Photo: Emma Viola Lilja
Forsaking the arenas and headline spots they’ve been used to, The Vaccines kicked off their low-key tour with an especially intimate fan-only show last night at Village Undergound.
Tickets were allocated via a lottery, so it really was only the hardcore who were in attendance – and it showed. There’s nothing like the energy of those small gigs where every single person knows every word to every song – impressive considering the fact that the set included new material from the band's upcoming album, English Graffiti.
The support was provided by Spanish all-girl four piece Hinds (fka Deers), who were clearly just as excited about The Vaccines coming on stage as the crowd were. Clad in baggy oversized t-shirts (singer and guitarist Ana Perrote sporting one from the band Happyness)with matching scruffy ponytails on the tops of their heads, they bounced onto the stage for some disorganised riot grrrl inspired singing and were later spotted crowdsurfing towards the end of The Vaccines’ set. Cheers for the encore towards the end of the night were also suspiciously Spanish-accented.
Despite Vaccines frontman Justin Young’s admission that the band have "been away for a while", they haven’t got rusty in the time since their 2012’s Come Of Age. Opening song ‘Blow It Up’ had the energy of an encore, the moshpit already in full force by the second track – and it only escalated from there.
They launched right into fan favourites like ‘Teenage Icon’, with newer tracks like ‘Dream Lover’ not far behind. Their new material doesn’t sound too different to the old, and judging by the ease with which the lyrics were picked up and sung back to them, it’s going to be just as successful.
The main way to differentiate between English Graffiti material and its predecessors’ was by the dazzling disco ball stage lighting which came on for each new song, pulling the crowd in until they were crushing the bouncers up against the stage.
‘Want You So Bad’ was another song which made its stage debut, introduced as ‘just about as sexy as The Vaccines get’. And it was a 'sexy' performance throughout – smoothly executed and deeply intimate.The venue lent itself well to The Vaccines’ brand of anthemic indie rock – the band members were actually able to communicate with their fans , feeding off their excitement and injecting it into their performance. The intimacy went beyond the size of the audience, Young and co making eye contact with the mass of squealing bodies which filled the room right to the back walls.
Whilst The Vaccines are still more than capable of filling arenas, last night proved that the smaller venues are where the fun’s really to be had.
Full setlist:
Blow It Up
Teenage Icon
Wreckin Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
Ghost Town
Dream Lover
Wetsuit
Want You So Bad
Post break-Up Sex
All In White
Melody Calling
Bad Mood
Wolf Pack
Handsome
I Always Knew
If You Wanna
Encore:
20/20
Norgaard
