In a Femme Fatale triple bill that left no stone unturned in its quest to rock the socks off of the adoring crowd at the Jade Monkey (that was turned into the Lady Luck Saloon), Adelaide Psychobilly/Punkabilly outfit The Villenettes launched their album Lady Luck on Saturday Jan 31 supported by two other equally as wild bands. Leopard print, tattoos, and Bettie Paige fringes were out in force at the launch that was definitely ladies night on stage.
Kicking off the evening were Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys (Adelaide), whose pint sized singer came in hard and fast with screeching vocals that almost tore the roof off . The almost all-girl band (albeit one male member on guitar) were tight and cranked out some vicious tunes in a razor sharp set that lived up to the band’s name.
Next group to take the stage were Melbourne gals The Reprobettes, who were a mixture of the B-52’s and The 5678’s with their gorgeous harmonies strung throughout their hard-ass setlist, taking things up a notch in terms of sheer raucousness. The inclusion of keyboards in the band’s quiver added an extra layer to the 60’s garage rock sound, and they were having a great time on stage with the help of a receptive audience, captivated by the fact that they are all very easy on the eye!
In keeping with the true theme of the night, the lovely Miss Madeleine DeVille treated the crowd to a brief Burlesque show prior to The Villenettes taking the stage. It was sassy, sexy, and completely captivating whilst being tasteful in true burlesque style.
The Villenettes came in like a stampede of thunder and gunfire creating true Punkabilly mayhem, and kicked off with an energetic set that didn’t disappoint. It was difficult to imagine that the quiet, soft spoken bass player (Kylie Porter) that I’d briefly caught up with prior to the show was now playing like a wildcat. For a band that’s only been together a few years, they reflect those great things that Adelaide music scene has always had going for it- commitment, integrity, and loyal music lovers! The Villenettes were ruthless as they thrashed, smashed, and tore up the place with their celebration of juvenile delinquency that could have raised James Dean from the dead. Having never before experienced them nor the other two fine bands, I’d certainly love to see these Hot Rod chics play again and can truly say that they are a crazy live music experience.
Recorded at Melbourne’s Head Gap Studio (Adalita, Magic Dirt, Paul Kelly, Violent Soho) with Neil Thomason and Mick Baty, Lady Luck will be released through Off The Hip Records. It follows their first release, the V for Villendetta EP, that sat at #1 on local radio station Three D for four consecutive weeks. The album captures the energy of The Villenettes’ popular live act. It features crowd favourites such as Devil’s Inside, In My Head and Set You On Fire, as well as new tracks Burn, Run For Your Life and Lady Luck’s Swinging Southern Jukebox Joint.
Reviewed by Darren Hassan
Twitter: @DazzHassan
https://www.facebook.com/thevillenettes
https://www.facebook.com/stabbithaandtheknifeywifeys
https://www.facebook.com/TheReprobettes
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