Vaccines, Rock City, Nottingham

Supported By Brigette Calls Me Baby 

Tonight’s support band Brigette Calls Me Baby are from Chicago and they played us songs from their upcoming second album ‘Irreversible’ which is to be released in the next few days. They start off with band introductions during their very first song but then have to stop after the second one because the bass guitar wasn’t working. Once that is fixed, we resume. They are very early 2000s era Killers, White Lies etc maybe with a touch of 1980s A-Ha. All very dated but then so am I. I liked them. 

The Vaccines are persisting with their pinkness e.g. their stage deco themed for their last album ‘Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations’. They take the stage and open with ‘Blow It Up’ as they embark on playing all twelve tracks from their debut album ‘What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?’ in a slightly readjusted order with every word sang back at them. This is, of course, upon the occasion of its 15^th birthday. 

‘Blow It Up’ was also the B-side of their debut single ‘Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’ which follows next with ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ their second single up third. So there is a strong logic to their reordering of the songs. 

Lead singer Justin Young reflects on those fifteen years and also the history they have with Nottingham. Their first publicity photo was taken in the car park at Rock City and they also played an early secret gig under a false name around the corner. 

After playing their way through their debut, they add another eight tracks from their other albums before ‘I Always Knew’ off their second album ‘Come Of Age’ brings the main set to a close. 

Young returns solo for an acoustic rendition of ‘No Hope’ before the rest of the band return to play a new unreleased track entitled ‘10 Years Later’ before they close with ‘All My Friends Are Falling In Love’. 

What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? Exactly this.