The Veils

Andy J Ryan Mar 26, 2023

The Veils - Gaelic Theatre, 9 January 2007
The Veils have a rather tumultuous past and a wistfully sorrowful set-list to match.†

The Veils are for those who like their musical entertainment to match their mournful mood. This band has been known to draw a tear or two from the eyes of unwitting audience members, such is the emotional impact of their lonesome rock sounds.
By the time The Veils frontman Finn Andrews was 16, he had already outgrown the Auckland music scene and moved to London. By 19, he and The Veils had created and released a stunning debut album, Runaway Found. After a few bumps on the record deal and band-member road, The Veils returned with a vengeance in 2006 with follow-up album Nux Vomica. On January 9 '07, their international tour bus made a stop at Sydney's Gaelic Theatre.
Rather than feeling drawn out, the three - yes, three - supports slots became more of a mini-showcase for a couple of great local bands and frontmen-dabbling-in-solo-performances, such as Bells Will Ring, Whitley and Dave Renick.
The fact that The Veils did not take to the stage until well after 10.30 was quickly forgotten by most members of the audience as soon as they picked up their instruments. Andrews's moody voice enthralled all present, kicking off the show with the title track from Nux Vomica. For those not familiar with the sounds of The Veils, imagine the musical love-child of Nick Cave and your favourite countrified-rock band, born of an intense affair that began in the dark alley behind a smoky bar.
The track selection continued to strongly represent Vomica, with older material from Runaway Found barely getting a look-in - apart from a jaunty throw-away version of their breakthrough single 'The Tide that Left and Never Came Back'. It remains to be seen whether this was a result of Andrews not liking to play material written with the old Veils (the original line-up disbanded two months after the release of Runaway Found) or whether it came from a desire to keep the set-list fresh. Whatever the reason, after 'Calliope', 'Jesus for the Jugular', 'Nux Vomica' and friends had all been belted out, it began to feel a little like a living-room listening session than a live show.
The autocratic nature of the band meant that, for the most part, the show sat squarely on Andrews' shoulders. The band performed their parts exceedingly competently, but often without that tightness of a band in full flight. They all appeared to be taking their cue from Andrews, without adding their own passion.

It can almost be said that Andrews has written songs that are simply too good to be effectively re-produced live. The audience left with the feeling that they had heard some outstanding songs but had only seen an adequately good performance of them.