The Villains
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Waves, Towradgi
New Year's Eve
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au
New Year's Eve is a night of contradictions for a band playing the night's soundtrack.
Revellers are in a party mood, but it can be hard to capture their attention. Performers want to celebrate, but still have a job to do.
But The Villains relish playing gigs on the last night of the year.
"New Year's Eve used to be one of the biggest night of the year back in the '80s and '90s and then it changed, it's actually a hard night to do now," bassist Andrew West says.
"People are more in party mode though, without a doubt, which makes it easier. It's always good fun."
The five members of the '80s cover band each dress up as their favourite Hollywood villain. At the moment Hannibal Lector, Darth Vader, the Riddler and Beetlejuice all make an appearance.
West dresses up as either the Heath Ledger-style Joker or Captain Jack Sparrow, depending on the mood of the night. He will be performing as the Joker on New Year's Eve.
As well as dressing up, the musicians also try to embrace the traits of their characters. "We have to keep trying on that. I think that's our next step, working on doing the character." West says.
The Villains' set list consists of about 95 per cent '80s music, with a few slightly more contemporary hits thrown in. West, who also came up with the idea for the cover band in 2004, says they have a repertoire of about 50 songs, though they play about 30 on any given night, "villainising" the tunes by adding a heavier edge.
"We really pick the '90s English New Romantic stuff, there's no AC/DC, no Bon Jovi, the material no one else would play really," West says. "None of us were really from cover bands, every member came from a different past whether it was a blues band band or a metal band, which is why I think the songs come out so good."