Thursday 14/07/05 The Raveonettes @ Cardiff Barfly

The Raveonettes duo, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, are screaming to get off the tour bus. Firmly in the grip of cabin fever and incessantly touring since February, playing live is their only escape from cramped vans and dingy dressing rooms. Their already formidable live sound – think The Velvet Underground mixed with hefty doses of Sonic Youth-style white noise – is now complemented by a three piece band.  Sharin Foo looks increasingly like not even the sweatiest of low-ceilinged indie clubs (of which Cardiff Barfly unquestionably is) could melt her impossibly cool demeanour.

But despite the imminent release of new long-player, ‘Pretty In Black’, tonight’s set-list firmly favours old school favourites from ‘Chain Gang Of Love and debut ‘Whip It On’. Unsurprising, perhaps, for a band that largely seems to think the history of rock music ended in 1968. A thunderous drum intro accompanies set opener ‘Heartbreak Stroll’ and the by now familiar fuzz guitars create near note-perfect renditions of some of their most inspired numbers. The tales of hookers in the street and girls of ill-repute, which are the subject of many of Sune’s songs, sound even more invigorating in a live setting.

Early on Sune claims the band played “their best gig ever” in London the last night and if there’s any anxiety about tonight’s performance it doesn’t show. An already confident live proposition – honed from countless performances – they race through ‘Let’s Rave On’, ‘Untamed Girls’ and celestial highlight off the new album, ‘Sleepwalking’. The latter sees Sune and Sharin sharing vocal duties and is warmly greeted like an old friend by the audience. An encouraging sign that Pretty In Black will see The Raveonettes gain new fans this time around. They’re undoubtedly at their best though when they don’t overcomplicate things. ‘Little Animal’ for example with lines like “My girl is a little animal, she always wants to ****,” is, as rock lyrics go, as direct as possible. Lucky Sune. Mid show trio ‘That Great Love Sound’, ‘Noisy Summer’ and ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’ are winsome in their ability to sound childlike while still creating a pleasing din in the process.

‘Ode To LA’ and current single, ‘Love In A Trashcan’ – which is, “about girls who fall in love with guys in bands, something I know a lot about” Sharin explains coyly, round off the set. The Raveonettes don’t do five-minute songs, and they’re off stage –there’s no encore – before there’s even time to ask. Closer ‘Twilight’, is the exception to their five-minute rule. They stretch out its air-raid siren synth line until it sounds like an elongated version of Blur’s ‘Girls & Boys’.  With in-between song banter kept to a minimum throughout, there’s only a shy wave to the crowd and they’re gone. All is forgiven, they had us at first glance.