BMX Bandits Forever

BMX Bandits - Forever. Yeah BMX Bandits Forever, too right. 16 new tracks of heart-breaking, heart-aching, warm, reflective pop with contributions from and collaborations with many friends of the Bandits.

Duglas T Stewart, leader and conducted of the Bandits, has been releasing/leaking material from this beautiful album since as far back as 2014. I blogged about opening song My Girl Midge in September of that year, marvelling at the warm home production and stunning vocal delivery from Duglas.

Stewart's vocals are stunning on this album, capturing a moment, a feeling, a thought, a dream.... From speaking to Duglas I know that he favours a maximum of a few takes per song. That comes across in the right way on the album, from vocals, to playing and production.

Forever takes us on a journey; break up, memories, That Lonely Feeling, realisation and dreams in Rust .... and Duglas' heart isn't just on his sleeve, he is pouring it out.

If you come tonight then I won't die

The rust will turn to blood and I will be alive

And if they want to know the reason why

It's my love, my love

Saveoursmiles is a song I heard live back in January and it has that immediacy and simplicity that Stewart has an exceptional talent in finding. Only it's not that simple - just listen to the depth of those lyrics. There is a story and we have reached the point in the story where there is hope that our hero will win his true love back. There is a brilliant organ underpinning the song and the message is clear - lets help each other find our smiles

Tonight I need some you

And I think you need me too

The album takes an unexpected turn with the brilliant Love Me 'Til My Heart Stops, unexpected in that we hear from the other side. The melody and vocals by Chloe Philip are exquisite, as is the guitar playing and driving beat. I played this one a few times in a row. The chorus is delightful and flows superbly.

Forget the pain

Forget the nots

Love me until my heart stops

It's easier to take the blame

Love me until my heart stops

Somewhere is dangerously dark, stark, but absolutely beautiful. Fragile, hopeful (just), the sound of someone clinging on to love, hoping it will all work out somewhere. From the musical West Side Story, this is the sound of a broken heart on record with just a tiny shred of hope that it could be mended. There will not be a dry in the house if this is performed live.

Things take an upbeat turn with three songs recorded in collaboration with Dr Cosmos Tape Lab; Way Of The Wolf is gorgeous and then It's In Her Eyes is just brilliant - guaranteed to bring a smile to your face with it's warm feel, melody and story....from both sides. The way Duglas sings sounds so happy and the melody flows superbly.

It's in her eyes and the way that she smiles

It's in her words and her funny style

When we kiss and start to play

It feels love is meant to be this way....

It's Time begins with an electronic drum machine and a gorgeous glockenspiel melody. Stewart has been through the ringer and now it's time for the two to start again, to love again, to smile again, to live again, time to make a new start. This is pure Beach Boys and pure brilliance.

Next up is another brilliant collaboration, so brilliant that I hope Duglas goes back out to Berlin to record with Anton Newcombe from Brian Jonestown Massacre again. The feel and flow of Razorblades and Honey is sublime. One of the best things Duglas has done in my humble opinion. It's raw, it's rough and it's ready. I love it. The guitar solo is ace, the rhythm section is tight and flowing throughout.

Right now you think you're something

But soon you're gonna be nothing

And then we have The Beach Boys Forever. One of the best songs you are ever likely to hear, especially when you hear it being sung by someone so head over heels in love. It is little wonder that Duglas chose not only to record this song, but also to name the album after it.

I feel so happy loving you

No Matter What You Say starts all quiet before becoming a stomping declaration of love with more stunning vocals from Chloe Philip. One of the beautiful things about this album is hearing from different perspectives - most love albums are only from one.

How Not To Care is a gentle and reflective song with Stewart pouring his heart out again and the chorus is heartfelt and cleverly written.

She doesn't want my love any more

But I don't know how not to care

Life Without You feels strange at the end of the album and weird coming after the likes of Forever. It is short and to the point - Life feels rubbish without you

Then we end with a short reprise of Mais Do Que Valsa (Just A Memory) that is all kinds of dreamy gorgeousness.

Signed copies of BMX Bandits Forever are available at Monorail in Glasgow, or you can order vinyl or CD from the good folks at Elefant Records.

Heartbeats

As the atmospheric swirl of instrumental opener Wide Awake floats around my headphones and leads into the pounding soulful rock of Steal Your Heart. I think back to the first time I caught Vigo Thieves live. It was a Thursday night upstairs in the glamorous setting of The Commercial Hotel in Wishaw.

They were a little drunk, everyone in the venue was a little drunk - hey, it was a Thursday night upstairs in The Commercial. You wouldn't want to be sober! Only trouble is, I was! I'd driven over to catch a band my friend Helen had been raving about and she said that they were amazing live.

Singer Stevie Jukes ended up topless. Gordon on bass, the life and soul of the band may have joined him. They went for it. With songs like Blood Red, Won't You Be Mine and Steal Your Heart, they had something. I became a fan and in time we became friends.

Steal Your Heart had a little bit of Springsteen about it, I loved (and love) the circular guitar riff and the pleading and soulful vocals.

Things ain't right and things need to change

I can feel it in the wind and taste it in your tears

Stevie's lyrics have always mixed reflection with love, hope, dreams and ambition. At times it is almost like he is offering advice to himself. It's the kind of advice that turned some of his songs into anthems for some; leading to euphoric shows at packed out tents at T in the Park and sold out shows at King Tuts, The Arches and the ABC. I shared many of the bands highs and was also around for a few lows, it was a rollercoaster ride - being in a band is.

Stay young in your heart

And young in your mind

So yeah, anthems. Heartbeats was a game changer. The first time Stevie sent it through I was amazed.  Stevie's songwriting was developing big time and he had the attitude and work ethic to go with it. I remember being impressed when a CD of the Heart and Soul (Pt I) EP was popped through my door with a ticket for the launch night at Sleazys. So impressed that I ended up co-managing the band with Stevie for a while - it was quite a journey.

Stevie (vocals), Gordon (bass), Alan (drums), Barry (guitar)

Always one for an idea and definitely someone with a vision, Stevie, Gordon, Barry, Gorman and Alan handed out glowsticks to the audience at Sleazys, turning a dark and sweaty basement on Sauchiehall Street into something brighter, more positive and show like. This was no basement gig, this was a band wanting to be bigger and better.

Heartbeats has such a simple piano riff throughout, the beat is....well like a fast heartbeat, Stevie's vocals soar skywards. It is amazing what an anthem this became, the video was widely shared, T in the Park used it for a promo video and fans fell for it big time.

Hear the truth in my voice with the songs that we sing

Love is the fire that's burning

When your heartbeats

Together we stand divided we fall

The original version of Heartbeats

Listening back now I do find it amazing that a record company didn't pick up on Vigo Thieves. I mean listen to Believe. It is HUGE. Jam packed with soul, emotion, hooks and when the beat kicks in it has that sense of freedom in a song that allows you to go crazy.

Do you believe in the fire in your soul?

Vigo Thieves believed, passionately!

Blinding Lights into Forever - INCREDIBLE! Forever is probably my favourite Vigo Thieves song. This new version on the album is sensational. What I love is the way the band build towards the chorus and it's as if the song and chorus are going to kick in, but the beat drops out and the chorus just kind of floats and soars. I love it, I think it is beautiful and clever.

Then the second verse DOES kick in and builds to the second chorus and this time it DOES kick in and it DOES fly. When the band played this live it was pure escapism for me - a brilliant song. An anthem.

So yeah, the big songs keep coming. This Love is drives forward at pace, another catchy piano/keys riff leads into big beats and Stevie singing his heart out and asking urgently;

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it?

This love?

The outro lifts thing even higher.....and higher.

Stevie at a sold out Arches

I remember coming back from a trip to London with Stevie on the train one time. He wrote down a list of songs he was working on and talked me through them. Gold was a song he was excited about - although I think he only had the title! Everything else was in his head, being worked on.

Razorblade is polished pop rock, it sounds perfect for the radio, for a drive with your mates in the sunshine, windows down. There is a beautiful slowed down piano version of this somewhere...

Of brother don't be away

Cause when the sun is rising in your eyes

I'll take it all away

Sound of Summer was a very early Vigo's tune I loved but the band ditched. They were moving on, Stevie was writing songs like Heartbeats, Believe and Forever. I'm glad they revisited it. The pop kid in me loves the chorus and in another dimension (or a country like America) this would be a radio hit. The shimmering guitar riff is a beauty as well.

Stevie celebrating becoming the first unsigned act to sell out 2-nights

back to back at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

Songs That We Sing starts with a brilliant sounding electric guitar, it sounds deliciously raw and builds to pounding drums. Another big tune, stadium sized.

Will you be my lover, will you be my friend, is it what we're waiting for?

Ghosts flows, surges and soars from the off. This was a big live favourite; the crowd sang the lyrics and also the riff and when Chris Cruickshanks saxophone kicks in it just adds to the Springsteen vibe. Then there is a stabbing synth and it all kicks off again.

Al, Barry, Stevie, Gordon and Chris

Steal Your Heart (Pt II) was my favourite Vigo song for quite some time. Largely because it was so different from everything else. Slow, Stevie pouring his heart out, it really gets me. One time I was down in London with the band, having fun, playing shows and dreaming of a record contract. We all vowed to get tattoo's of lyrics from a song if it happened. Mine would have been the second line from;

You're looking for the love to heal the pain from all the scars

So just live for the moment and you'll shine like the stars

I remember listening to this on headphones on the train and just falling in love with those lyrics. Look at them written down - pretty poetic! Someone really down, hurt and scarred and being offered that advice to keep going. Again, it was probably Stevie offering advice to himself.

The song builds and there are glorious angelic like backing vocals leading back into the chorus from Steal Your Heart (Pt I).

Look out for the hidden track.

So there you go; Heartbeats (the album) by Vigo Thieves. It misses Love Is Dead, She's On Fire and Blood Red and it should probably have been released 2 or 3 years ago but better late than never. :-)

What Heartbeats does do is provide a lasting document of a band that shot for the stars, a band that dared to dream big, a band that wanted their songs played and sung in stadiums.

What disappoints me as a music fan is the hundreds of thousands of pounds wasted by major label record companies on bands (in Scotland alone over the last few years) with not a fraction of the songs that Stevie and co had/have. Nor did any of the bands have the star quality or frontman charisma of Stevie. The Vigo Thieves were (and are) a band of brothers, a real band of friends, not put together by an advert or by a company.

Listen to songs like Steal Your Heart, Heartbeats, Believe, This Love and Forever. Close your eyes and dream.

Keep an eye out on Saint PHNX - Stevie and Al's new band. Who knows what will happen with the Vigo's.

Vigo Thieves at the ABC Glasgow

Last night Vigo Thieves, an unsigned band, played the O2ABC in Glasgow. They packed it out, they smashed it, they didn't just tear up the rule book; they didn't even pick it up, they just wrote their own.

For a band with 2 self-released EP's and a single to their name to sell almost 1,000 tickets for a 1,200 capacity venue is incredible. The reaction they received was even better.

Belief, drive, anthems and interaction with fans have generated a word of mouth buzz that led to last nights show. Two years ago they released the 'Heart & Soul Pt I' EP with lead single 'Heartbeats' and they sold out Nice'n'Sleazys down the road from the ABC. One year ago they became the first unsigned band to sell out 2-nights at the legendary King Tut's Wah Wah Hut and they followed that up by selling out the Arches.

Vigo Thieves are building an increasingly passionate following; the terrace style chants of 'Viiiigggooooo' that greeted their arrival on stage last night was proof.

The band came on stage to 'Wide Awake' from their debut EP, bursting into action with 'Steal Your Heart', the stirring circular guitar riff flowed superbly and singer Stevie Jukes was backed by the crowd as he sang the hooks and the chorus.

Stay young in your heart

And young in your mind

'Blood Red' followed at a furious pace with Stevie striding to the front of the stage at the end to urge the crowd on.

'Believe' sounded huge. Vigo Thieves write songs for occasions like last night - great venue, good sound system and a crowd demanding to be entertained. Arms were aloft, some went on their mates shoulders and the band turned in a performance that left no-one in any doubt that they believed.

The band - Gordon Phipps on bass with a smile as wide as the Clyde, his hair bouncing around as he jumped along with the fans, Barry Cowan generating beautiful guitar riffs that sounded epic, Chris Gorman on keys, synths and stunning back vocals that add so much to their cannon of epic anthems, Alan Jukes on drums - pounding his drums like he wanted to destroy them, Stevie Jukes on rhythm guitar and vocals - leading and conducting the songs and crowd.

Stevie and Chris did a short piano version of 'Heartbeats' that got the crowd singing - band and fans as one. A special moment.

'Won't You Be Mine' one of the bands very first songs received a rare outing to the delight of some of the fans who have been there from the beginning, before 'Steal Your Heart Pt II' brought a tear to my eye - sounding bigger, better and bolder than ever before.

You're looking for the love to heal the pain from all the scars

So live for the moment and you'll shine like the stars

'She's On Fire' was a cross between Simple Minds and U2 before the band embarked on a closing segment that just blew people away.

'Forever' is probably my favourite Vigo Thieves song when they play live. It tugs on my heart-strings and it is so cleverly constructed that when the second chorus kicks in the song just soars.

Let's live forever, together we can stay young

'This Love' was utterly amazing. Chiming piano, pounding drums and a flowing melody before the chorus is literally rammed down your throat - backed up by pyrotechnics that just added to the ever increasing evidence that Vigo Thieves are an arena band.

How many bands do you go and see and you can't remember a chorus the next day? No chance of that with Vigo Thieves! The sing-a-long hooks, choruses and chants will be in your head after one trip to see them.

The band departed only for Chris Gorman on keys and the guest sax player to come on to start a slowed down version of 'Ghosts' before the rest of the Vigo's returned to blast into the full version. Beach balls dropped from the roof and everyone quite literally had a ball.

'Heartbeats' was always going to end the set and it did so in a glorious euphoric manner. Stevie Jukes sang like his life depended on it, arms were raised, confetti rained down on everyone and everyone was smiling, dancing and singing a-long.

Stevie jumped in the crowd and was carried almost to the back of the venue and then returned to the stage just in time to thank everyone.

Thanks to Vigo Thieves - writing songs with heart and soul to be sung by the masses. Quite why a record company haven't snapped this band up is beyond me.

Love is the fire that's burning

This Love by Vigo Thieves

Epic, emotional, soaring and of course; full of heart and soul. Ladies and Gents….'This Love' by Vigo Thieves is available to download from i-tunes tomorrow - Monday 3rd March.

Piano chords chime before a synth riff kicks in, so simple and addictive that you'll be singing along to it before you know it.

Can you feel it? This love? I got nothing else

Like a fever, this drug, in my veins until the death

Stevie Juke vocals have never sounded so good, straining and gasping with the emotion, packed with soul and love. Jukes has an uncanny knack for writing an epic pop/rock song. There have been references to U2 and Simple Minds in the past, the piano chords and overall feel and production make 'This Love' even more cinematic and theatrical; Jim Steinman would be proud of this beauty.

The breakdown for the final verse is brilliant, building up to a suitably huge chorus which is just hammered home for a full minute and 20 seconds.

When all is said and done

And we're fading like the sun

How you gonna feel it if you ain't got this love? (REPEAT loads)

Can you feel it?

There is an urgency, a feeling. 'This Love' is going to open even more doors for Vigo Thieves and they've kicked quite a few down over the last 2-years.

This is an unsigned band that are growing in the best way possible; by word of mouth. Anthems like 'Heartbeats', 'Forever' and 'Believe' are being backed up by incredible live shows that are making them a must see band.

Set to play a huge show at the ABC in Glasgow on Saturday 28th March, it is surely only a matter of time before someone makes a move to sign Vigo Thieves to give them the platform they deserve.

If they don't, then Vigo Thieves are on track to do it themselves anyway.

Tickets for the ABC show are available HERE

Watch the epic video for 'This Love', a homage to the film 'Drive', below;