Cal Peck & The Tramps

Cal Peck & The Tramps, a quality band without pretense. A harmonica wails from the dour and anxious Kill For You and through rolling tracks like Hideaway. - Reviewer: Ben Watson / Xpress Magazine

“Undoubtley the highlight of the evening, Cal Peck and The Tramps played an absolute ripper of a set that had the entire room dancing along – if you’ve not seen these guys live then that should be rectified immediately.

Playing a bunch of supremely written blues/country and rock and roll tunes, vocalist/guitarist Cal Peck engages the audience with an earnest bespectacled gaze, and lyrical tales that complement the bands dirty swagger and groove perfectly, and the harmonica rounds off the tramps sound beautifully – plus the harmonica player wailing away front of stage in between Cal and bass player Byron really works visually as well as aurally.” – Perri Bastian (xpress mag)
- Reviewer: Perri Bastian / Xpress mag

Cal Peck and The Tramps, who are undoubtedly going to find themselves having successfully 2009. The band is able to pull off an exceptional level of 'cool' without seeming to be trying to be cool, and there's just no way the word on this band isn't going to spread quickly and to the right ears.

As a band playing their first generation of songs, a lot of what Cal Peck and The Tramps are doing currently sounds very samey, but the essence of their style, their approach and their intention are all solid.... which mean by the time they have cemented their own set of parameters., the band will be able to fuck around with their own formula a bit more. Armed with a set list that truly shows off all of their capabilities, Cal Peck and The Tramps are just going to smash it- and it's not all unforeseeable that they will quickly ascend into being one of this town's favourite and most staple bands- ala Capital City. - Reviewer: Mike Wafer / Xpress Magazine

For those yet to discover the decadent debauchery that is Deville’s Pad in East Perth, you really are missing out on a fantastic venue: part rock’n’roll dance hall, part American diner, part old-time speakeasy, and all class, it was a perfect setting for local blues-rockers Cal Peck and the Tramps to launch their debut recording, Cinnamon.
Breaking from traditional rock and roll format, the evening’s entertainment began with a mix of low-brow comedy and burlesque dancing from Perth’s Lady Velvet Cabaret and “Las Vegas’ own” Johnny Deville in lieu of opening bands, both of which were well received by the crowd who were kept entertained during the band’s set up by some traditional 50’s and 60’s dance numbers courtesy of resident DJ Little Franco Berry.
Come 10:30, however, and the curtains opened to reveal the night’s main event. Opening with “Isn’t Hard to See”, the lead track from their EP, Cal Peck and the Tramps started things with a bang and barely let up the intensity for the next hour. Peck’s subtle yet intricate guitar work and deep, overdriven vocals formed the foundation of the band’s sound, with harp player Dave Benk’s rich, bluesy tones filling the space usually reserved for chunky guitar riffs and twangy solos. This was highlighted in “Gone Done Murder”, where the two weaved in and out of each other’s space to superb effect.
Rhythm section Jimmy ‘Bangers’ McKay (drums) and Byron Robertson (bass) kept things incredibly tight whilst letting the leads shine for most of the night. Far more the an the same re-worked 12 bar blues standards that tend to plague bands of this genre, the Tramps’ songs are a testament to Peck’s ever-developing skills at a songwriter and the band’s superb chemistry given their short time together.
Any show at Deville’s is just as much about the Satanic party atmosphere of the venue as it is about the bands playing – surely a daunting proposition for any prospective act – and the Tramps succeeded in cementing the club’s reputation of booking quality entertainment. Playing a longer-than-usual set, the band was given a chance to unveil a couple of brand new tracks, including “Chase It Up” (as promised in a recent interview with Music Vice) as well as older numbers such as “I See the Way You Walk” and live favourite “I Howl”.
Benck took a break from harp duties to lend his wailing vocals to “Can’t Do the Things I Used To”, the penultimate song of the set. Ending with the title track from their EP and a hearty thank you from Peck, who looked as happy as a kid on Christmas morning, the band left the stage only briefly before returning for a short encore during which each player was given the opportunity to show their talents as a soloist. A classy end to a great, if perhaps ever so slightly lengthy set which left all in attendance exhausted from singing and dancing, and in dire need of one of Deville’s’ fine cocktails. “One Beast of Bourbon please, barkeep”.
- Reviewer: Steve Pass / musicvice.com

The bands mesh of rock n roll blues and country had punters of all ages getting their limbs warmed up dancing. Musically as slick and suave as their gelled-back hair, Cal Peck & The Tramps played tracks off their new EP that Ranged from faster rock’n’roll to slower, darker blues numbers – with howling and aching harmonica rippled through all. Switching vocalists to ‘bring down the tempo a bit’, the band played Gone Done Murder, which saw the rhythm section keep the pace with dark bellows of deep bass, and fast tip-tapping, chugging drums.
The crowd insisted on an encore the band weren’t expecting and Cal Peck announced he almost orgasmed while introducing the band. The combination of the band’s sound, the surroundings of the volcano later of Deville’s and the two go-go dancers on stage was a sprinkle of glittering class and delight, that all jumbled up into a perfectly sweet, successful evening for the lads. - Reviewer: Amy Vinicombe / Xpress Magazine

Cal Peck and the Tramps read from the same book as Heavy Trash. Isn’t Hard to See bridged the divide between garage and blues with spectacular effect, Dave’s harmonica giving the song some true grit and downtrodden soul. Murder Ballad No. 1 ’s story telling was amazing, the band creating the perfect backdrop for some vocal hostility. Cinnamon was a rollicking excursion through the blues and the joys of the fairer sex. - Reviewer: Aquabogan / http://www.fasterlouder.com.au

Next up, definitely no strangers to MusicVice’s pages, were Cal Peck and the Tramps. Opening with “Cinnamon”, the crowd started to show some energy, with people dancing in front of the stage. Cal, ever the gentlemen, hoped we were ‘having a nice evening’ – a mild way to put it for some, as that evening that jugs of Toohey’s were on special for $10. He informed us in a matter-of-fact manner that dancing was encouraged, which seemed a little unnecessary as the crowd was already warmed up. - Reviewer: Steve Pass / Musicvice.com

the redoubtable Cal Peck & The Tramps, a band born to tread the same boards as the Reverend Horton Heat. Taking the same blues and country influences that dominated the night and spinning them together with a good dose of old fashioned rock’n’roll, The Tramps dominated the stage with a vigour and energy that has made their live appearances justifiably legendary, and when they finished their set they left the boards steaming. - Reviewer: Travis Johnson / Xpress Mag

The crowd had roughly doubled by the time Cal Peck and The Tramps stepped up, the numbers swelled by a large rockabilly contingent who had clearly come only to see the tramps perform. The boys served up a tasty mix of thunderous drums, dirty, scratchy guitar and, of course, Dave Benck’s howling harmonica. - Reviewer: Travis Johnson / Xpress Mag

... T'was time for the newcomers, and boy aren't Cal Peck and The Tramps making some waves on the local scene! Like an old railway car crusin' 'cross country, the Tramps play smooth rockabilly blues with a punk edge that was met with a warm reception by keen early crowd. Their brand of jail house rock, centered around the accomplished songwriting of Mr Callum Peck, is delightfully diverse and catchy; and the group itself contains all the necessary elements for a group greater that sum of it's parts. Perfect choice for support at this show. - Ben Watson (Xpress Magazine)

...Cal Peck and The Tramps are proving themselves to be one of Perth's most promising up-and-comers . Kicking off with Hideaway, they had the couples up dancing almost straight away to their instantly-recognisable and likable tunes. The Tramps are band that really benefit from having a really good sound mix- especially as Dave Benck's harmonica is so distinctive and essential to their sound. Fortunately the band are sussing out the best ways in which to balance everything; and this was an enjoyable set, where it was impossible for anyone watching not to tap their feet and dance along. Great band. - Ben Watson (Xpress Magazine)

Cal Peck and The Tramps came on to deliver the ghostly, gracefully-twists blues they have come to claim. With a low-down vocal and signature harmonica, this act is easy on the ears. Apart from a swing number and a couple of pumping tunes, the Mazzy Star guitar tones set a train-carriage cool with nostalgic blue grass undertones. Drumming, was a treat, fitting perfectly with a vision, as the snare caught the very last moment of the beat to blend bayou with a little honky tonk. - Laura Glistos (Xpress Magazine)