The Raveonettes @ The Hare & Hounds, Birmingham – 17th December 2009
The Raveonettes have a wonderful range of beautiful songs, from the soft and gentle The Last Dance filled with a sweet sadness to Black/White Sound which echoes the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s crescendoing power and The Kills pounding beats with cool, understated male/female vocals all brought together with an underlying flow of pulsating sexual psychedelics.
This power and presence was immediate in their opening track and continued to impress throughout the night. Their songs ebbed and flowed between these heavy beats and ethereal, enchanting melodies.
My only problem with the night was the sheer noise coming from the band seemed to overpower their own vocals. I guess this is all part of the live experience but it seemed a shame to lose the beauty and strength of the words and the vocal dynamics of Sharin and Sune.
Maybe its just me but there’s something about Scandinavian bands that seem to have a real understanding of the poetry of music but also have a great honesty and edge. The Raveonettes really connect with the music, you can feel it in their songs and their performance. I’d love to see them on a larger stage where their power might not be so contained and distorted but for now I will take with me the spirit of the band, ‘rave on’ and hope one day they do make it to the main stage where they belong.
Review & photos: Christine Tellier