VAMPIRE WEEKEND // OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
A night full of celebration and surprises - Vampire Weekend and Teenage Fanclub play Glasgow's OVO Hydro.
★★★★☆ (4/5)
Vampire Weekend began in 2006 with a group of Columbia University students in New York City. The band members—Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Chris Tomson, and Rostam Batmanglij—met while studying at Columbia and bonded over their shared interests in music, culture, and literature.
The name Vampire Weekend came from a short film project that Ezra Koenig worked on during college. The project wasn’t completed, but the name stuck for the band. They then gained traction by self-releasing songs online and performing at house parties and small venues around New York.
Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album was released in 2008 and received critical acclaim. It showcased their unique blend of indie rock, African-inspired rhythms, and clever, literary lyrics. Their music circulated on influential indie blogs, helping them gain a devoted following that were hungry for the band's first release.
Batmanglij was a crucial member during the band's early years, shaping their unique blend of indie rock and world music through his production and multi-instrumental abilities. Though he left the band to pursue solo work, he contributed to the 2019 album Father of the Bride.
Although this departure may have marked a shift in the band’s dynamic, Vampire Weekend has continued to evolve and thrive, they have a huge fanbase and an ability to stand out in a tough industry.
Today, with suitcases full of experience, Vampire Weekend still remain popular and - as their latest tour proves - still surprising.
The wonder starting way back when the tour was announced and the large, arena venue of Glasgow's OVO Hydro was revealed. This was big clue that they were planning something big.
The next heart skip came from the night's support Teenage Fanclub. With every city of the tour featuring a unique and purposely chosen opener and Glasgow certainly got a prize pick.
The Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub formed in 1989 and are known for their melodic, harmony-rich sound influenced by power pop and indie rock. With a huge influence on their fanbase, the parallels can be drawn between the two band though it was a surprising match up.
Teenage Fanclub did a fantastic job with their set. They set rumbled quickly into form with jangly guitar colouring their quirky lyricism. It was shame that the venue only seems half full for this incredible act.
The fans continued to flood in and the place did start to feel that hustle of such an amount of people. It was soon time for Vampire Weekend to fill every space with sound.
Their setlist for every night of the tour is a pick and mix, mystery selection of tracks, giving no twitchy-fingered googler any chance of knowing the what, exactly, was ahead. They kicked things off with fan favourites Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa and Holiday in from of a curtain backdrop that displayed the band's name in large letters.
Vocalist, Ezra Koeing, is into it from the second the lights are on him and he is on fine form with the crisp flare he adds to every note. The man jumps out with saxophone and he clearly knows how to use it. Baio is such a dynamic performer and gives each song a worthy routine.
The stage setup is reminiscent of the early days in the timeline of Vampire Weekend. They have a glorious moment of transformation on stage where the curtain falls from behind and a grand display is released with a backdrop of transforming visuals and a fabulous light show.
The show continues with blink and you'll miss it moments of humour from stage hands and incredible tracks from the band's early and recent discography. To finish the epic night, they round things off with a joyous, sing-your-heart-out special, featuring the most seemingly random mix of covers from a list of top songs ever written. This included track performed by Grateful Dead, System of a Down, and Shania Twain.
Vampire Weekend found a way to make their show unique and original which is such a monumental achievement in a world of constant entertainment. They are clearly not afraid to go against the standard formula and that shows their brilliance. They only question that remains is when are they coming back?