It’s a good job that former Home and Away babe Tiffany Preece recently threw away her acting career to join Sydney band Sparkadia, as she’s added some much needed glamour and star quality to what could have just been another bunch of earnest, black-clad blokes with a big collection of 80s indie albums.

Just like Ash before them, Sparkadia have realised that having an attractive female member on board does wonders for your image. Tiffany (guitar and keyboards) looked like a young Farrah Fawcett, but to be fair, she also added some cool ‘cooing’ backing vocals to most of the set – joining in on some neat three-part harmonies.

Sparkadia are nothing new, but they can write a killer pop tune, as the perky, radio-friendly, New Wave-tinged ‘Too Much To Do’ proves – even if it is a tad Strokes-lite.
Sometimes, however, they simply sounded too much like The Police and/or Razorlight for their own good. On the former single, ‘Morning Light’, bequiffed front man Alex Burnett sings of ‘waiting for something to happen’. And that’s largely the problem. Their debut album, Postcards, produced by Ben Hillier (Blur, Doves, Depeche Mode), proves they have a cinematic edge when they’re in the studio, but in a live situation, Sparkadia failed to ignite.

Sean Hannam