Punters were treated to a jam-packed lineup for Velociraptor’s The World Warriors LP launch.
Melbourne duo Ross de Chene Hurricanes set the tone early with their scuzzy surfy garage rock. Distortion pedals, high nasal vocals, and infectious riffs galore, their sound is one that’s doing the rounds but these guys do a good job of it.
The rock and rolling got heavier when Them 9’s took to the stage. A band comparable to The Rubens for Josh Hare’s bluesy vocals but with a heavier, dirtier backing, the group showcased a broad spectrum of sound, mixing steady angry rock with some more intricate pieces. A particular crowd-pleaser was “Regular Touch” which oozed raw emotion and soul.
Ex Red-Riders frontman Alex Grigg was still at his charismatic best for Palms’ set. “This song is about everybody’s favourite body organ… the heart!” was his introduction to “Love,” a song dominated by his wailing cry that tugs at the heartstrings and pulls at his vocal chords. The group, sticking to their indie pop roots but with a more garage-oriented aesthetic, gave an overall tight performance – the cleanest of the night.
After a half-hour soundcheck Velociraptor finally took to the stage at midnight, launching straight into action with the fast-pasted single “Riot.”
To see Velociraptor play a live show is a sight to behold. To begin with, there’s the fact that so many people are on stage at the same time – usually 12, but for the night it was nine. It’s as if frontman Jeremy Neale was at a party one night, got some friends together and said ‘Hey guys, let’s start a band! We’ll all be on vocals… and yes, we need a tambourinist!’
It seems a little uneconomical, but then again, Velociraptor might not be as likeable without the ‘music class singalong on acid’ vibe they’ve got going on. Indeed, if Jesse Hawkins, donning the gimmicky glasses and fluoro t-shirt, had not been rocking the tambourine and having the time of his life, things may not have been so memorable.
The show was wild, raucous, and most of all, ridiculously fun, filled with the rhythms and riffs of the 60s but made more exciting by a frenzy and energy reminiscent of groups like The Hives and Arctic Monkeys.
Corey Herekiuha was the beacon of guitar solo splendour while Neale snaked his way around the stage, having a laugh with each of his bandmates and singing with such animation it was hard not to admire him.
While strong for most of the set, his voice did suffer from all the screaming towards the end. He tried to make the most of what was left by singing in a lower register, unfortunately though, this was on key tracks “Cynthia” and “In The Springtime,” which lacked the oomph they otherwise needed.
Things took a rather X-rated turn when drummer James Boyd took lead vocals on the wild “Do The Ruby” and nightmarish “Mystery Man,” channelling a creepier Mick Jagger, as his gaunt frame crawled and gyrated around the stage. At one point he started using the microphone like an utrasound, but on his man-package rather than on a pregnant belly. Chaos truly reigned as he started to undo his belt and unzip his fly, the mic poised for a little journey down under – luckily for fans, (we would hope), the song ended just in time and he retreated back to his place as resident drummer.
There were a couple of times when the group had to restart songs, yet somehow they made the abruptness of the situation comical: “Stop stop stop! Dude, that’s way too fast!” Before the audience could blink, Velociraptor were already halfway through the song that was out of control just moments before.
It seemed fitting then that even the lighting couldn’t take it any more and short-circuited for a while. The group continued on in the dark – a gesture symbolic of their irrevent ‘stuff that, let’s have fun’ attitude.
Rather than a customary ‘thank you’ – then silence, Velociraptor’s way of marking the end of the set was by toying with their instruments and yelling nonsensical phrases into the microphones.
The crowd watched on, a little unsure of how to react, acutely aware of how crazy these kids really are. But no matter how silly and ridiculous they may get, if they’re this much fun every time they get on stage, all we can say is ‘more please.’
