The Vaccines / Gig Review

The Vaccines, one of the most influential and rising indie-rock bands of the moment. Their second big-sellout headline tour; their third time playing the O2 Academy in Newcastle... And what a night it was!
The night started with three very different, very varied support acts tailor picked by The Vaccines themselves, Pale, Deap Vally and DIIV. Throughout the three virtually unknown support acts, the crowd were very polite, quiet and un-attached. They listened rather than moved

The first act to grace us was Pale - a two piece opening the gig with rigid politeness, strong synthesised beats and quiet humming down the mic, you could tell that these two were nervous as hell!

The second act was Deap Vally, two country-influenced rock chick's presenting themselves in a way not many men rockers, let alone ladies can. With a strong presence on stage, despite some technical difficulties, the two Americans swept and swooned through their set of powerful guitar riffs, a banging drum beat accompanied with raunchy vocals; heightening the mood of the un-aware crowd ever so slightly. Siren songs.

The third support was from American syntho-pop band DIIV. Combined woozy guitars and indie boy haircuts; the band swooped through their longer-than-necessary set. With breathless vocals and an odd stage presence, you could tell that it was about time the act everyone had came to see to appear.

And appear they did. Justin Young with his "messy hair" and double denim rocketed on stage to deafening screams from girls and boys. Rolling straight in with "No Hope". A chorus of "No Hope!" was screamed throughout the academy as the electrifying quartet preformed a mind-blowing set of extraordinary brilliance.

From rolling into the new album "Coming Of Age" and flipping between their award-winning debut "What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?", The Vaccines put on a show of shining energy; steam could really be seen coming from Young's scraggy hair.

Finishing on a high of single "Norgaard", the crowd of the Newcastle Academy were treated to a fast action fist pumping hard-hitting jolt of reality. A musical high was a strong mutual feeling that night. You could see the bright twinkle in every ones eyes and the only words that were uttered were a "WOW".


The Vaccines are really something else

Spector / gig review

Halloween night brought ghouls and ghosts and slender-man from the woods; and we can't forget the Spector.

"I'm not what you want you fell in love with an idea and I was never never never never never enough so tonight I'm riding out of here".

At a halloween themed gig in the centre of Newcastle, students and adults alike had perfected their cat purs, whitened their faces with the colour of blood and there were also some sneaky front-man look-alikes to the left of the stage. Halloween was sure to be a treat (rather than a trick.)

"It's Friday night, don't ever, don't ever let it end"

In the small-box room of the Newcastle O2 Academy (the o2 academy 2) the feel for the night was set with the first support band - three drunken men dressed as a scientist, the hulk and Santa Claus... Yes, Santa Claus. The three mad men were in the form of support band Luls. With jangly indie influences which sounded like crashing through a wood, the three men bobbled and tapped on stage with the occasional head-bang from the hulk himself.

"One you started coming over, two you started sleeping over, three you started taking over, four you told me it was over"

Another half an hour in and the un-expecting crowd were hit with Kiss aka Swim Deep. With starry white faces the indie-pop band fronted by the handsome Austin Williams, bounced through their support set of a brilliant five songs. New single 'Honey' (which is available for purchase now) whipped the crowd up into a frenzy! Head nodding, shoulder sliding and arms high in the sky: Swim Deep really attracted the attention of the student crowd and prepared and built them up for what was to be - a truly amazing Halloween night.

"I'm holding on with both hands but I'm ready to let go"

Spector arrived on stage - in a one-night-and-one-night-only fashion. Dressed head to toe in fancy dress, Fred Macpherson grabbed the room with both hands and jolted into a fast-paced heart-rocking version of 'Twenty Nothing'. If you were on the barrier I sincerely feel sorry for you - the crowd was going crazy and it was quite possible to be an inch away from Macpherson's hand as he jumped straight into the juxtaposed song 'Grey Shirt and Tie'

"Hold me, wont you hold me?"

The mosh-pits were out in full force from the boys dressed in togas for a second encore of 'Chevy Thunder' "for one night Newcastle? Let's play it again" Macpherson hollered down the mic before being drowned out by the terrifyingly magical crowd.

"I know you laugh behind my back, I know you think I'm on my own"

Spector know how to raise the mood - and mellow it instantly with the click of their fingers. These aren't just another indie band with simple riffs and lyrics trying to make it. This is the indie band that is headlining their own tour of the country after playing support to hero's like Florence + The Machine. If anything; the night opened my eyes again to what a real gig looks and feels like: sweaty, hot, sticky and exciting. If you're given the chance to see Spector, go. Really.

                           "We didn't have to fall in love. We could of climbed down slowly"