Nice seeing a nearly packed club on an otherwise dull Monday night. Gravy Train were headlining this concert, however most people were there to see The Vanishing, who are on tour in support of their record "Songs for Psychotic Children". The group features Brian Hock on drums/synth, Billy on synths and Jessie Eva on sax, vocals, and bass.
Lucky for those with daytime jobs, The Vanishing started playing around 11 o'clock. Brian & Billy began with a percussive intro which refused to adhere to standard time signature. The drums were played with mallets, and the synths (one each for bass and lead) were heavily distorted and clearly defined.
Jessie hopped onstage after several minutes and the band immediately fell into a rhythmic groove with driving synthbass and quirky sax fills. I couldn't understand a single word Jessie sung, which reminded me of Liz Fraser's approach with the Cocteau Twins. I also couldn't help comparing Jessie to former Fetchin Bones/Pigface/Second Skin singer Hope Nichols, in terms of her bouncy, hyperactive stage persona. Her vocals were heavily effected, which lent to The Vanishing's moody, synthpunk sound.
Billy seemed unattached, distant and almost out of place behind his Moog/Yamaha DX-1 keyboard ensemble. His bass lines were mistake free and steady. I found it refreshing to see someone actually *play* their keyboard instead of using sequenced lines. Brian's drumming didn't overly impress me but he kept a steady rhythm and played solidly - and that's exactly what any good drummer should be able to do. Jessie made frequent trips into the center of the crowded hall, dancing with fans & occassionally dousing water over our heads.
The audience was an interesting mix of indie, urban, goth and many others who defy labels. Everyone seemed to sway and dance along to the band's addictive beats.
The Vanishing blended together a rather short set of eight songs, including a single encore number. I'd liked if they played a little longer but I thoroughlly enjoyed what was offered. This will probably be the last time the band will tour the states for a long time to come, since they are packing their bags and moving to Europe soon.
Read more about The Vanishing here:
http://thevanishing.comhttp://deathrock.com/coverfeature/index02.shtml (Interview with the band from earlier this year)
The Vanishing play again, tonight, in Athens, at the Caledonia (lower side of Clayton Street, behind the 40-Watt...
http://caledonialounge.com ). Local synthpunk group S.I.D.S. opens.
