29th October 2008 - Vampire Weekend at Glasgow Barrowlands
There is always something special about a gig at the Barrowlands. My first gig there was way back in 1993 when Teenage Fanclub headlined a gig with support from The Posies and the delicious Juliana Hatfield 3.
15 years down the line and I felt like the oldest guy in the crowd at a gig by NME favourites Vampire Weekend. The crowd, mainly consisting of very excited teenagers, were well up for it and so were the band. They ripped through their album and played a couple of new tunes and b-sides to pad out the set.
Their were some excellent moments - notably the pop punk of the single 'A Punk', 'Oxford Comma' and 'Walcott'. The bands sound is incredibly basic and pure with minimal, if any, effects. They rely heavily on melodies and the inventiveness of singer Ezra Koenig's voice. Some songs are very rythmic, with the bass and drums carrying the song along.
Despite being incredibly simplistic, the songs are incredibly clever. There is a hint of Paul Simon/Simon and Garfunkel about some of the songs and an almost Carribean feel to others. Some songs clock in at barely 3 minutes and it was to the bands credit that they didn't play extended versions.
All in all, a very enjoyable gig and a band not afraid to be a bit different.
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