After two, long years without stepping foot on stage, The Vamps were FINALLY able to perform all their beloved songs once again on their long awaited “Cherry Blossom” tour.
Over the past two weeks or so, the band have been travelling the country to perform in front of their doting fanbase. It would have been rude of us not to attend after so long. On our sunny travels, we were blasting out songs of theirs in the car just wondering which ones they will be performing in the evening. The band provided a VIP package for fans to witness their soundcheck and do a little Q&A. We thought, why not? And tagged along to a soundcheck to see what they get up to in preparation for their show.
After a rather long wait queuing, (something about gigs we truly HAVEN’T missed), we were let into the venue early before doors officially opened for anyone else. The Vamps were on stage waiting for every VIP attendee to arrive before singing “Glory Days” and “Better” for us. After these two wonderful songs, they then proceeded to answering a few questions from the crowd. This was a perfect way for fan and band to reconnect after so long not seeing each other. It was like a family reunion. They sang “Another You” before rounding everything up. Fans were then allowed to stay in the venue and buy merch if they wished to.
Fast forward to a couple of hours later when general admission also join the crowd for the party. The first support act to open the show was punk queen, Lauran Hibberd. Her music was perfect for getting everyone energised. Despite all her equipment getting stolen the day before, she didn’t let that stop her from putting on a fantastic performance. She sang songs from her recent EP “Goober” including “You Never Looked So Cool” and “Boy Bye,” all of which went down a treat. She was bound to gain a few more fans after the tour had finished.
Next up was JC Stewart who fans were already familiar with as he is a good friend of the band. His set was mainly just his brilliant voice and acoustic guitar. He sang some crowd favourites “Too Many Nights” – a track which he teamed up with 220 Kid for last year – and “I Need You To Hate Me” where the crowd sang all the words back to him. He also sang a brand-new track “Don’t Say You Love Me” which is out this week. Be sure to pre-save it now as it is quite the banger!
So, the audience is now officially warmed up. It’s time for The Vamps to make their way to the stage for an unforgettable night. They opened with a newer track “Married in Vegas” and the crowd went wild. It was the best song for them to open with as for some, it was the first time hearing the track live. Then followed fan favourites “Just My Type” and “Cheater” which everyone went crazy for. They continued to belt out banger after banger, at times it almost felt overwhelming. The way that they worked together as a band was fascinating to watch with your own two eyes. The way they controlled the crowd, their excellent musicianship and professionalism, their humour, all mixed in with all their well loved songs was simply magical to witness.
They sang some old favourites including “Oh Cecilia” and a stunning acoustic performance of “Wild Heart” (don’t even get us started on Brads’ big notes, we’d be here all day. It was enough to give you goosebumps). As always, “All Night” was one of the most energetic songs of the evening. As it was the “Cherry Blossom” Tour, then it would be a bit silly of them not to sing some new material. These new songs included “Nothing But You,” “Part of Me,” “Glory Days,” “Better,” and “Chemicals.” It’s always interesting hearing new songs live for the first time as it is never the same as the studio version. How will they translate? How will they perform it differently? Music as an artform is so easy to appreciate in both aspects, and you can tell a lot about an artist by the way their songs translate live. After hearing the “Cherry Blossom” tracks live, we would love to hear a live version of the album!
They wrapped up the show with old favourite “Somebody To You” before taking a bow. The perfect way to end their superb setlist. Fans will find it hard to pick a favourite of the evening as it truly is an impossible task. It was amazing seeing just a fraction of their long discography be loved by so many music lovers. After being a band for so many years, you can see how they have grown as people, musicians, and friends. It was beautiful to witness, and if you were at any of their shows, you were lucky enough to witness that magic also.
The Vamps are a band that are a must-see live. You won’t believe how good they are until you see it for yourself. To keep up with future updates, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Now is an important time to also support smaller artists so make sure you also show some love to Lauran Hibberd and JC Stewart on their socials below;
Lauran Hibberd;
JC Stewart;
Did you attend any of The Vamps shows? Let us know what you thought over on our Twitter! – @AboutThe_Noise