Cal Peck and The Tramps "Cinnamon" EP launch, Deville's Pad, Perth, Australia, August 14, 2009 - Review and Photos

Cal Peck and the Tramps “Cinnamon” EP Launch
Concert review and photos by Music Vice contributor Steve Pass - August 23, 2009

For those yet to discover the decadent debauchery that is Deville’s Pad in East Perth, you really are missing out on a fantastic venue: part rock’n’roll dance hall, part American diner, part old-time speakeasy, and all class, it was a perfect setting for local blues-rockers Cal Peck and the Tramps to launch their debut recording, Cinnamon.

Breaking from traditional rock and roll format, the evening’s entertainment began with a mix of low-brow comedy and burlesque dancing from Perth’s Lady Velvet Cabaret and “Las Vegas’ own” Johnny Deville in lieu of opening bands, both of which were well received by the crowd who were kept entertained during the band’s set up by some traditional 50’s and 60’s dance numbers courtesy of resident DJ Little Franco Berry.

Come 10:30, however, and the curtains opened to reveal the night’s main event. Opening with “Isn’t Hard to See”, the lead track from their EP, Cal Peck and the Tramps started things with a bang and barely let up the intensity for the next hour. Peck’s subtle yet intricate guitar work and deep, overdriven vocals formed the foundation of the band’s sound, with harp player Dave Benk’s rich, bluesy tones filling the space usually reserved for chunky guitar riffs and twangy solos. This was highlighted in “Gone Done Murder”, where the two weaved in and out of each other’s space to superb effect.

Rhythm section Jimmy ‘Bangers’ McKay (drums) and Byron Robertson (bass) kept things incredibly tight whilst letting the leads shine for most of the night. Far more the an the same re-worked 12 bar blues standards that tend to plague bands of this genre, the Tramps’ songs are a testament to Peck’s ever-developing skills at a songwriter and the band’s superb chemistry given their short time together.

Any show at Deville’s is just as much about the Satanic party atmosphere of the venue as it is about the bands playing – surely a daunting proposition for any prospective act – and the Tramps succeeded in cementing the club’s reputation of booking quality entertainment. Playing a longer-than-usual set, the band was given a chance to unveil a couple of brand new tracks, including “Chase It Up” (as promised in a recent interview with M usic Vice) as well as older numbers such as “I See the Way You Walk” and live favourite “I Howl”.

Benck took a break from harp duties to lend his wailing vocals to “Can’t Do the Things I Used To”, the penultimate song of the set. Ending with the title track from their EP and a hearty thank you from Peck, who looked as happy as a kid on Christmas morning, the band left the stage only briefly before returning for a short encore during which each player was given the opportunity to show their talents as a soloist. A classy end to a great, if perhaps ever so slightly lengthy set which left all in attendance exhausted from singing and dancing, and in dire need of one of Deville’s’ fine cocktails. “One Beast of Bourbon please, barkeep”.