大象传媒

Lola Ray (photo: Ged Camera)

Lola Ray at the Roadhouse - 7/10

They take a sprinkling of sparkling Ramones punk type energy, wrap it around a minimalist XTC reserve and dispense the resultant shimmering goods with a gusto that's infectious.

Lola Ray (photo: Ged Camera)

Now effectively based in New York, each member has a significant amount of personal travel experiences behind them. They avoid the trap of believing that energy and perspiration are everything, so the songs are cleverly structured, sprinkled with hints of references to differing influences and often varying the pace in a successful attempt to maintain the interest of the listener.

On stage, front man and guitarist John Balicanta alternates between a combination of coiled intensity and an action similar to that viewed during an epileptic fit, leaping vigorously around the area, a stage craft acquired and honed from a healthy back catalogue of gigs. His compatriots on drums, bass and guitar provide the complementary support, even down to the loosely worn slimline ties that they all wear.

It may not have been a full house tonight, but they played in a manner to repay those who were present, and on this form, would want to see them again.