The Vasco Era, FearlessVampire Killers, Kitchen KnifeWife @ Corner Hotel, Melbourne(02/09/2011)

Sat 10th Sep, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Opening a sold-out evening at the Corner, Kitchen Knife Wife prove to be seriously good. As is customary with the first supporting act though, fans have decided to rock up midway through, or even after their set.

There’s not much flailing or head banging this early in the night, but the five-piece’s danceable rock keeps the crowd interested and my foot tapping. While it may lack the killer punch of the night’s headliner, the band is versatile, energetic and provides some seriously addictive melodies. While there was nothing overly cerebral at play, there remained was simplistic beauty to KKW’s perfromance. The band’s single Happy generated the most crowd involvement and was among a number of highlights during the generally excellent set.

Most of the crowd had filtered in by the time The Fearless Vampire Killers swagger in with their brand of rockabilly-surfer blues. Covered in multiple layers of guitar fuzz, vocalist Sean Ainsworth’s voice is falters somewhat in the live setting, and grates a bit too much for my liking. With a big emphasis on rollicking guitar solos and catchy hook laden choruses though, such as during For You And Me, Fearless Vampire Killers prompt a big crowd reaction, but might not have hooked in too many new fans.

The Corner is at capacity by the time The Vasco Era make their highly anticipated entrance to the stage. The band carries a reputation for not always being the most sober performers on stage, and they are met by a crowd that is pretty rowdy, ready to bask in the energy the band brings to each and every show, even if they’re a little bit more hit and miss than on their records.

Vocalist and guitarist Sid O’Neil looks disinterested at times, swaying in and out of his own little world, particularly during opener Honey Bee, but he’s nowhere near being the staggering drunk the crowd seemingly expect him to be. The audience make up for the band’s unexpected sobriety, drunkenly throwing their bodies around as power chords and Sid’s distinctive wailing fills the air.

Both Honey Bee and Rock and Roll is the Only Thing that Makes Me Feel Good are bruisingly loud, but even at such tinnitus-inducing levels, the passion and energy the band bring to their performance mean it’s far from being just meaningless noise.

The band sets about playing a mixture of old stuff, some new songs off their as yet untitled third album and their hugely popular single Child Bearing Hips. Beer flies through the air, and crowd surfers propel themselves towards the stage with a new-found regularity. It’s a source of amusement for the crowd that the bearded guy behind the stage only attempts to throw the girls off the stage, and is nowhere to be seen as male fans scream the lyrics into Sid’s ear as he in turn screams maniacally.

O’Neil tells the crowd the band is unsure whether to play a Tom Waits or Jimmy Hendrix cover. After a girl crashes the stage, they settle on a Hendrix cover, before affixing the Tom Waits song onto the end regardless. He suggests to the crowd that he couldn’t bear to just play one classic, and the medley does nothing to halt the audience’s enthusiasm.

The highlight of the band’s short set is the penultimate song. Soaked in sweat and beer, the crowd I enjoy ten minutes of pure bliss as the support acts join The Vasco Era for an terrific cover of Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone.

O’Neil said he’d pay reviewers not to write this gig up, but if I have any criticisms, it’s that The Vasco Era cut their set short much too soon.