The Vasco Era - about

Biography Part 1

There is a small town in the Australian State of Victoria called Apollo Bay. It is on the ocean, and is warm in summer, and terribly cold in winter. In this town grew up three boys. Two were brothers. One ended up like a brother. During their school years, the older of the brothers and the like-a-brother were in a band together. They played a few shows, then the band finished. Then, the younger brother and the older brother played in a different band. Then that band finished. By this time the older brother and the like-a-brother were out of school, the older brother away at university in ballarat, the like-a-brother doing the same in melbourne. But they always came back to Apollo Bay. Here the three of them started mucking around, playing in another band. They rehearsed and finally got a gig. They needed a name, so the younger brother and other school friends (who were meant to be doing school work) came up with The Vasco Era, partly from a cartoon in a newspaper.

They moved to Melbourne, played shows, met a man who ran a festival and helped them, then signed to a very nice label, who sent them to foggy old London Town and to the Big Apple and to La La Land to play shows. They were joined on this trip by their new american friends who were helping the man who ran a festival and the brother's dad at running the show away from australia. They were also joined by their friend who was in one of the other bands, the brother's mum and auntie and lots and lots of friends from Apollo Bay (Its seems all Apollo Bay people moved to either Melbourne or Foggy old London Town). They returned to the US of A about a month later, to record the long awaited album with a big, but nice producer, Jeff. They did this in San Francisco with some nice Americans who taught them all about america. In return, they taught the nice americans how to say g'day mate properly.

The Album will be out on May 5th, and they are excited to release it then make lots and lots of new friends.

Biography Part 2

Michael Fitzgerald (drums) and brothers Sid O'Neil (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Ted O'Neil (bass, backing vocals) were still in their teens when they formed The Vasco Era in the (otherwise) quiet coastal town of Apollo Bay. The trio felt an instant musical and live chemistry spurring exciting local performances that were soon packed houses with the crowd feeling the dynamic intensity of their live shows. From these humble beginnings, the band have gone on to much bigger things, most recently culminating in large outdoor performances at The Falls Festival, Southbound, East and West Coast Blues & Roots Festivals, Apollo Bay Music Festival and The Great Escape. In addition to the ever growing list of festivals, the band has an impressive resume of supports, having toured with The Black Keys, Gomez, The Violent Femmes, You Am I, and even opening for Wolfmother in London last year. The Vasco Era have toured extensively throughout Australia on their own as well and last year won fans further afield with shows in LA, New York and London.

May 5th will see the release of their debut album, "Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside". The album was recorded last year in San Francisco with renowned producer Jeff Saltzman (The Killers "Hot Fuss") and the first two singles, "When It First Showed Up" and "When We All Lost It" are currently being featured on radio and up on www.myspace.com/thevascoera.

Live Reviews:

"The pure unadulterated joy inherent in Vasco Era stems from the sweetly frenetic stomping blues-rock howl of pure pent up malevolent passion...complete and utter brilliance. They are, in one word, perfection." Beat Magazine, Melbourne (J Clements)

"Blazing onto the scene in the wake of Wolfmother and the John Butler Trio, they solidify Oz as the home of blues rock updated. Their set was a glory of no-holds barred thunder from down under. Rarely do I see a band throw themselves so wholly into a set…" American Chronicle, Los Angeles, USA (J Caldwell)

"... their surprisingly fresh take on the quiet/loud dynamic will both make you weep then build into a guitar thrash dervish that will strip the paint off the walls in any club they get a chance to play in … look out for a debut album in 2007 which, if it can successfully capture the live shows, will be a proper hot piece of plastic." UP Music Magazine

"The Vasco Era have … built together a very tight set, switching effortlessly from delta blues-esque grooves to explosive balls-out rock in a matter of seconds … the percussion jams, the guitar solos all fit naturally" www.soulshine.com (S Jones)

Management:

Australia
Simon Daly / Heidi Braithwaite
Ashlorien Management P/L
T: +61 3 52892944
M: +61 411093561
E: thevascoera@ashlorien.com

USA & UK
Catherine Enny / John O'Malley
Guerrilla Management
T: +1 415 865 2170
F: +1 415 865 2180
E: TheVascoEra@GuerrillaMgmt.com