LIVE REVIEW: Vega @ The Underworld, London
In times of dire straits, community is invaluable. A hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen and arms to embrace, may seem like small and insignificant things but even the slightest offer of sympathy can do wonders for an aching soul. Saturday night in Camden’s The Underworld saw a community come together under the banner and watchful eye of British rock band VEGA.
The night of solidarity was kickstarted by heavy metallers JOANOVARC, joined onstage by their original drummer Deborah Wildish and newest vocalist Hazel Rogers. Exorcising early material like Live Rock And Roll and Ride Of Your Life, the leather-clad quartet also teased a more sinister and deliciously exciting chapter of the band with Rogers’ banshee-screeching vocals on fresh and unreleased tracks Mister Mister and Invisible Enemy, injecting a lethal dosage of twisted nightmares a là ALICE COOPER.
Rating: 7/10
New wave of classic rock heavyweights REVIVAL BLACK shimmied onto the stage with a southern stride, hammering down into new track Believe and radio favourites Midnight Oil and Give You The World. Sporting more hair than a wig shop, the five-piece laid bare their influences with a cover of DEEP PURPLE’s Burn that was hard to concentrate on as vocalist Dan Byrne wiggled his arse on every possible beat, (and you don’t need us to tell you that there’s a lot of beats in rock music).
Rating: 6/10
Touring their seventh studio album, Anarchy And Unity, VEGA whipped the stage back into shape for their headline set and the Stradford-Upon-Avon sextet set about righting the wrongs of the world’s past year with Worth Dying For and Ain’t Who I Am. Dwindled to a five-piece due to usual lead guitarist Marcus Thurston unable to make the show, newcomer Billy Taylor proved his musical chops by learning captivating solos for nearly every song of the night within the space of three hours whilst on his way to the show. The bands dissatisfaction for Thurston’s absence was made known by vocalist Nick Workman as he reached for an audience member’s phone, recording a video message for the missing guitarist and encouraging the crowd to shout “fuck you Marcus” in true brotherly banter fashion.
A lyric from 2014’s Stereo Messiah echoed chillingly throughout the venue, as “we have a reason for today” resonated louder and stronger than ever before amongst the uplifted crowd. Tracks like Bring The Riot, Kiss Of Life and White Flag each flickered with the same anthemic notes as BON JOVI and DEF LEPPARD, the call-and-response nature of each track’s chorus giving glimmer after glimmer of hope. The feeling of euphoria wasn’t just limited to the crowd as the lack of cables, wires or a mic-stand left Workman with more space than he knew what to do with, rendering him spinning around and skipping in circles like a child in a field of daisies during Every Little Monster, Beautiful Lie, and the six minute ballad Live For Me.
Pete Newdeck’s double kick drum seemed to only make an appearance during Man On A Mission, the extra drum merely on display for symmetries sake. The same can be said for keyboardist James Martin, the usual vital component to 80s rock rendered faint and inaudible throughout the show and feeling like a spare part. The night may have been spilling over with 80s-fuelled nostalgia and fading synths, but the upbeat atmosphere provided by VEGA will be remembered by those who needed it most. Seven albums worth of material made up the soundtrack to a much needed pep-talk about tomorrow being a new day, the dawn providing yet another shot at life and happiness. And surely that’s all that matters?
Rating: 7/10