LIVE REVIEW: The Chevelles & The Volcanics – Perth, 28 Feb 2014

LIVE REVIEW: The Chevelles & The Volcanics – Perth, 28 Feb 2014
Friday 28 February 2014, The Rocket Room, Perth, Western Australia
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
Photography by Maree King

THE VOLCANICS took the stage with one thing in mind: rock n’ roll, baby, and that’s what they delivered, channelling their inner Stooges for this pre-tour show, rocking with measured nihilism and restrained angst through a selection that cherry picked their recent You Gotta Move On album and back catalogue.

As Johnny Phatouros commands attention from the mic, Tommy Hopkins guitar raw and relentless, we’re reminded how this band perfectly embodies the Detroit 60’s scene, as seen through modern Perth eyes. It’s a heart thumping set and they’re bound to make an impact on their upcoming tour of Spain with so many killer world class rock n’ roll tunes.

It’s no surprise that a band signed to Springsteen’s E Street Band linchpin Little Steven’s Wicked Cool record label will be awesome live, but it may shock some that these guys are from right here in our own backyard.

Mining a perfect seam of garagey powerpop with a hard rocking edge, The Chevelles have been singing about big nights out, chasing that special girl or catching the perfect wave, and rock n’ roll itself for almost 25 years and they have it nailed.

They bound energetically through the irresistible hits-that-shoulda-been C’mon Everybody, Stacey Loves Cocaine and Saragoza, before finishing with Barbarella, a crazed sci-fi rocker rant with as meaty a riff as Cheap Trick ever wrote, before CUSTOM ROYAL closed the night out with a fine set of youthully exuberant, similarly garage-ey rock n’ roll.

The Chevelles have a solid following in The States and Spain, so there’s no doubt they, too, will have a triumphant tour through South By South West festival in Texas, on to California and through Spain.

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries