Photo Credit: @visualsbyema
THE VACCINES achieved their fifth consecutive top five record with the release of ‘Pick Up Full of Pink Carnations’ back in January. To mark the release, the band embarked on an enormous, sold-out UK tour to not only celebrate the record, but also treat fans old and new to a series of their much loved anthems and new songs too.
The gentle quartet from Nottingham that is DIVORCE was an excellent addition to welcome and warm up the Yorkshire crowd. It was clear that the band’s opening song, ‘Sex & The Millennium Bridge,’ would be a much calmer introduction to what they would eventually be able to offer. Their unreleased track ‘Gears’ received positive feedback from everyone in the room, and ‘Eat My Words’ which showcases their variety of musical styles, suggests that you never know what to expect from them. DIVORCE’s reserved start began to blossom as the set progressed, with the country inspired ‘Checking Out’ winning over the Leeds crowd once and for all.
The Australian quintet TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS brought their lively energy to the stage right away with their opening song, ‘AHHHH!’ The packed crowd started to get into it as the set went on, and while a combination of their slower tracks and faster hits, like ‘I Love You’ showcased the band’s range, it wasn’t until their cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’ that the band’s true potential was demonstrated. Despite the musical differences between the original and the cover, fans enthusiastically embraced the stronger rock sound of the latter. The version became viral, with people singing along. The Aussies ended their act with the considerably harder rock ballad ‘Lights Out’ as they ejected the stage to enormous applause.
The well-dressed London based band THE VACCINES entered as Wings’ ‘Live and Let Die’ started to fade over the PA system. The Yorkshire crowd let out a tremendous cheer, and the band wasted no time in getting things going. They began the set with their brand-new track, ‘Love to Walk Away’ which had already won over many admirers. It didn’t take long until the classic began rolling in, as ‘Wreckin Bar’ followed and the place was electric as the crowd were up and dancing, with arms filling the empty space above them.
Golden oldies ‘Post Break Up Sex‘ and ‘Wetsuit‘ never fail to go down a storm, and their sold out Leeds show was no exception. The upbeat ‘No Hope‘ demonstrates that the band have truly matured, while the more pop-themed ‘Headphones Baby‘ is always a nice addition to keep the party vibes going.
Since its debut in September of last year, ‘Heartbreak Kid’ has grown to be a fan favourite for THE VACCINES. Since almost everyone in the room was singing along, it is only fitting that the song will continue to be included in their set lists moving forward. ‘I Always Knew’, ‘Teenage Icon’, and ‘All In White’ completed the band’s electrifying set before they adjourned to the wings.
It wasn’t long until the well-groomed group returned to the stage, and they delivered a fantastic four-song encore that ended with the crowd pleasing ‘Norgaard’ to round off what was a stellar performance as expected from THE VACCINES.
Taped Magazine 