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 Arches, 7th September 2013

It felt special, one of those 'I was there' shows, but then every Vigo Thieves show feels like that these days - the King Tuts shows in February, a Barrowlands support with The Fratellis, BBC Introducing and Transmission Stage shows in consecutive years at T in the Park, a rammed Solus Tent at Wickerman, a riot of a show up in Elgin...This is a band determined to create something special...they are succeeding; the word is out and the word is spreading.

Vigo Thieves have progressed at an exceptional rate since the release of their debut EP 'Heart and Soul Pt I' in February 2012; reviews, airplay, shows, supports, festivals, songs, production, confidence (not that they have ever lacked in that department!), They ramped it up another notch with this show, selling out the Arches.

Support was from Model Aeroplanes, a feisty young band from Dundee and Arches, but the night was all about Vigo Thieves.

The atmosphere built considerably between 8.30pm and the stage time of 9 o'clock as I got a number of fans to help hand out glow sticks to the crowd that were pouring through the doors. The band didn't hang about and came on to their own atmospheric track 'Wide Awake' that opens their debut EP. The layered vocals building Verve/Ashcroft style before the line 'dreams I'm having with you by my side' is repeated.

The band blast into 'Steal Your Heart', the circular guitar riff lifting the already pumped crowd immediately. Glow sticks twirled in the air as the crowd sang back the lyrics and also the guitar riff as frontman Stevie Jukes walked to the front of the stage with his arms aloft in celebration.

Stay young in your heart, and young in your mind

'Blood Red' is the oldest song in the Vigo Thieves cannon, revitalised since the addition of Chris Cruickshanks on saxaphone for some songs. 

'Viiiigo, Viiiiigo, Viiiiigo' terrace style chants filled the air. Vigo Thieves are a band of the people, positive anthems that almost demand to be sung.

There was a brief interlude as Chris Gorman on piano teased the crowd with the hypnotic riff from 'Heartbeats'. The crowd started singing along, so Stevie started singing with them - it is usually the other way round! It was a spine tingling moment and I've got to admit that tears came to my eyes, this stripped back piano version was incredibly emotional.

The bands motto has always been 'believe' or #believe online. It has served them well and it was natural that a song with that title would come along at some point.


What a song it is! Starting with arms in the air style synths and Stevie Jukes singing like his life depends on it before the rest of the band kick in. Stevie was off the stage and up on the barrier in front of the crowd, shaking hands with the adoring masses and being held up by them.

Do you believe in the fire in your soul

With confidence flowing the band introduced the first of two new songs, the slower yet still anthemic 'Songs That We Sing' and with the crowds reaction you would never guess it was brand new - literally completed the week of the show. Alan Jukes hammered down on his drums during the intro to the point he was leaving his seat. Chris Cruickshanks joined the band again to play flute, highlighting the growing sound that the band have found.

'Steal Your Heart Pt II' was incredible, containing my favourite Vigo Thieves lyric;

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

'Forever' is one of my favourite Vigo Thieves songs, it is so cleverly constructed and written so that when the chorus hits for the second time it truly soars to places that other bands can only dream of flying. The band ripped through it.

Let's live forever, together we can stay young

I'd started off the show at the back of the room by the sound-desk to make sure everything was sounding good - it was. By now I was down the front, dancing and singing with the rest of the fans. During this song an older guy was standing next to me, hand banging against his heart. Our eyes met and we shook hands. After the song I found out he had travelled all the way from Wick to see the band! What a guy! 

Next up was a song that I have been dying to hear for a couple of months. I'd heard it in soundcheck for the first time and it blew me away, now I was eager to see how another 800 people would react.

'This Love' is a special song. It flows superbly, Stevie Jukes has a knack for that. The band gelled superbly and the breakdown towards the end when Stevie, Barry (guitar) and Chris (piano) come together in glorious 3-part harmonies before the song jets off to the sun. Exceptional.

The band departed to gather their breath. Chris Gorman (keys) and Chris Cruickshanks (sax) came back out first and started a stripped back 'Ghosts' to get the crowd in the mood. They knew what was coming.

The band came back on and hammered into it, Stevie Jukes was urging the crowd on, as if they needed it! The closing instrumental saw the band locked tight in a groove with Cruickshanks allowed to go wild on sax - E-street band-tastic! 

We can be alive tonight, we can be alive tonight!

'Heartbeats' is the traditional set closer for Vigo Thieves. The place went absolutely mental. The simple piano riff just sticks in your head for days, the lyrics are as heartfelt as anything Stevie Jukes will ever write.

The band all came to the front of the stage with their arms aloft at the end - totally triumphant. This is a band of the people, a band for the people. To get such a huge crowd singing your songs with you was just incredible - anyone for the Barrowlands next year?

View from the stage at the end, by Stevie Jukes

And triumphant backstage

Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire at Oran Mor, 27th May 2011

Roddy Hart and his band The Lonesome Fire displayed all the signs of a band on the way up at a sold out Oran Mor last night. Riding high in confidence on the back of the Forever Young - Bob Dylan birthday concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in January, Hart and his band flew through their back catalogue and played a few new songs to boot.

Support band the Sunshine Social played a short acoustic set, with Hart and co determined to have their equipment set up and ready to go. The highlight of the set was a stunning song that the singer played at the end called 'Bones' that moved him to tears. It was emotional and the young guy was baring his heart and soul on stage, resulting in a hug from his band mates afterwards.

The Lonesome Fire is now a 6-piece band as Hart continues to develop his sound; think Petty mixed with Dylan, The Band and Springsteen. With two (sometimes 3) electric guitars (Roddy is normally on acoustic), there is a real warmth and depth on stage.

Opening with a new song, the band barely let up for the first few songs until Roddy welcomes and thanks the crowd. 

Throughout the course of the night and the between song banter we learn that Roddy has had a busy day; finishing a song (that he plays along at the piano with the lyrics in front of him), attending a mate from uni's wedding and playing two songs, getting stuck on the M8 on the way ack(checking to see if someone who tweeted him to say they were stuck has arrived) and playing a packed Oran Mor!

There are many highlights from the night, I should really take a pen and paper to gigs to get the setlist, but I go to gigs to enjoy them, not to take notes. So in no particular order;

'She Is All I Need' was a searing blast of American rock with Hart on harmonica; 'Home' received one of the biggest cheers of the night and rightly so, with beatutiful guitar work and Hart's voice at its best.

'Send A Message' is epic pop with eches of U2 and Coldplay at times, Petty and the Heartbreakers at times, particularly towards the end when it moves up through the gears with the; 'send send, send send the message' section with a gorgeous stadium size (yet delicate) guitar riff.

The band rip through a song called 'A Girl Named Joe' and afterwards we learn that it originated from a jam session with Ryan Adams, although he ended up collapsed in a corner, so Hart finshed the song. It was good fun guitar pop.

'Take Me Home' was another cracker, harmonies reaching skywards, a lovely piano riff taing the song all the way.

'Edge of Love' is stunningly beautiful, the band seem to work as one throughout the night and Hart ensures they are well thanked and name checked to applause from the crowd.

'I will take away your loneliness and fear, to the edge of love I will follow you my dear'

'Bright  Light Fever' is one of a number of new songs thrown into the set, it is another epic song with the band really going for it. A possible future single (to my ears anyway), this is a song that the band clearly enjoy playing, I could imagine it being played and enjoyed at festivals.

'Mercy Boat' ends the night in stunning fashion, Hart's lyrics are among his best, his voice throughout the night is sensational, rising and falling when required, roaring and straining in all the right places, backed up superbly on harmonies by the Lonesome Fire.

'it might take time, strength, prayers, we'll get there'

This summer will see the CD release of his third album Road of Bones (currently available on LP here) and I am sure that the band will kick on from there. I'd highly recommend going to see them live the next time they are in town, although if you fancy a trip to Paisley they play there in June.