news
Sydney Show
June 9, 2009
The Vasco Era will be helping the Annandale Hotel celebrate its birthday on Saturday 4 July. To buy tickets head over to http://www.annandalehotel.com/
Limited Edition Live Vinyl
March 17, 2008
Live from The Annandale Hotel, Sydney Australia
For more details click on the image below
Inpress Review!
October 17, 2007
THE VASCO ERA, THE FUMES, SKYBOMBERS CORNER HOTEL
Leaning against the bar in the Corner band room during The Vasco Era's sound-check, one of only about ten people dotted around the otherwise empty room, is something different to be sure. Those who have seen the band live before will know the power and volume this trio of young guns can muster, and without the clutter of bodies crowding the entire room, that power and volume is magnified a hundred fold. I can feel the bar itself vibrating under the bass, Sid O'Neil's anguished howl rattles glasses, and if this went on for any longer, there'd be shattering bottles all over the place… it certainly bodes well for the night ahead.
A few hours later, the room is indeed fuller, albeit not as much as it'll become, and the Skybombers are showcasing their rock sounds to an early crowd. The first thing I notice is I've heard this before, other's do it far better, and I'm sick of it. Sure, they're tight, but goddamn, must every VCA music student think they can start a rock band that will be bigger than Jet? Who the fuck cares? I love the music, but the first time round was better… you know, when the Stones did it? Damn. And give your girlfriends their jeans back.
Next up are Sydney's The Fumes, and where the Skybombers fall well short of replicating a tried and true sound, The Fumes totally add to it and then some. The first half of their set is a little lacklustre, but around five or six songs in, the tub-thumping of Joel Battersby and the well honed, muddy sludge of Steve Merry's guitar hit their mesh and it's awn. It's like they started in blues rock mode, but here they begin to hit the blues part harder, and the undeniable groove of a music from a bygone age intertwines itself through a more contemporary form as The Fumes rattle and hum, thump and charge through their set, and by the end there's not a dry pair of pants in the house. Nice.
By the time the Vasco hit the stage, it's a comfortably full room and everyone is feeling the vibe to be sure, which is just as well seeing as the soundcheck ends up having nothing on the main event. I've seen these cats many times and to an extent there's not much new going on, but just due to their raw power, they get you every time. They cover pretty much every track from their record, recently nominated for a J Award, plus a few golden 'oldies', and judging by the reaction they get, they're not losing any fans. In fact, a quick scan around the room reveals they're actually picking up some new ones (read: not everyone looks like they're from Apollo Bay).
There are some odd additions to the set, such as the extra guitarist who's far too serious looking and really doesn't add much in the way of music, plus an older fellow who busts out on the flute, which would have been good had he been holding the right end up to the mic. All in all, the word ‘power’ hardly does Vasco justice, but suffice to say, they're getting harder and rawer with every show, and are more than deserving of the ovation they receive come the end. Another tick in the box for The Vasco Era.
- Sam Fell
The Vasco Era & The Fumes
August 11, 2007
The Vasco Era & The Fumes
We’re not going to bullshit you. No flowery adjectives or gushing praise, just the simple truth: The Vasco Era and The Fumes are killer live bands. Just ask anyone who’s seen them. They own. Pure and simple.
Want proof? OK, then here’s what people who weren’t paid to write this press release have already said about The Vasco Era:
"Up there with Bleach and Ten for amazing first efforts…commands attention." EG
"A live show that knows no equal" fasterlouder.com
"One of the top gigs of the year!" Inpress
"One of the single most fiery collections of tunes in Australia" Beat
People just don’t write this stuff unless it is true. So you’d have to imagine that if you get the chance to see these guys live you’re not going to be disappointed.
Well you do have a chance, when they hit the road again this September!
Celebrating the release of their latest single When We Lost Faith In Everyone (Especially Middle Aged People) from their J Award nominated album Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside, The Vasco Era team up with Sydney 2 piece blues rock explosion The Fumes for a 25 date national tour.
www.thevascoera.com www.thefumes.com.au
Saturday 15 September Barwon Heads Hotel*
Thursday 20 September Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Friday 21 September Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Saturday 22 September Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday 27 September Golden Vine, Bendigo
Friday 28 September Peninsula Lounge
Thursday 4 October The Loft, Warnambool
Friday 5 October Jive Bar, Adelaide
Saturday 6 October Jive Bar, Adelaide
Friday 19 October James Hotel, Launceston
Saturday 20 October Republic Bar, Hobart
Sunday 21 October Republic Bar, Hobart
Thursday 25 October ANU Bar, Canberra
Friday 26 October Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Saturday 27 October Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Thursday 1 November Amplifier, Perth
Friday 2 November Amplifier, Perth
Saturday 3 November Prince Of Wales Hotel, Bunbury
Thursday 8 November Sound Lounge, Currumbin
Friday 9 November Zoo, Brisbane
Saturday 10 November Sands Tavern, Maroochydore
Thursday 15 November Bizzos, Caringbah
Friday 16 November Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Saturday 17 November Waves, Wollongong
*The Fumes not appearing
For ticketing info contact: www.oztix.com.au
For The Vasco Era media and management enquiries please contact:
Heidi Braithwaite
thevascoera@asholrien.com
ALBUM REVIEW, BEAT MAGAZINE
July 18, 2007
Publication: Beat Magazine
Author: Jaymz Clements
Date 11 July 2007
At certain moments in life it's inevitable that one will be overtaken by feelings of such extreme elation that the only way to navigate these perilous highs is to act out by hitting something, anything, and perhaps throwing ones self about in an approximation of a fit. This can also be brought about and achieved by listening to The Vasco Era, three dapper gents from Apollo Bay who also happen to possess one of the single most fiery collections of tunes in Australia.
For a debut album, Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside is a remarkably accomplished beast – and a beast it certainly is. From the unwieldy album title to the almost absurd song names (When Am I Going To Get Those Pants I Really Want… the song titles are awesome though. I’m just being facetious) to the gargantuan groove and punch it contains across its ten tracks, this is a record that will maul the senses into feeling EXACTLY as hurt as singer Sid O’Neil, as well as lifting you up into the glorious realm of unadulterated rawk.
For a band who were primarily a loud rootsy-folk band, Oh We Do… is one hell of a rock record, bursting out of the blocks as it does with When It First Showed Up and When We All Lost It. It’s neo-blooz-grunge flavoured raucousness – a rolling thunder of bass and monstrous drumming courtesy of Ted O’Neil and Michael Fitzgerald – and Sid’s ragged voice (so much more than on, say, previous singles Let It Burn or Kingswood) always pushed to the edge underpinning the insane slide chops (and normal geetar for that matter) he also possesses. This is perfectly nailed on When You Want, When We Forgot to Ask Ourselves Why It Came and When We Lost Faith In Everyone Especially Middle Aged People.
What stands out most though – apart from the raw punky energy and how fucking awesomely loud this puppy is – happens to be the way Sid makes you feel a part of a story. It’s not a concept album, but it does play out like a tale of heart break, woe, isolation and eventual redemption (perhaps). This is none more evident than on the record’s slower moments the punctuate the blues-rawk Zeppelin-isms of cuts such as When We Were Getting’ to Forgiving You – seriously one of the best moments in music this year. The gravitas attached to When We Tried To Get You To Settle Down and When We Tried To Party to Forget About It and When The Good Times Were Coming. They’re gentle, lilting moments that showcase a melancholia and wistfulness that is so heartbreakingly lovely, you won’t escape it easily.
Regardless, when an album has a blues-epic as good as Honey Bee (When It Was Making Weird Love Songs and yes, all the songs start with When – thus the case for ‘concept’ branding) and finishes so magnificently with Good Times, it’s easy to not worry about the justification for emotions. Indeed, fuck emotions. They’re for pussies and guys who think toting a goatee makes women go all gooey between the knees. No, emotions can fuck off, all we need is The Vasco Era and letting the music do all the yelling. Roots-metal: the new fucking black. The Vasco Era: your new favourite band.
Nominated for a 2007 J Award!
July 9, 2007
Albums from Australia’s rock royalty SILVERCHAIR and new kids on the block THE VASCO ERA join the nominees for the 2007 J Award - triple j’s prize for the Australian Album of the Year.
Five albums in, and SILVERCHAIR are well and truly embedded in Australia’s rock ‘n roll landscape. They’ve come a long way since triple j first played their music way back in 1994, and the release of Young Modern shows that it’s no fluke as they continue to push boundaries while writing some damn fine rock songs.
Daniel Johns said ‘There's no radio station in the world like triple j. They have a totally artistic focus that shapes the musical taste of our whole country. For them to single out Young Modern in this way therefore really means a lot to Ben and Chris and I. It's the kind of respect that's very hard to earn so we feel honoured and we don't take it lightly.’
THE VASCO ERA’s debut, Oh We Do Like to Live Beside The Seaside, is a heady mix of delta blues and stomping rock ‘n roll. The raw energy, howling vocals and faultless production on this concept album about growing up in Apollo Bay mark an impressive arrival for the Victorian trio.
"That's the best news ever!’ said The Vasco Era upon hearing the news of their nomination, ‘We didn't think an album like this would be played that much on the radio – triple j have been unbelievable so far supporting it but we really weren't expecting this, it's a big surprise and really great. Thank you very much'.
SILVERCHAIR and THE VASCO ERA join THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO (Grand National) and JOSH PYKE (Memories & Dust) as contenders for the winners of the 2007 J Award. There’s a stack of new Aussie albums set to hit the triple j airwaves in the coming months so stay tuned for more nominations for the J Award – triple j’s Australian Album of the Year.
The Corner Hotel Review
July 8, 2007
THE VASCO ERA CORNER HOTEL
Author: Kristen Eckhardt
Publication: Inpress Magazine
Issue: 974, Wed 27 June 2007
The Vasco Era’s debut, Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside is supposedly a concept album based on incidences the band have encountered in their hometown of Apollo Bay. Tonight’s punters, here for the album launch, certainly have something of the coast about the – young, tanned, beanie-wearing, boozed to the eyeballs and ready to rock the fuck out.
The beautiful man/child that is Sid O’Neil opens the set solo. Sporting a quaff, mutton-chops and natty suit jacket, his bluesy old man look seems incongruous to his fresh young face. But then he starts to sing and his raspy croon sounds like it belongs to a wise man 20 years his senior. His seemingly whisky soaked voice is both heartfelt and raw. Tonight’s crowd, however, aren’t here for melancholy; they know it’s only a matter of time before O’Neil’s croon becomes a growl and then the fun really begins.
And so it begins with When We Forgot To Ask Ourselves Why It Ever Came. Goodbye sensitive and emotional vocals, hello chunky guitar riffs, unrelenting drumming and snarling, infectious enthusiasm. Despite deriving their sound from the blues tradition, these guys perform with a punk rock sensibility. Their pure energy is captivating to watch. Michael Fitzgerald bangs on his kit like a man possessed – all wild eyes and gnashing teeth. Before long, the boozed up boys at the front of the stage are so pumped they start up some old school crowd surfing. O’Neil smiles wryly when one fan makes it on stage for a half hearted stage dive.
It’s time to slow things down with When We Tried To Party To Forget About It. This is O’Neil solo again and despite singing about getting too drunk and almost taking to that girl from The OC, his voice shows some real tenderness. Annoyingly the crowd surfers aren’t in any mood to settle down and this respite from rocking out is met with intrusive chatter.
This small glitch in crowd etiquette can be overlooked once the thumping rhythm of When You Went works the punters into a hero-worshipping frenzy. “We just feel lucky to have so many people here because we’re only little kids” says O’Neil to the adoring fans. Kids they might be, but this only makes their talent more astounding. O’Neil is especially charismatic throughout the whole set, switching effortlessly from playing a mean guitar to rapidly attacking a set of snare drums at the front of stage.
The fantastic, almost epic Honey Bee finishes the set and by this time O’Neil is jacketless, Ted O’Neil is down to a wife-beater singlet and Michael Fitzgerald is viscously expelling the last of his energy into his kit. It doesn’t matter that there’s no encore because the rock’n’roll that’s been packed into the last 50 minutes already has the punters calling this one of the top gigs of the year.
ALBUM REVIEW, THE AGE ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE
June 8, 2007
Oh We Do Like To Be beside the Seaside
The Vasco Era (Universal) 4/5
Confronting, demanding, insistent, in your face, this is not the kind of record you'd put on in the background for mates coming over for Scrabble and a few bevvies. The long-player debut from this Apollo Bay trio is up there with Bleach and Ten for amazing first efforts, and commands attention. The rhythm section of Michael Fitzgerald on drums and Ted O'Neil on bass is by turns bombastic and bludgeoning and also wonderfully creative and propulsive. Brother Sid O'Neil on guitar punches and snarls, rarely but effectively venturing out of the heavy groove for an exclamatory lead break. Production is flawless, heavy without being ponderous, dense on the bottom but with enough room on top for Sid's words to resonate. There are 10 song titles, all starting with the word "When", but really it's just one monstrous howl of rage and pain, sorrow and bitter irony. Even on the two slower numbers, Sid's singing is fraught with intense emotion, vocal cords scraped raw as he spits out the deeply personal story of loss and betrayal. And even though it ends on a happy note, this powerful, passionate work can be hard going.
Tour Supports Announced
May 18, 2007
We'll be in good company yet again on this national tour with the Whiskey Go Gos travelling with us around the country and now the following special guests also added to the line ups:
Wednesday 30 May
Sodens, Albury
with The Roys
Thursday 31 May
ANU Bar, Canberra
with Roger Explosion
Friday 1 June
Annandale Hotel, Sydney
with Roger Explosion
Saturday 2 June
Northern Star Hotel, Newcastle
Sunday 3 June
Oxford Tavern, Wollongong
with Roger Explosion
Thursday 7 June
Dunsborough Tavern
with The Novocaines
Friday 8 June
Amplifier Bar, Perth
with The Novocaines
Saturday 9 June
Prince Of Wales, Bunbury
with The Novocaines
Sunday 10 June
Newport Hotel, Freemantle
with The Novocaines
Thursday 14 June
Sound Lounge, Currumbin
with Violent Soho
Friday 15 June
Sol Bar, Coolum
with Violent Soho
Saturday 16 June
The Zoo, Brisbane
with Violent Soho
Sunday 17 June
Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
Tuesday 19 June
Yahoo Bar, Shepparton
Wednesday 20 June
Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc
with The Lost Note Foundation
Thursday 21 June
Karova Lounge, Ballarat
with Little Red
Friday 22 June
Corner Hotel, Melbourne
with Little Red
Saturday 23 June
Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
with Battery Kids
Wednesday 27 June
Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo
with Little Red
Thursday 28 June
Barwon Club, Geelong
with Little Red
Friday 29 June
Republic Bar, Hobart
with Sojourn
Saturday 30 June
Republic Bar, Hobart
with The Reactions
Sunday 1 July June
James Hotel, Launceston
with Red Rival
Wednesday 4 June
The Loft, Warnambool
Tickets are available from www.oztix.com.au and for more details, head to our Tours page on this site or to www.myspace.com/thevascoera
Get the album!
Order your copy of 'Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside' here.