf-rock is overlayed thickly with squealing guitar solos. Songs like For You And Me are enjoyable in the live setting, but may not instantly suck in those who are not already familiar with their heavily-nostalgic sound. Nevertheless, The Fearless Vampire Killers are a fitting precursor to the headliners tonight and seem to get more than a few toes tapping from the sizeable semi-circle now surrounding the stage.

After the retro jaunt brought about by the previous band, The Vasco Era appear more than ready to take the small but solid crowd on their own timeless, audible odyssey. A steady bass and drum beat eases in the beginning of their set, before being drowned out by the scratchy screams of lead vocalist and guitarist, Sid O’Neil. Blond-haired, baby-faced and shoe-less, O’Neil’s appearance is unassuming in contrast to the power of his performance ability. He effortlessly belts out an impressive range of vocals while fearlessly strumming out power chords with his preference of no plectrum, and not to mention the odd beer-bottle slide guitar performance. O’Neil seems strangely worn-out after the passion of their first song, Honey Bee, and allows his brother on bass guitar to deliver much of the energy needed for I Am The Chosen Vessel.

After a short break, O’Neil appears to have bounced back and briefly entertains the crowd with his quirky, airy persona before announcing their next song has the same chords as “that Cars song”. Oh Sam would oddly be the second and final song to be played from the band’s critically-acclaimed second album, Lucille; instead The Vasco Era launch into a truncated version of Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child. The band has a history of playing vintage covers of songs ranging from the likes of Otis Redding to Tom Waits, but tonight they have chosen to mix the golden oldies with a string of fresh originals taken from their third album, due to be released in October. The small crowd is well and truly kicking up a dancestorm during new single, Child Bearing Hips, and another new song which is torturously-titled Rock And Roll Is The Only Thing That Makes Me Feel Good. But the fun seems to come to an end all too soon, leaving the band’s forty-five-minute set feeling less than complete. That is, however, one way to make an audience want more, and what better way to do it than leaving them with an excellent rendition of Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone. “How does it feel?” It feels pretty good.