IF EVER a venue suited a band, this is the one; the cavey depths of Edinburgh's sweaty Cabaret Voltaire suited Australian act The Panics down to the ground. However, they are not the usual brand of indie rock to which the venue is accustomed.
Led
by Jae Laffer, the ARIA award-winning fivesome from Perth worked effortlessly through three songs before taking a breath to talk to the packed crowd, but their fans certainly did not mind; everyone in the room was there for the music – the band just as much as those in the audience.
In opening their set, the playlist included material from their newly released album Cruel Guards, with songs such as Creek, Don't Fight It and a song that is not only the title track of the release but also the best on the album.
During that title track, Cruel Guards became something of a quiet singalong with the audience, which, even to this day, is quite strange for Laffer particularly since he describes it as being "the darkest song on the record", it having been written because of – and with the help of – panic attacks suffered by the talented musician throughout the production of the record.
Talking of talent, it's something the whole band oozes, but that compliment goes out to both Laffer and his fellow guitarist, vocalist and keyboard player Jules Douglas especially. Gone are the times, it seems, that each person in the band had their own instrument to play and that was that; each song was piano-driven, with finger-splitting chords on the white keys, but that task was shared by both men when the other was busy playing their other instrument and – remarkably – at times, Douglas would sit at the keyboard to play as well as still wearing his guitar to fill in the spaces between the aforementioned keyboard playing.
As the night went on, The Panics treated their long-time fans to older material from previous releases A House On A Street In A Town I'm From and the second LittleBIGMAN Records release Sleeps Like A Curse. Their awards and nominations as unquestionable after hearing and – most importantly – seeing this band live; with awards such as most popular band and best adult contemporary album alongside nominations for most popular album and best breakthrough artist, it's a wonder that The Panics are not bigger and better appreciated than they are.
It is hard to draw comparisons between The Panics and other bands – especially those also hailing from Australia – but listening intently, slight sounds reminiscent of the Grammy Award-nominated four-piece The Fray edge through between the piano and guitar medleys. Sure, both acts create amazingly chilled out and mellow piano rock hits, but The Panics hold a rawness over their fellow musicians – a special something that is very hard to put your finger on, but something you don't want to think too much about for fear of then losing the magic.
The Panics are truly a one in a million kind of band, a rarity nowadays in the bustling music industry.
