Many bands today place an uncompromising emphasis on developing and ‘maturing’ their sound. Their goal is to ensure each album they release is as musically diverse from its predecessor as possible. The Vines do not abide by such a philosophy. Since the release of Highly Evolved nearly a decade ago, they’ve hardly tinkered with their riff-driven, ‘splash n dash’ brand of rock and roll. Well, if it ain’t broke…
Tonight’s show at Melbourne’s Hi-Fi bar sees The Vines ably supported by two of Australia’s most promising indie-rock outfits, Bleeding Knees Club and Papa Vs Pretty. Taking to stage in front of a hearty early crowd, Bleeding Knees Club roll out a snarling set that is capped off by single ‘Bad Guys’. Similarly, Papa Vs Pretty is a three-piece that looks at ease in the spotlight. At just twenty, frontman Thomas Rawle is an exceptional shredder who will continue to strengthen as a songwriter.
The Vines arrive fashionably late with Craig Nicholls sporting his trademark ‘There’s Something About Mary’ gel look. For all their past dramas and publicised spats, the band looks settled. More importantly, Nicholls seems to be enjoying himself more than ever. Either that or the dozen Carlsbergs he had before the show are starting to hit home.
The band kicks off with a smattering of tracks off their latest album, Future Primitive, as well as choice cuts from their back catalogue. As most of the material from their discography is interchangeable, new songs like ‘Future Primitive’ and ‘Gimmie Love’ slip comfortably alongside crowd favourites ‘Highly Evolved’ and the ramshackling ‘Outtathaway’. Surprisingly, the standard ‘Get Free’ moment occurs halfway through proceedings. Despite it being the thousandth time played live, the band injects plenty of energy, even incorporating a callback to the audience towards its climax.
After such a sizzling start the second half of the show lags at times, especially when Nicholls lingers off the beaten path with an extended version of ‘1969’. Fortunately things revert to two-and-a-half minute normality with ‘Ride’ and a deafening rendition of ‘He’s A Rocker’ during the encore.
As with their albums, The Vines’ live show doesn’t pull any surprises. One could claim that their gigs are simply a rehash of their greatest hits with the occasional b-side. Still, for a band that has banked most of its career on predictability, it is difficult to argue against the effectiveness of such an approach.
-Paul Bonadio
