Lively and rebellious as ever, The Vaccines played their second of two sold out nights at the O2 Academy in Brixton.
The frontman Justin Hayward-Young shared with the crowd an anecdote about the band's first ever gig taking place around the corner at a pub in Brixton in attendance of 2 people. Seemingly worlds away from playing a 5,000 capacity venue for two sold out nights.
The band were celebrating a mighty 15 years since the release of their debut studio album 'What Did You Expect From The Vaccines' with the tour consisting of 11 UK dates and 9 planned EU dates playing the album in full. The entire UK tour was sold out, which is an incredible achievement for the band.
The album was released in 2011 on Columbia Records and was the best-selling debut album of 2011 in the United Kingdom and entered the UK Albums Chart at number four.
On the UK leg of the tour the band were supported by Brigitte Calls Me Baby, an American band from Chicago, who I had the pleasure of seeing a few times previously. They have a great stage presence and style to match and have amassed a following within the UK 'Indie' scene over the last few years.
The Vaccines came on stage around 9pm. Interestingly, the original tracklisting wasn't played in order, however, the band kicked off with the debut single 'Blow It Up' swiftly followed by 'Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)'. Either way the crowd was electric and enjoyed a punchy start to the evening.
Further into the album were songs such as 'Wetsuit' and 'All In White' which had fans screaming the lyrics and throwing arms into the air. The performance from the band was incredible and the band were constantly engaging with the audience which was lovely to see as always.
'What Did You Expect From The Vaccines' has a total run time of around 36 minutes, which meant the band had to fill the rest of their set time with some of their other hits from various albums such as 'Handsome' from their 2015 album 'English Graffiti' and 'Heartbreak Kid' from their most recent album 'Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations' released in 2024. Despite the shift over to their 'newer' work, the momentum didn't change and the crowd kept their energy.
Listening to the album in full live was an amazing experience. It's clear to see the band are still incredibly proud of the album (rightly so) and by the reaction of the audience it still hits just as good as it did back then.
The album was and still is the perfect sound of teenage angst. It was powerful and lively and was a soundtrack to many people's lives. The album is timeless and doesn't feel as though it has aged over those 15 years. If it was released today, I anticipate it would be met with exactly the same reception.
In their encore the band played an unreleased track 'Ten Years Too Far' hinting that fans of The Vaccines could be treated to a new album in the near future.
All in all it was a fantastic evening and I look forward to hearing the band's next album in the future.
Amy Hamilton, Contributor
