Local Melbourne rockers, the Vendettas launched their sophomore album, Bystander and Destroyer earlier this year, after 10 months of blood, sweat and tears getting it ready. Having seen them twice before, once at the Tote and the other at the iconic, Cherry Bar, I knew exactly what I was in for: raw, unadulterated rock ‘n roll.

Forming back in 2009, the chemistry between Snuz (lead guitar), Steve (vocals), Jazz (rhythm guitar), Lee (bass) and Aled (drums) is undeniable. Steve and Snuz are the band’s centrepieces, without taking anything away from the other members. Snuz’s rip snorting guitar riffs roar and Steve’s raw, pitch-perfect vocals soar while the rhythm section keeps them in check. Jazz’s rhythm guitar is fluid, Lee’s basslines are solid and Aled’s drumming is tight.

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Playfully interacting with each another on stage, the band has a great sense of camaraderie. Seeing a band having that much fun is an infectious and positively joyful experience. Steve is undoubtedly the charismatic leader of his motley crew though, jumping around on stage like a trained boxer (or a rabbit on steroids). At one point he even unhooked his mic from the stand so he could jump off stage and get up, close and personal with his fans on a mellower track.

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There were hard rock anthems (‘Hard Times’, ‘Wake Up Call’), softer ballads, (‘Blackened Heart’) and even a bit of slide guitar action on the dirty, bluesy, swamp-rock of ‘Paid Your Dues’. With such an explosive, high octane set, my ears were ringing by the end (in a good way), as the Vendettas’ songs were well and truly burrowed into my head by the end. They even ushered in fellow rock-n-rollers, The Black Aces, on ‘Shot in the Dark’, a tribute to the camaraderie that exists amongst the close knit community of heavy rock bands in Melbourne.

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The band jokingly refers to their hometown as “Helburn” on their facebook page but the title is apt; their music ignites a fire inside and is sizzling hot. Appropriately all dressed in black, the 5-piece bashed out fast, loud, ballsy rock n’ roll that seemed to hark back to the 90s yet still sounded resolutely modern. Their sound is raw but polished. Unhinged yet unwavering. This is rock with the roll, in all its ragged glory.

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