The Vines wilt with short, sluggish show at House of Blues

Spencer Patterson

Monday, March 31, 2003 | 8:17 a.m.

To hear the British music press talk, Las Vegas got a visit from Led Zeppelin and Nirvana on Friday night.

It's a safe bet, however, that those legendary bands never left fans shaking their heads in disappointment following their live shows.

Sadly, the same could not be said of Friday's show at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, which featured modern-rock buzz bands the Vines and the Music teaming for their much-anticipated Las Vegas debuts.

The Music did its job. The British quartet contributed a solid 50-minute opening set, warming up the crowd and setting the stage for the evening's headliners.

But from there, the Vines fell short of expectations. Though impressive in spurts, the hyped Australian quartet failed to build any real momentum, as the band's trademark hard-edged sound took a backseat to meandering psychedelia for much of the show.

Most shocking, the Vines' main set ended after just 40 minutes. A three-song, 10-minute encore wasn't enough to put a smile on the faces of many in the crowd of around 1,200.

"The Strokes' show at The Joint was so much better," one young woman told her friend as they exited, referring to that band's November appearance at the Hard Rock Hotel.

The comment was right on. Although the Strokes' set lasted just one hour -- and did not include an encore -- it left fans gasping for air after a furious 16-song charge.

The Vines, by comparison, never seemed to hit full stride.

A poorly constructed set list was partially to blame. Instead of drawing in the audience with a few upbeat numbers at the top, the band opted for two slower selections -- "Amnesia" and "Homesick" -- setting an unexpectedly mellow tone for the remaining proceedings.

As advertised, the show truly was all-ages. Dozens of fans in their early teens, along with several even younger, stood shoulder to shoulder on the dance floor with adults in their 20s, 30s and beyond.

If you looked quickly, the Vines did indeed evoke visual memories of Nirvana, particularly singer/guitarist Craig Nicholls and bassist Patrick Matthews, the Vines' founding duo.

Eyes hidden behind stringy sandy-brown hair, Nicholls bore an undeniable resemblance to Kurt Cobain. One microphone over, the hulking Matthews cut a similar figure to former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic.

At times, the Vines even sounded a bit like Seattle's grunge legends. Late in the show, "Get Free" and "In the Jungle" saw Nicholls twist his vocals to previously unheard screeching proportions, while the opening riff to the roaring "Outtathaway" borrowed from Nirvana's classic "Drain You."

Nicholls, billed in recent months as a sort of rock 'n' roll wildman, tossed his guitar around a bit, eventually ending the show by giving Hamish Rosser's drum set a few hacks with his instrument. His behavior helped inspire a mosh pit in the center of the floor area.

Along with eight of the 12 cuts from last year's debut album, "Highly Evolved," the Vines debuted four new numbers expected to be on their follow-up. They ranged from mostly forgetful to potentially classic, with the expletive-laced show capper -- a wild distortion workout in the Iggy Pop mold called "F--- the World" -- falling into the latter category.

Nicholls also covered Outakast's hip-hop single, "Ms. Jackson," highlighting the Vines' set with an emotionally charged, stretched-out take on the song.

Although the venue was largely empty when the Music went on, and few in attendance were likely familiar with the band's recent debut CD, singer Robert Harvey and his mates made the most of their opening slot.

Although comparisons to Zeppelin are both misplaced and ridiculously premature, the Music demonstrated skills that should help the 19- and 20-year-old Brits add to their growing reputation for live greatness.

As the confident Harvey grooved his way around the stage, striking occasional tai chi poses, guitarist Adam Nutter, bassist Stuart Coleman and drummer Phil Jordan demonstrated a keen familiarity with one another, smoothly shifting tempos and dynamics throughout the performance.

Harvey's voice, though strong and memorable, also came across a bit too slick, supplemented by an unnecessary echo effect for most of the band's nine selections.

That wasn't enough to keep the Music from carrying on one of rock 'n' roll's great traditions, outclassing a better-known headliner.