Fresh from their European tour, The Vampires are back in Australia with 12 shows along the east coast, promoting their sixth release Pacifica.
28/2 Cambewarra Hall presented by So & So / Cambewarra / NSW
29/2 Riverina Conservatorium of Music / Wagga Wagga / NSW
1/3 Nest Café:Cinema:Books / Tumbarumba / NSW
3/3 NIMA @ The Underground / Newcastle / NSW
4/3 Charlie’s Last Stand presented by NEJIC / Armidale / NSW
5/3 JMI Live / Brisbane / QLD
6/3 Miami Marketta / Miami / QLD
7/3 Doo Bop Bar, Brisbane, QLD
13/3 Melbourne Recital Centre / VIC
14/3 The Music Lounge presented by Wollongong Jazz / Wollongong / NSW
15/3 Camelot Lounge presented by SIMA / Marrickville / NSW
European live reviews
"The finest in modern jazz. The Vampires are a band that play outrageously young and unbiased jazz. Great melodies, exciting rhythms and always adventurous improvisation trips. Music that puts you in a good mood and that gives you joy. The audience at LOFT was inspired by The Vampires." NRW Jazz live review, Cologne
"Fresh wind from the other end of the world blew through the Mannheim Rosengarten at Enjoy Jazz Festival. What The Vampires from Australia brought to the stage at the sold-out Jazz Club Ella & Louis was both virtuoso and dance-like lightness." Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung live review, Mannheim
Europe 2019 Tour Dates announced
The Vampires will be playing dates this November in Europe. Hope to catch you there.
8/11 ENJOY JAZZ FESTIVAL: Ella & Louis / Mannheim / DE
9/11 ZaziBar / Salzburg / AU
10/11 Rhiz / Vienna / AT
11/11 U Staré paní / Prague / CZ
12/11 Rotbart / Berlin / DE
13/11 Die Fabrik / Frankfurt / DE
14/11 Loft / Köln / DE
15/11 Haus Eifgen / Wermelskirchen / DE
16/11 Birdland / Hamburg / DE
Pacifca reviews
Honourable mention, NYC Jazz Records
Top 10 albums, Ken Weiss, Cadence Magazine
Written and improvised melodies are beautiful and flawless, and the harmonies between the three voices ring with pitch-perfect sonority. There is a sublime pacing to each of the tunes here, with strategic shifts in texture, tonality, tonality, rhythm or intensity twisting the narrative of each hypnotic groove into an ever-unfolding and irresistible arc. **** Gary Fukushima, Downbeat, 4 stars
"This is such a good album that it's difficult to know which superlatives to start with.... This is state-of-the-art modern jazz at the highest level.” Eric Myers, The Australian (4 1/2 stars)
“simpler nature, yet equally expressive soundscapes… reminiscent of the fusion 'milestone' Bitches Brew.” Freidrich Kunzman, 4 stars
“Not only is the composing and improvising exceptional, it’s the Vampires’ best-recorded album, too… carrying faint (and thrilling) echoes of the Art Ensemble of Chicago.” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald 4 stars
Click through to read full reviews
Pacifica Australia Tour
New Album Pacifica
Two years on from their highly praised work The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke, The Vampires return with a new offering: Pacifica. Whilst Pacifica sees the Vampires return to the classic chord-less quartet format, the new album is an evolution of the band's sound, leaning further into recording production.
Earshift Music Festival: The Vampires Meet Shannon Barnett
AMP Short-listing and AIR Award nomination for Best Jazz Release!
In case you missed it, ‘The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke’ was short-listed for this year’s Australian Music Prize, the first instrumental album to be on the list in its 13 year history.The AMP Chairman and lead singer of the Hoodoo Gurus, David Faulkner wrote in a recent review in the Saturday Paper:
“One of my favourite albums of the year was a jazz recording… Its beautifully constructed melody sounded so classic, so perfect, that it had already become deeply ingrained in my memory. Of course, I have been listening to this album a lot. This one’s a real winner.”