Wednesday 26/07/06 The Veils @ Barfly, London

‘The Runaway Found‘ turned out to be a fitting title for The Veils debut album, first released nearly three years ago. Emerging from their self imposed absence like a child hiding out from their parents in a field only to return home when the light fades and they started to get hungry, The Veils are back. Often compared to and heavily influenced by Jeff Buckley, lead singer Finn Andrews has returned from his native New Zealand with compatriots Sophia Burns and Liam Gerrard replacing the original members.

Gigwise is in attendance at this show driven by the fact that ‘The Leavers Dance’ was the first song this writer could pick on our acoustic and that ‘The Runaway Found’ is classed in our top five albums to put on to ease into a peaceful sleep; along with Turin Brakes' 'Ether Song' and Morcheeba's 'Charango'. Having just returned from an extremely overindulgent Benicassim Festival the day before, we were worried that we would be sliding down the walls of Barfly and snoozing away on its sticky floors.

We need not have worried about nodding off though as a largely Antipodean crowd boisterously embraced the new dark, distorted sound of their new album 'Nux Vomica' due for release in September. If you are thinking of going to see this band for a nice easy listen, based on their debut, then think again. It is passionate, rugged material that doesn’t sit too comfortably and requires perseverance to make it to the end.

Exemplifying the new sound is ‘Jesus For The Jugular’ with its long twisting intro and angry snarling lyrics, it is a song that contrasts everything that has gone before it. The title track to the new album further questions all that once was, building up to an unbearable crescendo before awkward silences. For us it came as welcome relief to hear the tranquil calm of ‘Guiding Light’ and ‘The Valleys of New Orleans’; songs that had drawn the crowd here in the first place.

The biggest problem with The Veils is that they had their niche and now they are trying to develop into an area totally new, as many have done before them. Obviously they retain a similar sound through Finn Andrew’s distinctive voice but they risk alienating their old fans; though this may result in attracting a whole lot more. However Gigwise couldn’t help feel that they could find many better examples of this sound without travelling further than a three mile radius of Camden.

It is well worth mentioning both support acts but for very different reasons. Belgian electro outfit, Goose, absolutely rock the place out and will be ones to keep an eye on especially considering they have just scored the theme to Heineken’s Champions League advertising campaign. Joana And the Wolf on the other hand have a decent pedigree such as supporting James Dean Bradfield and sound pretty good on demos. In reality Joana comes across as Kate Bush crossed with Marla Singer from Fight Club on a hell bent mission to make our ears die. Is this harshness brought on by lack of sleep, sun burn and the heatwave? Probably. But **** it. It’s true.