Lanie Lane, The FearlessVampire Killers, Miss Little @the Vanguard, Sydney (3/11/11)

Tue 8th Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Lanie Lane has enjoyed an enormous rise in popularity of late, which is not surprising given her deliciously slick aesthetic. Couple that with excellent song writing chops and the vocal talent to back it up and you’ve got a neat package. Lane is currently celebrating her recent release To The Horses, and we were treated to a comprehensive rundown of her current musical trajectory.

Here was proof in the flesh that the 1950s may actually be invincible, rising every couple of decades to reap kitschy vengeance on the culturally curious youths who choose to stir it from its slumber. The Vanguard was alive with guys all shiny from pomade, and girls with lipstick so red it could stop traffic in distant Chippendale. And hypnotising this impeccably neat cadre of fans was the undeniably fascinating Lanie Lane, with a series of songs that was so well informed by the 50s that it stopped being homage and actually opened a wormhole right back into that wonderful era of music.

First act Miss Little is a rising kiwi star on the Sydney circuit who has been gathering well deserved acclaim from Neil Finn, among others. She won a lyrics competition arranged by the musician, no doubt earning her significant cache in creative circles. Accolades aside, we just needed a nice opening set, which she delivered. First off, she has a gorgeous voice. Second, she writes songs that show it off. Her ballads are minefields laden with hooks, and she wisely avoids vocal gymnastics, preferring to explore simple, minor-key ballads that progress through enough chord changes and tones to maintain a keen interest. For an award-winning lyricist her lyrics aren’t particularly pithy, but they are earnest, and that can be far more effective than a witty turn of phrase when the music is right. A wonderful closing cover of Crowded House’s Fingers of Love had us all holding our breath.

The Fearless Vampire Killers (the Melbourne group, not the UK post-emo power-pop group) take their name from an old Roman Polanski film of the same name. It’s safe to say they aren’t as controversial as Polanski, and I dare say Roman isn’t as talented on the geetar either. These guys are tight, and their charming machismo is channelled directly through the same time warp as Miss Lane. They dabble in skiffle, they flirt with rockabilly, they really, really, really like Revolver era Beatles, and they sounded totally boss. A great set of tunes lifted from their latest recorded work Batmania played with conviction and just the right amount of abandon to make them feel dangerous. A Highly enjoyable addition to the bill.

It’s hard to recall a better marriage of audience and performer than the capacity crowd flooding Newtown’s sultry Vanguard and Lanie Lane, Sydney’s brightest flavour of the month. It was hard to distinguish between her beautiful black curls and those of some of the criminally fashionable patrons supping their ales. It must’ve been why she wore that hat.

The aesthetic consistency flowed into her music, with the band stomping and swaying away to a set primarily focusing on her new record, and its rendition was a neat and tidy affair despite the promises of spontaneity that rockabilly is supposed to wear on its sleeve. Everything had a very contained vibe, with no risk of veering off into exciting, uncharted, passionate territory. That being said, unpredictability is not her mission statement, and Lanie was at home practicing beautifully polished pop gems draped in the finest retro garb for those who appreciated it most. It wasn’t a huge stretch, and she clearly enjoyed relaxing in the convivial atmosphere. The mix was great with the rich soft textures soaking up the ambient noise making everything feel punchy and warm.

Lanie’s worked hard and she has loads of raw talent, so it’s great to see her rewarded with sell out show after sell out show. She deserves the kind of recognition she’s receiving, and it’s nice to see someone so colourful and kitschy on the Australian scene. The Vanguard was the perfect venue, and it’ll be great to see her there again.