Live Review: Vydamo, We The People

The night's only just begun and Melbourne's We The People perform a captivating set that inspires an energetic crowd to turn to dance early in the piece.

We hear polished originals such as Superstars and Leon alongside a mashed-up Taylor Swift number, so good, even the starlet's most vehement detractors would find hard to resist. The boys later turn their hands to Twinsy's Water Bombs with the resulting magic reinforcing the notion that this sound, in the same vein as The Cairos, is definitely going somewhere.

Tonight's not just about a live performance for fans of Jim Finn's latest project, Vydamo. It's an opportunity to hear what will be on the debut album, due in June. So far, key-laden singles Gonna Make It and Hurricane have given us a glimpse of what to expect ­­– catchy numbers with '70s-drenched vocals that are a world away from Art Vs Science (Finn's primary band). Enjoying a heavy amount of radio play, the aforementioned two singles have created an atmosphere of intense anticipation, which is evident inside the Toff. Let's be straight up about this: Tonight does not disappoint. Easing into proceedings with Little Things, we're in for an 11-song set that is so incredibly polished it's genuinely hard to believe that this is only Vydamo's second gig. Up until this point the project has been presented as a one-man show. However, Vydamo the band is what's truly on show tonight.

Everything fits together so perfectly. Finn, down to earth yet professional to the core, delights in making mention (a couple of times) that his brother Tom is on bass. A homage to Art Vs Science can be heard with the heavier Let It Go and Living In The Sunshine, and the crowd seems to love this deviation. As a fan of Vydamo's poppy sound, these two certainly aren't this reviewers favourites, but you have to admire the band's versatility. Speaking of favourites, we move on to beautiful track The Future Was A Dream. This, together with Times Gonna Get Me By and Bare Feet, are definitely all tracks to listen out for come June. Keyboardist Roxy works her magic and the crowd is immersed for a very special few minutes, the moment only broken by the rising thermometer. In fact, the whole gig has a special feel. No one knows what's coming next, no one knows all the lyrics, yet there's this feeling of familiarity that results in a relaxed energy. It's an unpretentious crowd at an unpretentious venue and the carefree vibe is fostered by this unpretentious band. There's no shouting (save for one swaying lady at the front of the crowd) and no sea of phones. The focus is on the music, and it deserves to be.

We're sweat-drenched and the end of the night is embraced with a euphoric rendition of Gonna Make It. Having indeed made it, there is a rush to the exit and its promise of fresh air.