October 29th, The Raveonettes at Richard's On Richards, Vancouver, Canada
Long before the first act Gliss had left the stage, you could feel the buzz in the mosh pit as the crowd at Vancouver, Canada’s Richard’s On Richards anticipated the arrival of the Danish duo the 
Raveonettes. With guitar riffs that often found their origins in sixties rhythms, backed by loud, protesting drumbeats and good vocal harmonies, the Raveonettes mixed classic rock and roll styled tunes such as “Heartbreak Stroll,” with heavy doses of garage punk (“Let’s Rave On”), to spark an already stoked crowd. The mostly university age patrons swayed their bodies, bobbed their heads and waved their hands to the music.
For the most part the crowd appeared to be made up of hardcore Raveonette fans, who cheered as the first few bars of songs they recognized would roll off Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo’s guitars. The mostly university age patrons, swayed their bodies, bobbed their heads and waved their hands to the music.
The six foot tall, blonde haired, Foo was dressed in a black skirt, cut just above her knee, matching black tee shirt and black hose, while Wagner coordinated nicely in his short-sleeved black shirt and black jeans. Their color scheme reflected a lot of the duo’s darker lyrics in the earlier days of the Raveonette’s existence. The Oct 29th gig however, was very upbeat and if their newer music is any indication, the Raveonettes may be moving more in this direction.
The opening riffs for “Love In A Trashcan,” from the CD Pretty In Black, sends up reminders of the Sufari’s, but this is not a song about beach babes and guys having fun in the sun. The song is about girl groupies looking for love with male band members, and in primary songwriter Wagner’s opinion are destined for heartbreak.
Melodically “Here Comes Mary,” sounds eerily like “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” recorded in 1958 by The Everly Brothers, who took it all the way to # 1 on numerous Billboard charts (June 2, 1958). No one who has followed the music of the Raveonettes since they first appeared on the music scene in 2002 should be surprised by these comparisons because Wagner admits to being heavily influenced by the music of Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. One of the intriguing elements of the Raveonettes’ music is the underlying beat which is often punkish, and the lyrics which are bolder and less cheery than we would have heard from Wagner’s musical heroes.
The Raveonettes also worked their magic on original tunes, "Hallucinations," "Aly Walk With Me," the beautiful, "The Christmas Song," (not the classic tune) and the incredible "Dead Sound."
Unfortunately, for the fans that came out late on a Monday night, they were denied being able to appreciate one of the best attributes that Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner possesses, that being, their tremendous two-part harmonies. On a couple of occasions, Foo apologized to the clubbers, for the badly distorted sound that marred the set from beginning to end. Knowing that Richards On Richards, has an outstanding reputation for hosting major artists, it would be surprising if the fault lay with the venue. It is far more likely that the band’s equipment or some electrical fault is to blame. Those unfortunately are sometimes the pitfalls of touring.
Reviewed By Joe Montague
Top Photo by Joe Montague ©
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Reviewed October 29, 2007
Riveting Riffs wishes to thank Live Nation for making it possible for us to review this Gig
