The Vaccines are playing a week of ‘outstore’ shows to support the release of their sixth album Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, which is packed with instantly catchy indie-rock anthems. Album release night was on South Parade Pier in Southsea, UK, hosted by Pie & Vinyl record store. The room was suitably packed with a hands-in-the-air crowd lapping up the singable choruses of the new album and classic crowd-pleasers from the back catalogue.
The show opened with the superb first song from the new album, “Sometimes, I Swear”, clever song writing with insistent drums and euphoric guitars, and the supremely entertaining frontman, Justin Hayward-Young. Album outstore shows have no support act and are generally intimate affairs, but the crowd needed no warming up, exploding with energy and excitement.
Justin grew up in the area and reminisced with the crowd about going to shows at a venue just along the beach, making him even more endeared to the crowd, if that were possible. Tongue-in-cheek, he said they could have gone anywhere for their album release show, but they chose Southsea.
Already favourites from the new album, the band played “Primitive Man,” “Discount De Kooning” and “Heartbreak Kid.” The 13 song set included much loved classics “Wetsuit”, “Post Break-Up Sex” and closing the main set “If You Wanna.”
Returning for an encore with new song “Lunar Eclipse”, before telling the crowd they’d played eight shows in ten days, and to give his voice a rest would they mind helping him sing the last song of the set, “All My Friends”. The audience had been emphatically vocal all night and needed little invitation for the last song, and a perfect end to proceedings.
The Vaccines commence a 24 date tour across Europe and the UK, through January and February, catch them if you can, and definitely give the new album a listen.
