It’s only been 5 months since the last time dark duo VAMPS came to town for a sold out show at the O2 Academy Islington, which turned out to be one of the best shows 2013 had to offer. This time the guys took to the aesthetically pleasing KOKO in Camden for a show that once again would be broadcasting straight to cinemas across Japan. Now it’s probably safe to say if you’ve come here looking for a fresh-faced opinion on the band, you should go back and read our review from last year, as there’s nothing really new to be said. Set list, style, banter- all were pretty much identical, the only major difference being the setting and increased number of cameramen placed around the venue. So suffice to say, this is going to be a short one.
When the crowd funnelled through the venue doors, comments of praise echoed around the lobby, “this place is stunning”, “wow”, “amazing”. This was something you wouldn’t have heard back in October when VAMPS played the dank, dusty Islington venue. Red walls, sculptures and high balconies, this venue was the perfect fit for the band, suiting their style down to a tee.
The night was kicked off by support from the UK’s own The Howling, who were invited at the personal request of VAMPS. With typically cheesy songs about “girls kissing girls for attention” we knew what we were getting into with these sleazy punk rockers, but it successfully set the mood for the rest of the evening of sex, blood, and rock ‘n’ roll!
VAMPS played exceptionally from start to finish, with every band member hitting every note with finesse, never missing a beat, though it was far from unpredictable. The set-list contained all the fan favourites including ‘ANGEL TRIP’, ‘DEVIL SIDE’ and the surprisingly fantastic cover of ‘Life On Mars’, all in near enough the same order as last time. Even the call and response extravaganza ‘HUNTING’, where HYDE constantly asks the crowd “where’s my lamb?” in hopes to find the wildest member of the audience to become his next “victim”, contained the exact same soft toy lamb props thrown from the crowd for HYDE and bassist Ju-ken to sink their teeth into. Everything that came off as spontaneous and unexpected the first time round seemed planned and lacked any sense of surprise. Despite this the crowd still let loose, but probably less so what with cameras swooping over head every so often, taking in every drum beat, guitar solo and hand gesture with a sense of glee.
As I said, it’s only been 5 months since VAMPS last played London, and the memory of that first show is still set firmly in the minds of those who attended. I always expect to be left in awe by the end of a show, hoping bands try something new to keep every performance fresh and unique, but that didn’t happen this time round. Of course if this was your first time seeing these guys do what they do best, this was certainly a night to remember, but if it wasn’t, chances are you knew what was around every corner. Though this might have not been the show of the year, VAMPS still gave the fans what they wanted, more VAMPS, and it’ll be interesting to see how well Japan’s own princes of darkness go down with the crowd of the UK’s most notorious rock festival this June.
Words by Charles Shepherd
