Published: Thursday, 14th May, 2009 11:08am

Dunfermline gig-goers ready for Panics attack

by Matt Meade

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ALL eyes might be on Paolo Nutini when he plays a sold-out Alhambra on Monday but support act The Panics are just as likely to seduce the ears.

The Australian band have been praised by arguably the hottest property in rock right now – Kings Of Leon.

Their drummer Nathan Followill singled out the five-piece in an interview with American music mag Rolling Stone, after witnessing an incendiary set in Texas.

He said, 'They sounded like nothing I"d heard before – really melodic, almost atmospheric.

'You know how normally when you hear a band you can list the bands that influenced them or that they ripped off straight away? We couldn"t do it for them.'

And he"s not alone. The five-piece have also previously been invited on support slots with Morrissey, Noel Gallagher, Supergrass and the Happy Mondays.

Panics" guitarist and songwriter Jae Laffer spoke to the Press from a rainy Manchester prior to setting off for their opening support gig at the Liverpool Academy.

He said, 'For Nathan to bring up a bunch of Australians in an interview telling people to check us out gives us confidence that we"re not just one of another million bands and that we might be a bit special – that"s why we do it.

'He didn"t have to mention us, so we appreciate it, especially when you consider he must see so many other bands.'

Though still relatively unknown in the UK, the band are big in Australia, where third album Cruel Guards (out here on 1st June) bagged an ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Award), the Oz equivalent of a Brit Award.

And Jae is convinced it"s their best yet.

'We don"t want to sound like anyone else and hopefully with Cruel Guards we"ve made a record that has a classic sound – ambitious strings, Ennio Morricone soundtracks and big drums,' he said.

'We"re at the point now where we can write a tune, record it and it sounds like what we first had in mind.

'When you first start it can be kind of hit and miss and you imitate your heroes a bit more.'

The band"s sound is rooted in the North West of England, but manages to sound quite separate from their influences, which include Echo and the Bunnymen, The Stone Roses and the Smiths (the band take their name from the latter"s 1986 single).

Jae added, 'We"re delighted to be back on tour. Of all the places in the world to go, it"s great to come to Britain and tour. Playing with Paolo will expose us to audiences much bigger than we"re used to in the UK, and will set us up for our headline tour later this month.'

Praised by some of the world"s biggest groups, and on the verge of a UK breakthrough – if there"s one gig in Dunfermline this year to turn up early for, it"s this one.