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 - reasons to believe

Believe by Vigo Thieves was re-released recently to coincide with the song being chosen by the Scottish FA as then anthem for the nations Euro 16 campaign. It is the perfect choice - Strachan has restored the fire in the soul of the players and the supporters, people believe again.

I was delighted when I found out as the band are huge supporters of the national team. Barry follows the team home and away as a committed member of the Tartan Army and it was only last year that Gordon was creating a bubble bath in Trafalgar Square in London when down watching Scotland against the Auld Enemy!

Gordon Phipps - it's always the bass players that are the party animals!

The band are growing from strength to strength, a summer of festivals followed by an Autumn tour led to the offer of 4-dates with The Courteeners (including 2 at the Barrowlands) and Vigo Thieves will be rounding off 2014 in style with their second headline show at the ABC in December. It promises to be quite a party.

Vigo Thieves have worked hard to build a word of mouth following that will only grow - especially when they release their album. 2015 promises to be a big year for the band so I decided to look at a few of the many reasons why more and more people are believing in the Vigo Thieves.

Vigo Thieves at the SFA launch of Believe

REASONS TO BELIEVE

The songs
Vigo Thieves wouldn't have generated this much noise if they didn't have something about them but at the end of the day it all comes down to the songs. People are looking for songs to sing-a-long with, to dance to, to jump around to, to fall in love with, to look for hope in, or to soundtrack their nights and their life. This band have the songs to do that - attend any of their live shows and you'll see just what they mean to people.

Vigo Thieves have been building a top rate collection of songs over the last few years. More and more people are waking up to it - songs like Heartbeats, Forever, This Love, Believe and Steal Your Heart are festival and stadium anthems in the making - the hooks, riffs, refrains, beats, choruses are all there. People are already singing a-long to the hooks and riffs at the shows.

The enthusiastic responses at live shows and the growing scale of them has only encouraged Stevie Jukes to write bigger and better songs - anthems to be sung loud and heartily.

I'm fortunate to have heard some demos of songs that Vigo Thieves are working on in the studio and they sound incredible.

It isn't just the live environment that these songs work in, they sound incredible on the radio and their anthemic and cinematic nature has been picked up by the Scottish FA, it is surely only a matter of time before they are soundtracking games, adverts, films and shows.

The video of This Love displays the cinematic widescreen feeling of Vigo Thieves

2. Positivity
Vigo Thieves are all about heart and soul. They give it everything and the lyrics of Stevie Jukes highlight that. Examples?

Got to wake up, live for today
Stay young in your heart and young in your mind - Steal Your Heart

Love is the fire that's burning, when your heartbeats - Heartbeats

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 - Steal Your Heart Pt II

Lets live forever, together we can stay young - Forever

It's not just the lyrics, Vigo Thieves are positive in everything they do - their live shows are a celebration, they are always looking to improve, develop and grow, their attitude and commitment is like no other I have experienced. Which leads on to...

Drummer Alan Jukes has the best seat in the house

3. Vision and leadership
Stevie Jukes had a clear vision for Vigo Thieves when he started out. 'Start with the end in mind' is one of his key philosophies and one that has served him and the band very well. Stevie has combined his talent for singing and songwriting with sheer hard work and resilience to get Vigo Thieves to where they are. He won't rest until he has taken them as far as he can possibly go - and that is all the way.

These qualities and more have helped drive the band forward more than anything else. I've never been anything less than impressed with Stevie, his natural charisma on stage and off has helped create opportunities and develop lasting relationships.

Stevie Jukes knows how to get a crowd on his side

4. A real band
Vigo Thieves didn't stick an advert in a magazine or online, they didn't come together through management or a record company, they are a true band. Stevie and drummer Alan are brothers, Gordon on bass and Barry on lead guitar are long term friends with the Jukes brothers. Chris Gorman on keys, synths and backing vocals joined after producing early demos and being the unofficial 5th member. Recognising his importance to the developing sound, Stevie likened him to 'playing piano like Elton John and having a voice like Jesus'.

The band gel superbly on and off stage, there is a real chemistry between them. Stevie singing his heart out, Alan a power house on drums, Gordon keeping the songs flowing on bass, Barry adding flourishes and riffs on guitar, Gorman helping to take them to the next level. Chris Cruickshanks joins the 5-piece on saxophone, creating a Springsteen feel to songs like This Love.

Vigo Thieves stripped back in session

5. The shows
I've mentioned the live shows turning into celebrations. I've witnessed incredible scenes at King Tut's, T in the Park, Wickerman, the Arches, the ABC, Barrowlands.... The momentum is with this band and the bigger the shows, the more they respond and the more they give.

For an unsigned band to have sold out the Arches and got over 1,000 people into the ABC is an incredible achievement - they still haven't released an album! The songs, the shows, airplay and word of mouth is generating something special and they won't be unsigned for much longer.

Vigo Thieves at the ABC in Glasgow earlier this year - a celebration

Get a ticket for Vigo Thieves at the ABC on 20th December. You won't regret it.

The Fratellis and Vigo Thieves at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

Last night was the latest in a series of exclusive and intimate charity shows put on by the Sunday Mail for their Sunday Mail 100 fund - aiming to raise £1 million for 17 charities.

It was an opportunity for Vigo Thieves to return to Tut's, a little over 14-months after becoming the first unsigned band to sell out 2 successive nights at the legendary venue.

Tut's was busy when the band took to the stage, launching into the opening Steal Your Heart before Blood Red. Stevie Jukes looked and sounded fantastic, the 6-piece (Chris Cruickshanks joined them on saxophone) were packed on to the tiny stage.

She's On Fire sounded epic, channelling Simple Minds and Cruickshanks ferocious sax solo was a highlight.

Many (including myself) puzzle over the fact that Vigo Thieves remain unsigned. The band fired off 4 songs that are more suitable to stadiums/festivals rather than Tut's. Jukes came down off the stage and raised his hands triumphantly and the crowd responded as Believe kicked in.

This Love was a highlight, flowing superbly before Forever soared - Chris Gorman on keys and synths was in top form on backing vocals.

Heartbeats closed the shorter than normal set. Vigo Thieves had their share of fans in the crowd and they had won more than a few more; their songs packed with heart and soul generated a great response.

The Fratellis were in sensational form from the off. A rock'n'roll band playing to a rock'n'roll crowd in a rock'n'roll venue. Jon Fratelli looked lean, mean and as if he had stuck a finger in a socket, looking a little like Marc Bolan and channeling more than a bit of Pete Townsend with his guitar moves.

The bands leader was ably backed by the Animal like Mince on drums, the solid Baz on bass and an amazing fourth member on piano.

The crowd responded well throughout the show. The Fratellis have a good catalogue of songs built up with gems and crowd pleasers like Baby Fratelli, Henrietta, Ole Black n Blue Eyes and Whistle for the Choir.

Flathead was a riot, the band playing at a furious pace and the crowd going mental along with it. Seven Days and Seven Nights was a standout from their latest album.

Chelsea Dagger was mental, it must be a joy for the band to play that every single time to see the response. The band closed a great set with A Heady Tale, they were tight and loose, speeding up with ease when they wanted. A top show.

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;

The rise of Vigo Thieves

Vigo Thieves, an unsigned band from Wishaw on the outskirts of Glasgow, have announced their biggest and most ambitious headline show to date - the ABC in Glasgow on Saturday 29th March as part of their 'This Love' tour for their forthcoming single.

It's been coming. The band have progressed at incredible pace over the last two years.

Back in February 2012 they released the 'Heart & Soul Pt I' EP with lead single 'Heartbeats' delivering a statement of intent, packing out Nice 'n' Sleazy's and handing out glowsticks to fans to create a stadium style atmosphere.

By the summer the band were ramming the BBC Introducing Tent at T in the Park, delivering a blistering performance full of anthems that were being sung back at them with gusto.

 

They followed that up with a support slot to The View at the O2 Academy and they took to the huge

venue with ease.

 

A sold out show at the Classic Grand in the Autumn to promote the stunning 'Forever' single ended with a stage invasion. The band then announced a date at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut for February 2013.

The date sold out in a week and a second show was added, that also sold out. The word was out.

The two shows at King Tut's were absolutely sensational, launching the epic 'Heart & Soul Pt II' EP. The first was a dream that ended with Stevie surfing across the crowd, being carried on the shoulders of the adoring masses. The second, if possible, was even better. Perhaps due to the fact that the first night contained a lot of old fans and friends, on the second night the band gave it that little bit extra to welcome new fans to the fold.

Onwards and upwards. There was a support slot to The Fratelli's at the Barrowland and then back to T in the Park, becoming the first unsigned band to play the Transmission Stage. It was rammed and the buzz for band and fans was incredible. The Solus Tent at Wickerman was even better with the tent bursting at the seams.

What next - well it was a show at the 800 capacity Arches in town. It sold out as well, the bands songs, performances, desire and belief were spreading through the best form of advertisement - word of mouth. This was a band you had to go and see. The band released the 'Believe' single. That word has been their motto from the word go and more and more people were believing.

The Arches show was epic, the sound, the lighting, the songs, band and fans all coming together as one. Two new songs were played, including 'This Love'.

The stuff listed above isn't half of it. There were shows in London, Dunfermline, Stirling, Inverness, Elgin.....radio sessions, STV sessions, radio play, great reviews and lots of hard work....and play!

And so.....what will 2014 hold for Vigo Thieves?

This is a band reaching for the stars, come along for the ride.

Get your tickets for Scotland's hottest band HERE

Vigo Thieves - Heartbeats video and free download

Vigo Thieves are gearing up for the release of their forthcoming 'Heart & Soul (Part I)' EP by releasing one of the tracks, 'Heartbeats', as a free download accompanied by a video.

The video features fans and friends of the band including; Brian Henderson (The Dykeenies), Leo Mayweather (White Vinyl Collective), Patricia Panther, Madaleine Pritchard, Davey Horne, Jamie Keenan (The LaFontaines) and Clare Kelly (Suspire).

'Heartbeats' starts with a melodic piano riff that Chris Martin from Coldplay may think about pinching if he hears it, over a rumblin bass with echoes of U2.

If the bass is reminiscent of U2, then the lyrics, vocals and melody are as heartfelt and soulful (as the EP title may hint at) as those of U2 and other stadium giants.

There are 'woah oh oh's' a-plenty and the use of simple imagery that just make it seem natural to sing along to and you find yourself getting sucked into the song.

(woah oh oah oh oh)

Love is the fire that's burning

And your heartbeats

(woah oh oah oh oh)

Together we stand, divided we fall

Start the fire

Let your heartbeat, let your heartbeat, yeah

Bono has never been afraid to take a common phrase and stick it in a song to make it stand out and with 'Heartbeats' the Vigo Thieves use the same trick to great effect; 'it's better to burn out rather than fade, the fortune favours the brave' in the first verse and the 'together we stand, divided we fall' hook.


I'll review the EP in a later blog, just enjoy this song for now. To coin a phrase used by another band with anthems, Vigo Thieves have 'Songs To Learn And Sing.'

Love is the fire that burns, feeding the truth, it keeps the world turning

If darkness begins again, we'll chase the sun