Photos by Celia Medina
The perfect end to this long slog of a January was always going to be music-related but I never could’ve known the high I would end on when walking into the NUSU ahead of Vukovi‘s first show of their currently ongoing tour.
Opening act Flesh Planet set the heavy tone for this rock, riff-, and mosh-filled night and was followed by new favourites Saint Agnes who blasted the cobwebs, heavy emotions and negative thoughts of the day to a different planet. Unapologetic, heavy and stomping like no other they are clearly soon to headline the Students Union. Powerful vocals, spectacular performances from all within the band with and as the cherry on top the explosive act and vocals of their singer, Saint Agnes absolutely blew it out of thew water with their performance of heavy, stadium ready rock.
The band hailing from London have carved a rebellious path for themselves which they expressed unapologetically on stage, bringing a combination of influences taken from Nine Inch Nails, Poppy and Lorde, making their sound entirely their own and captivating their entire audience in the process of performing it live. I’d heard of and listened to Saint Agnes before but could never have guessed how ferocious their sound could be in a live setting, although I kept getting distracted by my friends who were having an absolute blast and had me smiling from ear to ear throughout the night.
Saint Agnes set the example and Vukovi followed on from that with a brilliant and undeniably Scottish singer and a band completely enveloped by their music. Rock anthems such as ‘THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY TRAUMA’, ‘GUNGHO’, ‘Violent Minds’ and ‘MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN’ had the entire room bouncing, sweating, and moshing, almost changing the layout of the room. Vukovi and their dedicated fans renovated the room, coloured the walls and seasoned the floor, the speakers vibrated and their glaring rock is still ringing in our ears. Personal favourite ‘LASSO’ and their best known hit, although that feels like an understatement, ‘La Di Da’ made for an absolute high and soaring end to the evening.
‘La Di Da’ is another example of the band’s eruptive catalogue and statement of intent, bringing it with chaotic precision and staking their claim as a force to be reckoned with. Although the band’s headline set was as long as any other, it still wasn’t long enough for those of us that had gotten completely engulfed by Vukovi. Addictive, soaring, emotional at times, and at all times feral, Vukovi are now a live favourite and I can’t wait for the band to make their return to the north east!
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