Live Review

Vigo Thieves – King Tut’s, Glasgow

• 10th Feb 2013

There are not too many bands who get to play Glasgow’s famous King Tut’s for two nights. So for the Vigo Thieves to be given that honour, then sell out both nights and play shows that can only be described as epic says a lot for the Lanarkshire indie band.

The evening started with the debut of new band Flash Talk. Their electronic based sound was smooth and melodic and backed their strong lead singer well. The soon to be released single Synthesise was perhaps the standout track, a lovely keyboard melody driving a bass heavy song with a simple but effective chorus. For the final song their lead singer added a second guitar to the mix giving a more rock sound. It was a promising debut from a clearly talented band.

Johnny And The Giros turned the temperature up a little with a strong set. Their indie pop sound is big and expansive, mixing electronic and rock influences, and vocalist Mikey O’Donnel leads from the front. It was a high energy performance from the band, although their one slower track, Got Them Running, was very good too. A snare drum at the front of the stage and some smaller percussion instruments added to the heavy rhythm. And O’Donnel’s frequent forays onto the barrier off the front of the stage involved the large crowd in the set nicely. Another good performance from a fine live act.

With the crowd already whipped into a frenzy and Born To Run playing, the five member of Vigo Thieves took to the stage to a tremendous welcome. The band launched straight into Wide Awake, its typical mix of heartfelt lyrics and a massive sound starting the set in real style. Think stadium rock but somehow crammed into a small setting. This band has a real chemistry on stage, blending guitars and synth sound together perfectly.

Lead singer Stevie Jukes plays the crowd like a real pro. Challenging them to be louder than the previous night’s had been was just the right way to go, and they sang and danced along all night. New song Believe was an early highlight, a big, passionate and anthemic rock song with a simple chorus. And for Blood Red, the stage bathed in an eerie red light, Jukes was on the barrier playing as the crowd pressed ever forward.

The massive Forever featured Chris Gorman’s great synth sound as bassist Gordon Phipps set a heavy beat in a pair of sunglasses thrown from the crowd. It was that kind of night. And drummer Al Jukes was a blur as he pounded the skins in tremendously powerful fashion. Barry Cowan’s guitar work was superb on the single Ghosts, although unfortunately the star of their superb video John Leslie was unable to attend the gig. And the closing Heartbeats was as fast and powerful as anything else in a quite tremendous set.

There was really only one way to end such a great night of music – Stevie Jukes launched himself over the barrier and into the audience. He surfed his way to the back of the venue on the shoulders of his fans, before somehow finding his way back to the stage in one piece. The act summed up the band’s commitment and performance rather well.

Vigo Thieves showed in these shows that they are, quite simply, one of the best live acts around at the moment. This was a tremendous set with quality music and a great performance throughout. They are clearly a band on the edge of big things.

Venue: King Tut’s, Glasgow
Support Band: Flash Talk, Johnny And The Giros