At The Louisiana
Valeras arrived at The Louisiana off the back of a breakthrough year that has seen them catch the eye of the BBC, Spotify and become regulars on the European festival circuit.
So a lot of hype to live up to…..
First up however were Dorking rock gods, Vinyl Staircase.
Meandering to the stage through a sizeable crowd, the four piece hit the ground running and didn’t look back as they delivered a blistering up tempo set.
Visually three of the four bring a retro 60s style of flamboyant shirts with a Rolling Stones edge. Only Bassist George Ogle, resists the urge. Instead opting for a baseball cap and set of dungarees.
I did initially wonder if George had forgotten his stage ensemble, but a quick flash through the bands social media channels revealed this to be the normal set up.
The set however was anything but normal. Solid Rock n Roll for the modern era. All delivered by a frontman in Mike Thorpe that has moves like Jagger without the irritating voice over from Adam Levine.
9 songs performed with energy, sass and just the right amount of arrogance that is required by all good rock and roll bands.
The sound a heady mix of Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Horrors. Which when combined with the previously mentioned style and stage presence makes for a solid band and a entertaining set.
OK people…. The hype is real, Valeras are a name you need to remember because these four could go all the way.
In Rose Yagmur they have a dynamic front woman who’s talent for delivering show defining charisma on stage is equally matched by her ability to pen insanely catchy rock melodies.
In George Parnell, they have a gifted writer, who has a natural ability to transform scribbled notes into fully fledged riffs, served up via his lead guitar.
Katie King provides a natural flair on guitar that appears effortless. Allowing her time too interact with Rose and confirm a stage presence of a very tight band. A demur, innocence and sense of fun exudes from Katie that give the whole band a really grounded edge.
And in Max Sealy they have one of the most expressive and talented young drummers that I have seen grace the stage at the Louisiana.
Together the band bring such a diverse range of musical tenancies to the table that they will never be pigeonholed or lacking in creative flow.
A Valeras show is high impact rock laced with edgy emo, latin beats and soulful RnB roots.
Quite how the band manage to blend so many different styles so successfully is a testament to their undoubted talent.
They have the stage presence. They have musicianship. They have the likeability and they have the songs that are so catchy you find yourself unknowingly whistling them on your lunch break the next day.
I defy ANYONE to listen to the likes of Painkiller, Playing with a Gun, Ricochet or Intentions and not to be humming them days later.
The set itself would see the band deliver 10 top drawer performances. To a crowd that Rose, acknowledged with a cheeky grin, knew she had eating out of the palm of her hand.
Valeras have such a strong back catalog of singles that I find myself desperately making playlists to make up for the lack of full album. This just ensures that when the debut album does drop (and they say it’s in the offing) it will be hotly anticipated.
Set List
- For us
- Playing with a Gun
- Crashing
- Painkiller
- Play Pretend
- Hear Me Out
- Show Me Love
- Intentions
- Honey
- Louder
Listen to what the guys had to say in their exclusive interview with us.