The Vamps Live (Review)

My second-cousin/one-of-my-best-friends and I have been looking forward to seeing The Vamps ever since they announced their Wake Up World Tour late last year. I must admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I've been a fan of the band since I saw them live as a support act for The Wanted at Rochester Castle a couple of years ago, but they weren't top of my list of acts to see. However, the big day came around yesterday (1st April) and these were my thoughts...

The gig was at the O2 Arena in London.  Firstly, as soon as you emerge from the tube station and you get your first glimpses of the iconic venue, the excitement rushes through you immediately. You instantly get the feeling you're in for a treat. Before long, we were sat watching the first support act, HomeTown. Trying to find our seats in the darkness of the arena wasn't the easiest of tasks so we weren't concentrating a great deal on the band, but from what I heard they were quite similar to the third act, who I'll speak about in a bit. Next on was Conor Maynard. My Year 8 dreams were coming true. I was surprised Conor wasn't the main and final support act since the songs he sang were much more familiar so got the crowd up on their feet more than the third lot. He performed his own dance-enticing hits Are You Crazy, Turn Around and Animal, as well as an accomplished pick-and-mix of recent chart toppers from the likes of Justin Bieber and Fetty Wap. His energetic invitation to jump like a crazy person over the stands heightened the buzz of the atmosphere within the arena. 

Next on was The Tide. I understand why they were the 'main' support act - they're one of the latest signings to The Vamps' up-and-coming record label, Steady Records. Their set was centred around introducing the audience to new material, including their catchy début single Young Love; a vibrant, pop/rock concoction that you knew chorus lyrics to by its closing chords. Saying that, I really wish Conor was the last one. From my understanding, The Tide were a support act for the last The Vamps tour, so it's likely multiple members of the audience were more acquainted with the band and their music than I was, yet I still felt like the most enthusiasm derived from Conor's set. 

Half an hour later, The Vamps were greeted by what seemed like thousands of squealing teenage girls as they opened with the effervescent 80s inspired track Rest Your Love. Following this was the equally bubbly Cheater - a simply structured song full of cheeky lyricism. This was before their rendition of Kung Fu Fighting; a pleasing addition to the set list for the ticket-funding, taxi-providing mums and dads in the audience who would've rather been treating themselves at the Wagamamas outside, of which I saw plenty. This introduced a skilfully fashioned chain of contemporary crowd-pleasing covers - the Biebs once again proving to be a popular choice, as lead singer Brad Simpson passionately belted out the famous lyrics of Sorry and Where Are U Now, amongst snippets of tracks including twenty one pilots' Stressed Out and Stitches by Shawn Mendes. These covers were performed just as well as their own and with equal enthusiasm. Many of the songs they performed were the jovial, up-beat guitar-based pop tunes The Vamps are best known for, with frequent infusions of intriguing electronic elements, most evident in tracks from their second album, and occasional hints of reggae. However, the carefully balanced set list meant that crowd's legs were given a break. This included during the hearty acoustic version of Risk It All, the moving piano ballad Stolen Moments, and when Brad executed the first verse and chorus of their second single Wild Heart on the keys. This was an example of how The Vamps showed off their multi-instrumental talent, another being when drummer Tristan Evans replaced the absent rapper Silento (yes, the guy that sings the annoyingly infectious Whip/Nae Nae song) whilst Brad took his place during the song Volcano, prior to a hugely impressive drum solo by Tris. It just goes to show that the growing reputation of pop music - 'lads just jump around to other DJ's mixes' - in this case, is completely false. 

The light show wasn't anything to shout about - the most effective, I felt, was produced by the audience's swaying torches during Stolen Moments. Although not much more was needed to enthral the audience than their dynamic stage presence. Brad was jumping around as much as the crowd, and their interactions with the audience were very funny. This, alongside often humorous lyrics and exuberant tracks, reminds me very much of early-days McFly. What's not to love about that?

An hour and a half passed since Rest Your Love, and four extremely sweaty and confetti-clad young men exited the stage after closing the show with Wake Up - the title track to both their current album and the tour - which bought their action-packed set to a fitting finale. Aside from my cringey dance moves and the girl next to me insisting on whipping her hair in my face every five minutes, the concert was thoroughly enjoyable, and mostly made by The Vamps' lively music and performance. 

Enjoy the pictures! 

From,

Eleanor