The
Vaccines again, barely a month after the last showing! However, quite the
contrast between tonight and the last time out for this band of rogueish indie
rock pilferers; this one is the big showpiece of their current “Combat Sports”
album tour cycle, a homecoming gig at the prestigious Alexandra Palace, a
palatial (no shit, Sherlock!) hilltop arena-sized venue in North London.
Uber-fan Rach had booked this months in advance, the date not only happily
falling on a weekend (believe me, getting here on weekdays is North Circular
purgatory!), but on her birthday weekend, no less. Happy birthday Rachel!
Worryingly,
Spurs had an early evening game at Wembley which threatened to delay our
arrival; however, after dropping the kids off at Grandma’s for a sleepover, the
birthday girl and I set off assisted by her handy phone map app. This picked us
out a route which took us along the M25, M1 then through some posh residential
areas, avoiding getting sideswiped by a lorry but pitching us up in the leafy
car park at the bottom of the hill after a 2 hour run. Parking free - yay!
Steep walk up to the venue - boo! Into this ornate glass-roofed (and unforgivingly
concrete-floored – glad I brought my kneestraps!) auditorium to get our
bearings, before an unexpected opening act, primary colour-suited Irish trio
Whenyoung, on at an early 7.15. They impressed me at least with some spritely
girly indiepop; opener “Blank Walls” appropriated the ascending riff from The
Julie Dolphin’s “Birthday”, and follow-up “Heaven On Earth”’s sugary pop
recalled Altered Images, particularly in the vocalist’s yelping yodelly
intonations. We agreed that the cover of The Cranberries’ finest moment “Dreams”
was a little too much on the nose, but I could forgive them that, as a
subsequent “Pretty Pure” (introduced by the gabbling vocalist as their new
single, probably the only thing she said for their entire set that I
understood!) was a toughened-up Alvvays-like C86 strumalong. All in all, a very
decent start.
Much
was expected of main support Dream Wife, having come recommended by 3 gents
whose musical opinions I respect highly. Well sorry, Messrs. Gurney, Fenton and
Langsbury, but they were terrible; all misplaced swagger and attitude, with not
a hint of a tune within miles of their amateurish, garage sleazoid set. An odd
looking bunch too, with one guitarist copying Grayson Perry’s hairdo, and the
cheerleader singer very clearly was her own biggest fan. Sorry girls (and token
bloke drummer) but you’re all image over substance, and currently you make
Elastica look professional; stop rummaging through Ex Hex’s dustbin and write
some songs with tunes in!
We’d
given Dream Wife up as a bad job after a couple of numbers and were gratified
to discover that what they lacked in tunes, they made up for in brevity, their
set clocking in at barely 20 minutes! So we were able to re-enter the by-now
packed and seethingly excited auditorium, getting a spot level with the mixing
desk, with a pocket of air and a good view. An impatient wait was rewarded at
9.20 with the lights smashing to black, then illuminating the iridescent
curtain backdrop as The Vaccines bounded on to the strains of Abba’s “Waterloo”,
lustily sung back by this young crowd. The side screens kicked into life as Justin
Young led his rabble into the sneering upbeat riffery of opener “Nightclub”,
then the dig dumb Ramones-like “Wrecking Bar” and a strutting, pucky and rather
splendid actually “Teenage Icon” really got the crowd going.
For
all their flaws and still-obvious antecedents, The Vaccines are nonetheless a
very fine “live” band indeed, their strength lying in channelling and
amplifying the enthusiasm of their audience into one communal mass, their
simple, knockabout upbeat songs becoming hooky anthems, resonating around this
huge hall as the frenzied crowd devotedly echoed them back. “You know what's
coming,” Justin teased as the single note opening to the 50’s soda bar doo-wop
of “Wetsuit” turned into a communal chant, then newie “Out On The Street”
impressed with a bouncy beat and a helium hook, challenging Justin’s vocals,
and “Melody Calling” recalled The Smiths with a melancholy and undulating
guitar hook.
“Did
you miss us? 6 years is a long time in rock’n’roll!” enquired Justin before the
chunky 80’s radio rock of newie “Your Love Is My Favourite Band”, then, “Post
Break Up Sex” was introduced with, “[this is] one from the vaults – if you
don’t know the words you’re in the wrong room!” “Norgaard” and “Surfing In The
Sky” made for a galloping mid-set double as the band hurtled through
proceedings with some pace, and the very
Buddy Holly rockabilly drumbeat of “I Always Knew” finally led into their
finest moment, the hurtling intro and feelgood hook of “If You Wanna”. Glitter
confetti appropriately fired off as the glitter stomp of set closer “I Can’t
Quit” rounded off a whip-crack hour set, which seemed to me a little short for
an arena-level headlining set, but I couldn’t deny the boys had packed it full
or energy, hooks and effort.
We
were looking for a flyer so Rach was happy to head off midway through final
encore number “All In White” at half ten, before a fairly easy egress and inky M4
hurtle saw us home for 12.30. A thoroughly fun evening out with The Vaccines,
still hardly the world’s most original band for me, but increasingly good value
“live” and, most importantly, the birthday girl had a ball!
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