The perennial indie popsters arrive in Liverpool to support their latest album ‘Back In Love City’ and bring a strong supporting cast.
Starting off the evening is London based Aziya. She’s gifted with a voice made to belt out Soul and RnB standards but thankfully she’s not one to follow convention. Instead she picked up a guitar at a young age and along with her band, shreds her way through a set of edgy psych guitar anthems! In the live environment the songs have the power and raw edge not found on the recorded versions and are all the better for it!
Listening to her I felt that she could have been inspired by the likes Gary Clark Jr, where skilfully combining captivating guitar sounds with a melodic vocal makes for a really engaging proposition. Aziya is yet to release an album but it’s only a matter of time. She’s a highly talented musician and it’s undoubtedly only a matter of time before everyone else sits up and takes notice.
Next on the stage are Black Honey. The Brighton based, five piece with front woman Izzy Baxter Phillips on vocals and guitar. They started with ‘I like the way you die’. Opening track from their latest album. With a minimal lighting, Izzy in the long dress and shock of blond hair echoed Curt Cobain’s appearance at the legendary 1992 Reading headline set.
I remember Black Honey playing in small clubs in Liverpool like Studio 2 , Evol Festival in Invisible Wind Factory and headlining Sound City in Camp and Furnace. They’ve been consistently great every time! However, tonight they seemed a little subdued, but still managed to put on a great show. They showcase great mix of songs from their two albums. We heard ‘Believer’, ‘All My Pride’, ‘Back of the Bar’, ‘Spinning Wheel’, ‘Corrine’ and as a grand finale, ‘Run for Cover’.
I really loved their set tonight, a very solid performance.
But let’s move on to the last artist performing tonight. The band, who for last ten years have carved out a career churning out short, catchy as hell indie anthems, the Kings of Indie Pop, The Vaccines.
With all five of their albums having reached top five status in the album charts it’s clear this band have broad appeal and it’s reflected in the diversity of audience that have turned up this Friday evening to see the band rattle through their repertoire of hits.
Opening song we is ‘Wonderlust’ from their latest album ‘Back In Love City’. When frontman Justin Young, wearing T-shirt with ‘You are not Alone’ sign, started singing the opening lines from ‘I Can’t Quit’, their 2018’s Combat Sports, the crowd literally jumps into action with smiles on their faces. The next was ‘I Always Knew’ and head banger ‘Teenage Icon’.
We also heard ‘Disaster Girl’ from released in 2022 EP. The new song was received very well by the enthusiastic Liverpool audience.
Things hot up further with ‘Post Break-Up Sex’, ‘Wetsuit’, ‘All My Friends are falling in Love’ made everyone singalong, the mosh pit expanding further up the hall enveloping everyone in a wave of fun. Each hit sung back by everyone present. All the while the atmosphere and temperature of the hall increasing!
Main set was finished off with milestone tach and fan favourite ‘If You Wanna’.
After a short break, the band encored with: ‘XCT’, ‘Wreckin’ Bar’ and ‘All in White’.
What stands out is that newer tracks are lacking the immediacy and intensity of the ‘classic’ Vaccines tracks, but overall tonight gig was a great night for fans and perfect start to the Easter weekend.
Words and Pictures: Tom Adam @tomadampics