Vigo Thieves - 2012 review

2012 has been an epic year for Vigo Thieves and in turn a thoroughly enjoyable one for me.

They have taken DIY to a new level thanks to a combination of hard work, creativity, innovation, exceptional songs and their motto #believe.

Highlights? Well there have been many, but watching the band pack out the BBC Introducing Tent at T in the Park and turn in an epic performance that got the place bouncing is probably the one that stands out most. Check out this brilliant fan footage that really captures the atmosphere.

The band have made a video review of the year taking in fan photos and videos alongside their own. Check it out and some of their achievements are noted below. Come along for the ride in 2013.

Website                              www.vigothieves.com

Facebook                            www.facebook.com/vigothieves            

Twitter                                 www.twitter.com/vigothieves                  

Soundcloud                        www.soundcloud.com/vigothieves

YouTube                             www.youtube.com/vigothievesonline

                                         

Bio

Vigo Thieves formed in 2009 and are from Wishaw, a satellite town rich in industrial history, 20-miles outside of Glasgow yet a world away. Starting a monthly club night, Shook To The Bones, gave the band a chance to develop their sound and fanbase, as well as an opportunity to put on bands from around Scotland that led to gig swaps in cities and towns across the country.

Stevie Jukes (vox/guitar), Barry Cowan (guitar/vox), Gordon Phipps (bass) and Al Jukes (drums) combine to produce epic songs that are fit for stadiums and festivals. There are echoes of band favourites like New Order, Simple Minds and U2; driven beats, explosive synthesisers and soaring emotionally charged vocals with lyrics that can be sung from the heart and soul.

Key achievements in 2012

·         Packing out the BBC Introducing Tent at T in the Park (see fan footage above)

·         4 sell-out shows in Glasgow, the last one at the Art School sold out 6-weeks in advance. Review http://extremelisteningmode.com/2012/05/29/vigo-thieves-the-art-school-glasgow/

·         ‘Heartbeats’ being used to soundtrack the T in the Park announcement film

·         ‘Heartbeats’ was the opening track on the GoNorth CD distributed in Music Week

·         Vigo Thieves have received airplay on BBC Radio 1, Amazing Radio, BBC Radio Scotland, Clyde 1 and more

Future plans

The release of the 'Heart & Soul Pt II' EP in February followed by live dates including launch parties at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut on 8th and 9th February.

The following live dates are currently confirmed with more to be announced in the near future.

08/02 & 09/02/13 - King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

23/02/13 - Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh

Media highlights

"A huge piece of indie rock, I can imagine hearing that at T In The Park!” Ally McCrae BBC Radio 1 

Introducing

“Their brand of big upbeat rock is Simple Minds with an edge of Glasvegas A fantastic band shooting for commercial glory with an arsenal to make it.” - The Daily Record

“Really emotional, heart felt and anthemic. Epic rock fit for stadiums” Vic Galloway – BBC RADIO 1 

“A start-stop motion heart pounder!” NME

“Young pretenders to Simple Minds throne.” Jim Gellatly – Clyde 1 IN:Demand/Amazing Radio

“If you want modern guitars with an electronic edge but the soul of Springsteen, here comes your band.”extremelisteningmode.com

"This is a band built for the big stage. This is emotionally charged stuff – blending muscular beats and anthemic sensibilities with soaring, Bono-aping vocals and a euphoric synth-soaked arrangement. If you like U2 at their most epic, you’ll love this." This Feeling

"No one should be able to create a sound this huge in a venue this small. They’ve taken elements from U2, Simple Minds, and New Order and blended them in a way that you can immediately recognize the influence, but are still swept away, and excited even, by the fresh direction Vigo Thieves have taken the sound." The Vinyl District

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

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

With your Heart and Soul

Vigo Thieves 2012

Vigo Thieves - Forever

Vigo Thieves have just released their new song and video, 'Forever'.

This is a real statement of intent and a positive display of creativity and ambition from a DIY band with no financial backing. I like to think of it as modern day punk, being the romantic that I am.

Vigo Thieves 'Heartbeats' and 'She's On Fire' videos released earlier this year have amassed a total of over 100,000 views on YouTube and a fan-made video from their T in the Park performance at the BBC Introducing Tent has reached over 11,000 views at the time of writing.

This is a band that recognise the importance of Social Media and quality content.

'Forever' stars Jody Latham from Shameless and gorgeous Mary Jane O'Harra in an epic 3 minute 27 second film of young love, dreams and tragedy shot by Shootback Productions.

The song starts with stabbing synths before a soulful vocal kicks in and leads the listener on a journey that matches the film perfectly. 

Let's live forever, together we can stay young

Let yourself surrender, together we can stay young

Just let yourself surrender

The first chorus is a total hands in the air moment before the beat and chiming guitar kick in.

We are blinded by lights

Forever falling through neon skies

I see a child as I look in your eyes

It keeps me believing in a place that we can go where we'll grow old

The chorus then lifts off, supersonic jet stream, leaving others trailing in the slipstream.

Check it out. The band have live dates coming up in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow with more to be announced.

Vigo Thieves are a band for the people. #believe

Vigo Thieves, BBC Introducing Tent, T in the Park 2012

‘Hear the truth in my voice, with the songs that we sing’ – Hearbeats, Vigo Thieves

It’s always a pleasure watching a band on top form; smashing it, a gig that will live long in the memory, exciting fans new and old. On Sunday I watched Vigo Thieves play the BBC Introducing Tent at T in the Park and they blew me away.

The progress of the band during the first 6-months of the year has been nothing short of staggering. It started with a headline slot at Tuts in January and it has continued with sold out shows in Sleazys and the Art School, trips to London, YouTube videos that are approaching 100,000 views, the Stag And Dagger Festival, radio play, excellent reviews…..it was all building up to yesterday and the band didn’t disappoint.

Ten minutes before the Vigo’s took to the stage, I helped hand out 200 glow sticks to the crowd. The band did this for the first time at Sleazys in February to celebrate Gordon’s (bass) birthday and they transformed a dark dingy basement (no offence to Sleazys) into a festival style atmosphere. We repeated the trick at the Art School in May and again yesterday. It is becoming something of a trademark for special Vigo’s shows.

The lights dimmed and Vigo Thieves appeared on a stage bathed in red light, glowsticks were being held aloft or twirled above peoples heads as the opening chords of ‘Blood Red’ came crashing in. Vigo Thieves were clearly up for it and had spent the morning locked in practice to ensure they were at peak condition for T. With the audience singing the guitar riff back at them the band lifted it up another notch, if that was somehow possible.

The stabbing synths of ‘Love Is Dead’ and the epic chorus spirited the crowd away from the muddy swamp outside as people jumped in time to the beats.

‘Steal Your Heart (Pt II)’ is probably my favourite Vigo’s song, it certainly contains my favourite lyric of 2012. The song builds into a crashing crescendo and the band were joined on stage by the gorgeous Madaleine Pritchard to assist on the huge ‘woah, oh, oh, woah, oh oh oh’ chorus at the end. Chris Gorman on keyboards and synths assisted throughout the night, just adding to their already massive sound.

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

It was euphoric, only introduced to the bands set at the end of May as it was very much created in the studio, however with Chris and Maddy guesting with the band, they nailed it live. The keyboard riff sounded huge and as bassist Gordon Phipps raised his hands in the air, the vast majority of the crowd followed suit. Perfect for a festival.

‘She’s On Fire’ kicked in, sounding like it should be blasting out from the main stage rather than the BBC Introducing Tent which was rammed to the seams.

It’s burning inside, this feeling so strong

‘Steal Your Heart’ got the place bouncing, the circular guitar riff sitting so well alongside another huge chorus and Stevie (vocals) got the crowd to sing along with the ‘Woah-oh, oh oh oh – woah-oh, oh oh oh’ section at the end.

Stay young in your heart and young in your mind

Someone threw a Scottish football top up on stage with the number 12 and T in the Park on it. Stevie took off his jacket and put it on to huge cheers before the final song ‘Heartbeats’, the song of the set and the song of the festival as it has been used on the T in the Park website since the line-up announcement in February, earning the band loads of new fans and they were there to bounce and sing-a-long yesterday. Chris’ live piano riff was great, it is a song that I imagine Chris Martin from Coldplay wouldn’t mind having in his cannon of festival/stadium anthems.

Check out this incredible fan footage;

 

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

I started this blog with the above lyric, lifted from ‘Heartbeats’. In many ways it portrays the strength of Vigo Thieves. They wear their hearts and influences on their sleeves, the lyrics are straight from the soul and sung from the bottom of the heart, they offer reflection but with a strong sense of purpose, desire and ambition.Scotland needs a band like this. Everyone needs a band like this. A band with heart and soul. Vigo Thieves.

T in the Park 2012

The latest announcement of acts for the 2012 T in the Park prompted the usual outpourings of joy for some and scorn from others.


The same thing happened when the Stone Roses were going to be headlining one night at T in the Park with plenty of people moaning that the Roses would mean that ‘even more neds than normal’ would attend the festival. 

 

I thoroughly enjoy reading the comments and tweets, finding it highly amusing at the people getting worked up about the line up. 

I'm older, if something is good then I like it, regardless if it is cool or not. I'm wiser as well, I completely understand why DF Concerts have picked the acts they have.

There is a recession going on in case people hadn't noticed. DF have wisely picked acts that they know will help the festival sell out yet again. Stone Roses, Kasabian, Noel Gallagher and New Order have massive fan bases north of the border. People from 15 to 50 will want to see these bands, many youngsters for the first time, many others to remind them of their youth.

Once the festival sells out there will be plenty of scope to get other acts in. Part of going to a festival is all about getting the timetable and planning who are you going to see, where and when, what does it clash with? Oh who will I choose, are you going to see them? I'll meet you after then? All part of the fun.

If a novelty act like The Darkness are announced for Glastonbury it is treated with the humour intended; 'Oh I bet the Darkness will be fun'. Of course plenty of people at Glastonbury would also think 'fuck that' and go off and see something else. That is the beauty of a festival of the scale of T, there are plenty of other stages.

Elsewhere there are the acts for the youngsters; Example, Calvin Harris, The Vaccines and many more. Yeah The Wanted are playing but again Glastonbury kind of pioneered the pop band playing that you didn't expect, they usually get a good crowd and I am sure The Wanted will get a good crowd at T who have had Sugababes amongst other pop stars.

DF and others have tried the festivals for the cool kids; Connect and Indian Summer - brilliant festivals, the first Connect had an incredible line-up that I couldn't believe. I miss them, but they were massive loss making festivals. I hope they try again, I don't think that this is the right time. Check out Bestival - hard and expensive to get to from Scotland, but my mate has been the last two years and is going again this year.

I think I went to 8 or 9 out of the first 10 years of T in the Park. Since then it has been a bit more sporadic; I have been for the day, been as a volunteer with Oxfam and I’ve been as a worker when I organised a tent for Maggie’s Centres. I’ve been in the VIP area, I’ve been ‘backstage’, I’ve been in the nice workers campsite, I’ve been in the jam packed punters campsite, I've seen people tip over a portaloo with someone inside.....not pleasant, yet funny at the same time.

I’ve seen the transition from the first festival where everyone really did wonder if it was going to happen to the behometh that T in the Park is today.

A few facts.


The T site at Balado becomes the fifth largest town in Scotland for the weekend.
That statistic alone means that you are going to get people from all walks of life attending, in the same way that you get all walks of life living in a large town/city. A weekend of music fuelled by alcohol and plenty of other substances, the chance to be with your mates, meet like minded people, camp out, party all night…..that appeals to many whether it be doctors, lawyers, school kids, students, the unemployed, bankers, wankers and inevitably neds. 


So the short answer is that yes, there are going to be neds at T in the Park. I think anyone who has been to T in the Park knows that. Whether it can truly be described as a Nedfest is another matter altogether.


There are also going to be some highly educated, talented and artistic people in the crowd.


I still get a buzz at T when I see kids running into the site, overjoyed to be at their first festival. They don't give a flying fuck about what the cool kids think about the line up, their joy is that they are out with their mates to see loads of bands over a weekend - oh the beauty of innocence.

Do the Stone Roses attract neds?

When I was at school it was all the cool kids that were into the Roses. But then back in the early 90’s neds wasn’t in the vocabulary. I don’t recall many neds attending the first T in the Parks, but I do know that many came down and hung outside and there was a bit of trouble. One of the reasons (other than site size and restrictions) that the festival moved to Baldao.

Again, on a similar theme to point 1, any band with a huge fan base is going to attract all kinds of fans. So that definitely applies to the Roses. A fine example of the cool kids being the first to find out a band and then that all changing is this excellent blog by one of the first people to get into the Roses ‘back in the day’in Glasgow http://louderthanwar.com/blogs/the-past-is-yours-but-the-future-is-fine

One of my favourite T in the Park memories is turning up to Balado campsite really early on the Friday (before bands played that day) with a big group of my mates and a big group of my brothers mates. The sun was shining, we pitched, we drank and we listened to tunes. A group of lads down the way had a ball and asked us if we could get a team to play them. Indeed we could. We played in the scorching sun, 5 half-time, ten the winner. We won 10-8, I linked up with my brother for the winning goal. We made pals with the lads and had a great night talking about music. At one point a massive cheer started to go around the campsite, soon everyone was cheering and everyone seemed to be moving to one area. We went down, someone had a great wee soundsystem and everyone was dancing. Some guy was mashed but he was loving it, he didn’t care that everyone was dancing around and even inside his tent (it was quite big). Everyone was drinking, dancing together, chatting. A few of us stayed up all night and we didn’t regret a moment. I woke up in someone’s tent and had no idea how I had got there.

One of those great nights and I hadn’t even seen a band yet. The point being that the vast majority of people at T in the Park are there for a good time, to listen to music, to have fun, to dance and to make friends and chat with strangers.

Conclusion

T in the Park has neds, but to describe it as a nedfest is to do it an injustice. It is the biggest festival in Scotland by miles, attracting some of the biggest names in music year on year, selling out with ease and making tens of thousands of people extremely happy.


Loads of people plan their summer around it, in fact loads of people probably plan their year around it. In tough times people need something to look forward to and T in the Park certainly provides them with something to do just that. 


People save for it, people crave for it....OK I'm going to go one further and say that people rave for it (groan). They certainly rave at it, the audience at T in the Park has to be one of the most 'up for it' in the world. 


We should be focusing on the multitude of positives surrounding this festival that provides joy to so many people, provides a huge boost for the Scottish economy and highlights the stunning Scottish countryside and our 'mad for it' crowd that are up for a party regardless of the weather.


Now if someone can sort me out with a ticket for the day the Roses are playing, that would be tremendous.