Lowie Live presents John Dowler's Vanity Project
Lowie Live presents John Dowler's Vanity Project
Formed in 2014, JDVP have been steadily building a profile on Melbourne’s inner-city scene for a decade now and have evolved into something special; they’re not just a singer with a backing band, but a real band, a cohesive, powerful unit with their own sound and an ability to cover any base. Guitarists Mark McCartney and Justin Bowd provide colour, detail and spark, combining jangle with some grunt and noise. McCartney first played with Dowler a couple of decades back, has also worked with the likes of Mick Thomas and Barb Waters, and these days also plays with Meghan Maike & the Cactus Flowers and Jo Meares’s Silver Bullets. In the Vanity Project, he likes to let it rip. Bowd has played with Cinema, Jim Kane and with Middle Age Fanclub, and provides a bit more of the sweetness and light. He also contributes some fine tunes.
Drummer Michael Stranges, who has also worked with Kim Salmon on a number of projects, including the Darling Downs with Ron S Peno, drives with a light touch and punctuates perfectly, provides some backing vocals and also contributes to the writing. Returning bassplayer Julien Chick – formerly of the Vandas and also of Blackbirds FC and with Meghan Maike – provides muscle and underpins things sweetly and also helps with the b/vs.
And Dowler, whose voice is wry and mellifluous, is immediately recognisable. He brings to the band not just great singing and great songs, but taste.
The band’s new album Existential Friend, recorded again with Craig Pilkington (Killjoys, Archie Roach etc) at his Audrey Studios, includes ten new band originals that combine melody, invention and wry humour, as well as one tune (‘Hunnicut’s Van’) salvaged from Dowler’s short-lived 1980 power pop outfit Everybody’s So Glad and another (“When We Meet Again”) revived from early Zimmermen days.
Saturday October 3rd 5pm $15 on the door or via the link below