Live Review: The Vaccines - Manchester Academy 06/202/2024
A triumphant display of music from their wide catalogue: The Vaccines stunned Manchester Academy with an unforgettable performance.
Since bursting onto the scene over a decade ago, the outfit have become household names as their arsenal of tracks and albums grew. The release of their sixth studio record, ‘Pick Up Full Of Pink Carnations’, has seen The Vaccines take to the tour bus once again. Fans all over were certainly not opposed to this, and tickets were snapped up, resulting in the majority of UK dates being sold out, or very nearly-so.
As one of the UK’s most salient musical cities, Manchester would be perfectly respectable hosts for The Vaccines’ live show.
Despite the gig falling on a Tuesday, the crowd brought the Friday feeling, with well over 2000 music lovers streaming into the venue for an evening of entertainment.
First up on the night were Nottingham outfit: Divorce. Opening for bands of such stature as The Vaccines is no easy feat, yet they took to the stage with a real confidence and gave the crowd a great taste of what they’re about. Those in attendance were made aware of the group’s incredible ability to layer sounds with a stunning blend of vocals, courtesy of three vocalists on stage. One track where this was particularly evident was ‘Eat My Words’. They are a real group, and they seemed to have such a true understanding of one another on the stage.
Following Divorce would be Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers. With an eye-catching group name, they had already drawn in a great deal of interest. They proved to be an excellent support act in Manchester. They wasted no time with their set-list and gifted the crowd an energetic performance full of great music. One of the most poignant in their set was the opener. ‘Desk Chair’ was fast-paced and displayed just how strong of an outfit they really are. Being from the other side of the globe, it’s incredible that the group are making such an impact in the UK already. Fans certainly took a shine to them and will hope to welcome them back soon!
After two incredible support acts, it was time for the main event. The mid-week pints were flowing, and the crowd were up for it. At around 9 PM, The Vaccines graced the stage of Manchester Academy, and they were welcomed by a thunderous roar of appreciation.
They kicked things off with one of the fan favourites from their new record. ‘Love To Walk Away’ was belted out by all in attendance. It was remarkable to see so many people know each and every word to a song from a new body of work, with ‘Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations’ only being in the world for around a month.
Front-man Justin Young took the helm with this one, showing off his incredible voice. Each chorus that he sang was infectious, and the crowd were right where the band wanted them.
There was no let-up at the start of the set, as The Vaccines jumped from the brand new ‘Love To Walk Away’ to a Vaccines track that has been loved for many years now. ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’ was the song in question. It sent the Manchester faithful into a complete frenzy. The decision to play this one early on was genius. If fans weren’t already in the mood to get moving with the music, they were now.
The band worked together to achieve their famously tight live sound. Each member completely nailed their part. Straight from ‘Wreckin’ Bar’, they threw themselves into ‘I Can’t Quit’. This one saw the guitar of Timothy Lanham take centre stage. The initial riff that drives the song through its verses was instantly distinctive, and Lanham seemed to have achieved the ultimate sound for a live show. This guitar was crunchy, fuzzy and drove the song.
The band’s incredible musical talent was visible throughout the entirety of the set. Arni Arnason’s bass was unmissable in the same track, keeping the rhythm and really bolstering it.
The set was full of tracks from all eras of The Vaccines. Those coming from the first album, though, were particularly well-received. ‘Wetsuit’ saw a plethora of bodies on shoulders, with the entire room singing the famous chorus in unison. It was beautiful.
Amongst the classics, though, there was room for some of the new material. One of the new tracks performed was ‘The Dreamer’ which went down a treat. Yoann Intonti built suspense throughout the track with an incredible performance on the drums.
The set was everything you could wish for. A blend of tracks from each record that the band have put out. The fact that every single era was appreciated by the Manchester crowd is testament to the talent of The Vaccines.
The tail end of the set was peppered with incredible tracks, including ‘If You Wanna’ and ‘All In White’.
As was expected, the group were asked (loudly) for an encore. They granted the people’s wishes and gave them three more tracks. ‘Sometimes, I Swear’, ‘Lunar Eclipse’ and ‘All My Friends Are Falling In Love’ were performed. This concluding an outstanding evening of music.
It’s safe to say The Vaccines are still just as good as ever, and they show no signs of slowing, even after releasing a stunning sixth record.
Words. by Matthew Caslin
Photography by Kate Derbyshire
