Velma Grove @ The Workers Club, Melbourne (08/05/2013)
You know that a band will be successful when even the most sober of crowd members are irresistibly bopping their heads to the beat. This however, was not my first indication that Velma Grove is a phenomenal band.
Besides the boisterous drunks at the head of the crowd who constantly cried out for them throughout the night, I needed only to hear the first tune of their set to realise Velma Grove were something truly special.
Their new single ‘Paper House’ was launched last Wednesday night, in prepration for their forthcoming album to be released later this year, and it spoke wonders about the kind of value it will undoubtedly have.
Usually at small time gigs, bands can tend to over do the amount of members needed on-stage but every musician that graced the wooden deck before me seemed vital to the sound. As a large seven-piece cohort, Velma Grove delivered a clear and compact rendition of some of their hits from their EP ‘Head for Heart’.
A standout performance of EP title track ‘Head for Heart’ convinced new comers to the Velma Grove bandwagon that they are no one-hit-wonders. Followed by ‘Liquor Store’ and ‘Song for Don’, the crowd built its own crescendo of excitement and enjoyment that the band so wonderfully produced.
It was entertaining and pleasant to note that the between-song-banter wasn’t forced and was actually incredibly charming. Through the night, the communication between the vocalist Maxwell Roberts and the crowd was consistent and served only to make the room fall in love with Velma Grove just that little bit more.
Certainly it helped that fairy lights donned the stage with a backdrop of a painted forest, as it felt a homely gig, a comfortable gig that allowed the crowd to let loose but be involved in the sound of the music.
When the end of the gig came about, the dulcet tune ‘Paper House’ blessed the audience and prompted the crowd’s child-like anticipation for the coming album.
The beautiful thing about Velma Grove’s music is that while it has its folk and indie elements, we are given a spicing of rock to really make you want to jump about with the band. This factor is the reason that Velma Grove will go far, they have the ability, potential and know how to make infectious tracks for the fans.
I heard the final notes being played amongst a glorious duet rock solo between Velma Grove’s two guitarists, I felt only a brief moment of sadness that it was over as I knew there was soon, more to come. I left the gig excited, and wanting more out of the brilliant and lively, Velma Grove.
Jack White
Besides the boisterous drunks at the head of the crowd who constantly cried out for them throughout the night, I needed only to hear the first tune of their set to realise Velma Grove were something truly special.
Their new single ‘Paper House’ was launched last Wednesday night, in prepration for their forthcoming album to be released later this year, and it spoke wonders about the kind of value it will undoubtedly have.
Usually at small time gigs, bands can tend to over do the amount of members needed on-stage but every musician that graced the wooden deck before me seemed vital to the sound. As a large seven-piece cohort, Velma Grove delivered a clear and compact rendition of some of their hits from their EP ‘Head for Heart’.
A standout performance of EP title track ‘Head for Heart’ convinced new comers to the Velma Grove bandwagon that they are no one-hit-wonders. Followed by ‘Liquor Store’ and ‘Song for Don’, the crowd built its own crescendo of excitement and enjoyment that the band so wonderfully produced.
It was entertaining and pleasant to note that the between-song-banter wasn’t forced and was actually incredibly charming. Through the night, the communication between the vocalist Maxwell Roberts and the crowd was consistent and served only to make the room fall in love with Velma Grove just that little bit more.
Certainly it helped that fairy lights donned the stage with a backdrop of a painted forest, as it felt a homely gig, a comfortable gig that allowed the crowd to let loose but be involved in the sound of the music.
When the end of the gig came about, the dulcet tune ‘Paper House’ blessed the audience and prompted the crowd’s child-like anticipation for the coming album.
The beautiful thing about Velma Grove’s music is that while it has its folk and indie elements, we are given a spicing of rock to really make you want to jump about with the band. This factor is the reason that Velma Grove will go far, they have the ability, potential and know how to make infectious tracks for the fans.
I heard the final notes being played amongst a glorious duet rock solo between Velma Grove’s two guitarists, I felt only a brief moment of sadness that it was over as I knew there was soon, more to come. I left the gig excited, and wanting more out of the brilliant and lively, Velma Grove.
Jack White