The Veils, Belles Will Ring,Dave Rennick, Whitley @ GaelicTheatre, Sydney (09/01/07)

Sun 14th Jan, 2007 in Gig Reviews

The Veils are renowned for their brutal live performances. The press have listed influences such as Joy Division, The Tea Party and Jeff Buckley when describing the New Zealand band. Their unique sound has been described as spellbinding, with front man Finn Andrews’ vocals even being compared to Patti Smith’s Horses in terms of intensity. So naturally, the expectations are high tonight for the London-based five-piece.

The punters are treated with some solid support acts ranging from experimental (read: Belles Will Ring) to the melancholic. Melbourne newcomer Whitley opens the festivities bringing his earnest acoustic/country to the stage. Whitley comprises of singer/songwriter Lawrence Greenwood who is backed up tonight by a full band. Greenwood jokes about lying to his manager to come to Sydney to play the gig and introduces each song enthusiastically to the crowd. Full of yearning and emotion, his songs allow audiences to enjoy many of his song from his Lost In Time EP.

Dave Rennick (Dappled Cities Fly) walks onstage and tunes his guitar. He proudly informs the audience that he is using a friend’s guitar for tonight’s set and even allows a keen punter to name it Bertie. His solo material differs from the upbeat and eclectic music that Dappled Cities is known for- it is darker, moodier and understated. Rennick is clearly comfortable onstage and even treats fans to a few Dappled Cities tracks including Cream and Fire Fire Fire during the set. The two dappled tracks are performed at a slower tempo, allowing the audience to appreciate the melodic tracks.

Final support act Belles Will Ring play an electric set demonstrating why they remain one of the more interesting bands to emerge from the Sydney music scene. Their mixed set shows a mixture of 70s folk rock and psychedelia. It is quite a show to watch them perform up close and only time can tell when more people will discover and love the band.

The simple stage set up reminds the audience that tonight is strictly about the music. The no fuss stage approach proves to be the perfect backdrop for The Veils, juxtaposing with their enigmatic stage presence. Finn Andrews is wearing a hat and sings passionately, changing his voice from a screeching falsetto to a yearning scream in just one song. The intensity of Andrews vocals are at times chilling and you begin to wonder if this is the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning.

Liam Gerrard on keys adds a key element to The Veils live show. The thundering keys contrasting with the protruding bassline in Jesus For The Juggler works well live and highlights the bands ability to convey their unique sound through a variety of mediums.

The Veils perform a mesmerising set at their first ever Sydney gig. Judging from the looks of both band members and punters, tonight was a success and they will be back hopefully for a longer tour soon.

Click here to check out the pics from the gig