Live review: D-A-D with Raising Ravens and Vermantics at Manning Bar, Sydney, November 18 2022
By Paul Southwell
Disneyland After Dark, who nowadays go by the moniker of D-A-D, were last in our country on the live front back in 1990, on the back of the excellent album No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims. Music fashions and styles have come and gone since that heady era, which for a lot of bands lumped in with the hair metal scene resulted in soul searching in the musical wilderness.
Fortunately for D-A-D, their primarily Scandinavian fan-base had no such qualms about eschewing the trends of everything from grunge to shoegazing alternative music, sticking to good, old-fashioned rock music. D-A-D’s discography reflects a band that has kept moving and found ways to stay active in a competitive market. Thirty two years on, the diehards had not forgotten about Denmark’s fantastic band and arrived in droves to enjoy a variety of old and new tracks from the Binzer brothers, and the antics of bassist Stig Pedersen. How many new bands will be able pull a large crowd in thirty odd years, and on the other side of the planet?
Starting proceedings this evening, Adelaide’s Vermantics took to the stage. Opening with Mortality, it was straight ahead rock’n’roll vibe led by bassist Daniel Fedele and guitar sporting vocalist Stefan Fedele. Some tasteful bluesy guitar playing and muted rhythms from guitarist Jack Stevenson soon became expressive soloing in the outro to a cover of I Love Rock ’n’ Roll. Vermantics’ latest single Rome started with slow chords, and cymbal work from drummer Julian Perrotta, before changing to a bouncy track with a harmonised vocal chorus and plenty of high soloing notes. Their set concluded with Chained, a high guitar line against a descending rhythm figure moving deftly into arpeggiated guitar parts. As opening bands go, Vermantics were a great fit for the bill.
The next band was Raising Ravens, a fluid three-piece centred around guitarist, songwriter, and singer Jess Finlayson of Nitocris fame. Sharing Vermantics’ stage gear didn’t change their approach as the songs displayed this evening had enough grunt and a sense of melodicism to appeal to a wide audience. Kicking off their set with Careful What You Wish For, Finlayson’s distorted guitar sound and vocal delivery with strong projection, combined with bassist Tara Doyle’s backing vocals, and Gav’s drumming, provided a full sound. I Don’t Look Good on Paper offered some jangly guitar elements, before a climbing guitar solo.
A surf punk vibe was evident with In My Room, providing abrupt and sharp rhythms with the odd feedback howl. New single Vexed provided some swirling guitar over mid paced snare and cymbal work, whilste At the Mercy of the Sky saw some time signature changes and even more drumming embellishments.
Some amusing banter followed Dead Man, cracking the pearler to thank D-A-D with, ‘Thank you, Dad,’ which received the groans it deserved. To end their set, the swaggering Evil on Call delivered a great sound with a descending riff and some infectious lyrics. Raising Ravens had just the right sound and attitude to warm up the crowd, eagerly awaiting D-A-D.
Starting with the AC/DC-styled riff of True Believer, D-A-D had the necessary energy from the outset and were soon hammering through more tracks from their classic debut, including Jihad and Girl Nation. The rhythm section was powering and tight, with Stig Pederson up on the bass drum during Burning Star from A Prayer for the Loud, while Jacob Binzer’s Angus Young-style guitar solo in Jihad was introduced by Jesper with the quip, ‘It’s my brother!’
Girl Nation was a highlight early on, with Stig now sporting a Red Baron themed two-string bass, with an Iron Cross shaped body and a scale model of the famous three winged aeroplane as a headstock. The title track from A Prayer for the Loud allowed Jesper Binzer some self-deprecating humour about ageing, before the song’s finger picked swagger, and blues rock start morphed into a snappy, biting track.
The first of a few tracks from Riskin’ It All got an airing with the moody Grow or Pay, Jacob’s Fender Mustang ringing out surf guitar tones that cut through the rock mix.
After Stig took vocal duties for the speedy, rockabilly punk shuffle of Riding With Sue, a couple more No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims tracks were played, with the singalong Point of View swiftly followed by the driving hard rock of Rim of Hell. Reconstrucdead from Helpyourselfish showed the band’s heavier side, with thick distorted guitar sound enhanced by ringing harmonics.
Crowd participation was the theme during the hypnotic, bouncing rhythms of Monster Philosophy and Jesper headed out into the audience after a mock phone chat for I Want What She’s Got from Dic.Nii.Lan.Daft.Erd.Ark.
The encore kicked off with just the Binzer brothers initially returning the stage for an acoustic reading of Laugh ‘n’ a ½, cracking some more rental instrument jokes and insights such as, ‘Jet lag does not get better with age.’ It was a slightly darker, melancholy song, then the rhythm section also returned to the stage and D-A-D launched into the unquestionable show highlight Sleeping My Day Away. The slicing chords from Jesper on his Flying V, against Jacob’s Mustang tone led the crowd to sing the bulk of the first verse. Diving into the chorus, the full band sound was in force as backing vocals, muted chords and the deep resonance guitar sound started off the fantastic solo that took the audience off on a wide and varied musical adventure that included chromatics, jazzy intervals, passing notes, and different paces, all with a smooth surf guitar tone. Stig took up vocal duties for closer It’s After Dark. As D-A-D farewelled the hugely appreciative audience, amusement park music played out over the PA.
D-A-D put on one of the best live shows seen at Manning Bar in many years, or at any venue for that matter. Hopefully we won’t have to wait decades to see them visit our shores again. D-A-D played the show of the year, by a country mile.
