Concert Review - The Vamps - Auckland - 23rd September 2017
Photos by Matt Henry
By Leah Victoria
Artist: The Vamps
Date / Venue: Saturday September 23r, 2017 - The Powerstation, Auckland
The Vamps have been making teenage girls hearts race since finding Youtube fame in 2012 and releasing their debut album Meet The Vamps in 2014. In a few short years they have climbed the ranks and have quickly become a favourite amongst high school kids worldwide.
The British pop/rock band are on the road again with their third album Night & Day, after recently completing a European tour with girl band Little Mix. Last night they were set to wow the young audiences of Auckland.
I arrived to find the party already in full swing with Kiwi band Nomad heating up the stage with some old skool Jailhouse Rock. The crowd gathered in close to the stage and the balconies full, parents standing dutifully on the sidelines!
The anticipation during the short interval was immense, with several false starts of screaming at the mere hint of movement on stage!
The fresh faced quartet didn’t keep their fans waiting long and burst out onto the stage bouncing. Right on cue all cell phones immediately burst into the air not wanting to miss capturing a second of the action for social media brags later. Opening the night with Wake Up the girls screamed and sang along word for word.
Despite protests that they are not a boy band, since they play their own instruments, they certainly have the boyish good looks that have been a requisite for a good British boy band since the days of Take That and they are doing a fabulous job of filling the boy band shaped gap left by One Direction.
But they write catchy songs, and have a wilder style than your average boy band. They produce a fusion of sounds ranging from rock to RnB and even Latin vibes, from pumping club tracks to soulful ballads, and they do each one so well it gives The Vamps a distinct edge.
The Powerstation is a much smaller venue than these guys have become accustomed to playing recently, with Arenas like London O2 under their belt tonights intimate setting was certainly a rare treat for the Kiwi’s.
Although missing the pyrotechnics and the video screens of their bigger productions, Front man Brad commanded the stage the whole time, engaging constantly with the crowd and impressing the hell out of every girl in the room with his strong but smooth voice.
Tristan Evans on drums, James McVey on guitar and Connor Ball on bass bring the rest of the massive energy that was radiating from the stage.
The crowd did a great stand in for Demi Lovato during Somebody To You, and well lets face it absolutely every song that was played tonight. It’s quiet clear that everyone here owns all The Vamps albums and the singing and dancing didn’t stop once.
The whole vibe for the evening was fun and energetic and no doubt proved an amazing experience for many attending a concert for the first time tonight!
The Vamps are a talented bunch of eye candy, so if your daughter ever begs you to take her to a concert, I’d highly recommend you do!