Nowadays it’s rare for a rock and roll band to sound better live than on record. Often, it’s the dynamic energy, galvanising stage presence and improvised detraction from the polished studio recordings that make for an unforgettable live performance. The Vaccines tick all the boxes whilst injecting a newfound stimulant of excitement to their set, that wasn’t captured fully in the studio.
Bursting onto the stage with their latest album’s lead track, ‘Handsome’, The Vaccines instantly fire up the stage, before immediately launching into their signature hit ‘Teenage Icon’. Whilst most bands would reserve their bigger hits for the encore, The Vaccines’ headstrong decision to open with a bang and end with a bang pumped the set with multiple climaxes.
Giving their fans a tasteful selection from their three albums, The Vaccines ensure that their audience’s appetite is fed. It's on tracks such as ‘Dream Lover’ or ‘Ghost Town’ that The Vaccines showcase their talents as a live band, not a studio band. Whilst these tracks on the record are catchy and are by no means filler, neither of them deserves too much attention. However, when played live, The Vaccines unleash their full potential. The pounding drums feel thicker, the raunchy guitars sound dirtier and Justin Hayward-Young’s voice sounds fittingly vicious. This potent mix of on-stage elements turns The Vaccines’ middle-of-the-road tracks into intense stadium shakers in their own right.
The band also visually captures the rock and roll image that their music professes too. Frontman Hayward-Young often faces towards lead guitarist Freddie Cowan as the pair engages in a guitar standoff, shoulder width apart as they rock out to their songs. Cowan is dressed like a 50’s teenage icon too, with his tidy hair and white t-shirt tucked into his belted jeans, reminiscent of Marlon Brand, James Dean and even Bruce Springsteen.
Despite the high-octane energy maintained throughout most of the night, the band doesn’t stay in overdrive throughout the set. Slowing the pace down for ‘(All Afternoon) In Love’ and Hayward-Young’s solo acoustic rendition of ‘No Hope’, are two truly magical moments. Whilst turning the Royal Albert Hall into a sky of waving mobile phone flashlights may have seemed slightly corny, there is no doubt that the band’s slower tracks resonated well with the audience. Hayward-Young’s solo acoustic number also makes you wonder why the band ever considered added drums and an electric guitar to the mix on the album’s recording of ‘No Hope’ in the first place.
Considering that the evening was in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust and the incredible work that they do, The Vaccines were certainly a fitting choice. By and large, their fan based seemed to be comprised of youthful teenagers who are soaked in by the band’s magnetic performance as they looked admiringly upon their on-stage teenage icons for the night.
The Vaccines played:
1. Handsome
2. Teenage Icon
3. Ghost Town
4. Dream Lover
5. Wetsuit
6. Minimal Affection
7. A Lack Of Understanding
8. Wolf Pack
9. Bad Mood
10. Post Break Up Sex
11. Melody Calling
12. All Afternoon In Love
13. Give Me A Sign
14. Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
15. 20/20
16. I Always Knew
17. If You Wanna
18. All In White
19. Encore: 20. No Hope (Justin acoustic)
21. Blow It Up
22. Norgaard
