Does anyone do darkness better? Friday night at Moshpit, the hole-in-the-wall dive on Eora/Sydney’s King Street, was the perfect place to find out. Velvet Parade, hailing from Naarm/Melbourne, were there to launch their debut, ‘Ghost’.
The evening opened with Jo Meares, whose 2014 release, ‘King of the Crystal Mountain‘, set a brooding tone. His voice floated through the room, blending dark folk and rock, with lyrics that matched Moshpit’s moody atmosphere.
When the main act took the stage, frontman Ripley Hood, alongside Vincent J Kramer, Don Drum, Pete Azzopardi, and Ashley Jones, were every bit the gothic, noir-rock ensemble I’d been promised. Velvet Parade’s music was the kind you’d sit in the dark for, pulling you in with its intimate, spellbinding energy.
As people swayed beneath the disco ball, Ripley’s voice cast a hypnotic spell, his serenade feeling almost mystical, like watching a shadow come to life. The band’s sound pulsed through the room, ebbing with softness before surging into huge crescendos (even losing an electrical plug in the process).
Their set included ‘Ghost’ alongside tracks from their upcoming album, adding to the evening’s allure. The controlled intensity of their performance proved that Velvet Parade know how to build a landscape – one that invites you to sit with your shadows. Each song bled into the next, weaving a theatrical, immersive experience. They’re not just spectral figures, they’re here to stay, haunting in all the best ways.
