Vasco Era, Wallspace @ TheNorthern Star, Newcastle(24/11/06)

Sat 2nd Dec, 2006 in Gig Reviews

In Newcastle, being fashionably late seems to be a trend that is almost always adhered to as the norm. Taking this into account, venues such as the Northern Star almost always open late. Its 10.30 on a Friday night and there is a moderate line up outside the venue to see Melbourne rock/blues three piece The Vasco Era.

The crowd of punters, though not numerous seem to know what there in for, with more than one young fan sporting their Miles EP shirt. Their live reputation is gaining momentum as they prepare for their debut album launch next year.

Local duo Wallspace have scored the support slot for the evening, the brother sister duo taking the stage with an acquaintance camera-man in tow. Though there seems to be some low frequency buzz surrounding Wallspace and their confronting lyrics about urination, I fail to really connect with the awkward lead singer. It is as though she has the confrontational demeanor of a hip hop artist – who has found herself with a Joni Mitchell-esque voice. It was almost uncomfortable to watch.  In fairness, they are hampered by technical difficulties that may have taken away from the fluidity of their performance, and they do have some of the crowd dancing by the end of their self-extended set. 

As Sid O’Neill - lead singer of Vasco Era walks through the crowd to get to the tiny stage I wonder if the size of the stage will be a disadvantage to them as they usually like to move around a lot during their set. As is custom now Sid begins the set with an rendition of Elvis’ I Cant Help Falling in Love With You which he swings from a gentle lullaby to a screaming frenzy. The crowd is instantly wrapped up and sings along – at times louder than Sid himself. Michael (drums) and Ted (bass) then take the stage, obviously ready to kick the show into gear with a mix of songs from the Miles EP and songs that we are told will be on the upcoming album.

Impressively, even on the small stage, the bands signature moves do not disappear, with Michael physically standing over the drums like a high school bully, intent on pounding the loudest beat that they are able to muster. Ted is not left out, jumping around what stage space remains as Sid brings out the slide guitar, which brings a cheer from the very captive audience. Live track ‘Honey Bee’ is so catchy that by the second verse all of the crowd are singing along as steam rises from the stage.

Sid also showcases his diversity by bringing out a mini drum stand on which he belts out a solo which duals with the bigger drums and a fast paced bass line. Yet another factor that sets Vasco apart from traditional 3-piece rock bands. 

 All of the boys are innately in tune with one another as the music switches from melodic and heartfelt to foot stomping, rasp -voiced blues music. The high-rotation track Kingswood draws the most enthusiastic response from the crowd with people now making use of what little space they have to bust out a few moves.   

Despite playing festivals such as the Great Escape, and supporting acts like Wolfmother recently, the band remain humble with Sid remarking ’$12? That’s a lot to pay for a band who doesn’t even have an album’. They also proceed to make friends with members of the audience, with lively banter throughout the set. Its obvious that the band are having great fun onstage.

At the end of the night, I feel those oh-so-attractive sweat patches have formed and my calves feel like I have run a marathon. If word of mouth has the influence I think it will, this band are about to grow very quickly as soon as people can get a hold of their music.