Audio Vandals at The Old Bank, Swindon

We’ve all seen the usual mediocre music broker bands regurgitating someone else’s songs with the same old pedestrian performances. By contrast I was lucky enough to catch ‘Audio Vandals’ on Friday night at The Old Bank in Swindon. The Old Bank as the name suggests was an old bank converted into an up market hostelry a couple of years go. Wooden floors and long windows give it a continental feel and smart slick service is reflected in the prices, however when a calibre band like Audio Vandals perform and entry is free, you can’t complain about the price of Pimms.

From charity events to pub rock nights, this band is reaching a wider audience, even though their first gig in their present line up was only last summer at Queen’s Park, Swindon. Performing an eclectic range of pop and rock they played a couple of smart, sassy sets which drew people into the bar from the street, to listen to sounds as hot as the summer night.

The warm, bright voice of the appropriately named Ali Golden has a power and texture that enriches the songs; from Blondie to Hazel O’Connor’s haunting ‘will you’, from Pink to rock classics like ‘Alright now’, her flexible range enables her to make other people’s songs her own…And she has a cracking style to boot. This girl takes her music seriously!

The band comprises talented musicians that share a passion for music in all its variations and display a gregarious sociability that infuses their on stage performance. It’s great to see a band having fun. Pete Mallaband’s expressive guitar playing is deftly executed and Tom Murawicki’s bass enables tight, well timed numbers. Colm Mulry’s dependable drumming adds a strong back bone beat, while Terry Pearce’s keyboard skills adapt to the wide range of musical material from new wave to folk rock with accomplished ease.
These guys gave one hundred per cent with a party atmosphere performance that by the end of the evening had the crowd singing along to Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ as Ali belted out an encore.

Adding their own songs to an already vast repertoire, like ‘State of Mind’ and ‘Beer goggles’, written by Pete, these skilled performers are bound to be picking up gigs left right and centre. If you want to find out more or book them to perform go to http://www.audiovandals.com