Live Review: Kurt Vile & The Violators, RVG

Buoyed by an unseasonably warm autumn day, this bustling show arrived with great anticipation and, owing to robust ticket sales, a move from the interior bar to the Rosemount’s outdoor carpark. How that was going to work was a bit of a mystery, but it didn’t take long for any doubts to be dispelled with a fairly well-functioning set-up that afforded decent views and plenty of space.

Melbourne’s RVG were a somewhat brash support but they energised the crowd with a set of tracks propelled by rollicking drums and driving guitars. Most songs from 2017’s A Quality Of Mercy were given an airing and highlighted the band’s ability to lock together and knock out brief and compelling pieces of quintessentially Australian rock. There’s something in vocalist, and namesake, Romy Vager’s voice that screams late '80s, jangly, surf-inspired music, but the stories told are a little more bruised and battered. It’s compelling viewing and even better listening, and despite the brevity of RVG’s set, there was plenty to absorb. Not even a complete loss of power just as the band was about to deliver I Used To Love You could knock them out of their stride, but it was a portent of further issues to come. 

Having last visited Perth to deliver a pair of pretty underwhelming solo shows, there was great hope that tonight’s set by Kurt Vile & The Violators would erase those rather forgettable memories. Of course, there’s also the release of last year’s brilliant Bottle It In to consider, an album that once again proved Vile has no equal when it comes to rolling, enveloping songwriting. What’s more, his band The Violators have been offering support and muscle for some time now, so there was some expectation that this show would be a vast improvement on what was last served here.

Kicking off with Loading Zones, the tightness that comes from a solid touring schedule was instantly evident and any doubts about the quality of this show were dispelled. Vile has never been much of a showman and his intricate guitar work can lend itself to slip-ups in a live setting, but tonight he was all polish and confidence, a leading hand marshalling a committed troop. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the technical facets, over which he had little control. There may not have been much evidence of his troubles in the sound the band produced but there were instances when his displeasure was clear.

With a solid catalogue from which to craft a set, Vile picked liberally with tracks like Pretty Pimpin and KV Crimes offering solid counterpoints to the softer vibes of Wild Imagination and closer Baby’s Arms. Ultimately, this fine set was, as expected, devoid of fanfare and low on bombast, but showed real heart and imagination. It was a stellar trip through a mind that might amble but is rarely without focus or fire.