When We All Lost It, The Vasco Era brought it on back

There’s something missing from the Oz music scene. Balls. No offence to Dallas Crane, or Jet or Wolfmother or whoever, but you’re all pansies. I’m not talking about the lads themselves, just about the music. After years of touring with both local and international heavyweights, The Vasco Era have proved themselves to be regular upstagers of anyone who brings anything even slightly below their best to the table. The smooth crooning and svelte scratching of Sid’s voice is one that makes Elvis sound beautiful and John Lee Hooker sound like glass on gravel – exactly the way they’re supposed to.

The boys have been quietly gathering a following since way back in Apollo Bay circa 2003, and have just finished recording their first full length release. Which they’re quite happy with according to singer/ slide/ guitar maestro Sid; “I really am (happy with it), I love it and I wouldn't change one thing about it. Having said that I don't know if everyone else will, fingers-crossed you know.”

After their first ep release Let it Burn, they weren’t quite so pleased. Their follow up, Miles, stood through time slightly better. “I think the e.p. was ok for what we were doing at the time but I wouldn't really want people to use it as a reference for what we're doing now you know.” Although practically speaking, what they’re doing now is exactly the same as what they were doing then: touring. Endlessly. The Vasco Era have played alongside the likes of The Violent Femmes, You Am I, The Black Keys, TZU, Gomez, not to mention just about every festival on Australian soil. “The highlight would have to be the You Am I and The Drones tour wouldn't it? That tour just made us look way cooler than we actually are, due to the fact that The Drones are getting more praise than any other band around and also to the fact that You Am I are You Am I.”

Don’t let the papoose modesty fool you; these lads are serious rock stars in waiting. The lead track off the new album “When We All Lost It” is a complete corker (corker being the highest compliment any Oz journo can give). Something not lost on their label, which sprung for the trip to the US to work with legendary producer of The Black Keys, Hot Fuss and The Killers, Jeff Saltzman.

“We worked with two men, one called Jeff Saltzman and one called Brad Alphabet, they were real nice American people who helped us make a record that sounds sometimes loud and sometimes quiet you know.

I was stressing for ten-twelve hours a day and then going back to our house, which we shared with a San Franciscan family, and watching late night television, even when I was meant to be reading twenty pages of Moby Dick. Bit of a rebel you know.

We went overseas because we liked the sound of Jeff Saltzmans talkings, sounded like he wanted to make the same kind of album as us. San Francisco is a good city too, would be fun to go back and have a proper holiday there one day you know.”

Something tells me they’ll be back on tour long before they will on holidays. Having already supported local showpony’s Wolfmother and hosting a few of their own sell out shows internationally, things look ripe for the boys. Get on the wagon before it careens off the side like Fitzy’s drum kit during “Honey Bee”.

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