Vukovi Save Live Music @ Rescue Rooms

November 2, 2021

*Vukovi performing at Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. Photo by Carrie-Anne Pollard*

It’s the first time since February last year that I have stepped foot in a concert, so tonight is both exciting and a long time coming.

Unfortunately due to the early door time, Delaire The Liar were just wrapping up as I head to the front of the room, but the 30 seconds I caught sounded great.

Next up are main support Press To MECO, who cut any chit chatter and storm straight into song after song – they probably missed playing as much as we missed listening. Guitarist Luke Caley and bassist Jake Crawford make full use of the stage, pacing around whenever they’re not on vocal duty. The three piece, rounded off with drummer Lewis Williams, all lend their voices to the songs, which blend together brilliantly in songs such as set stand outs ‘A Test Of Our Resolve’ and the rifftastic ‘Gold’. For set closer ‘Sabotage’ the crowd get all warmed up for Vukovi with the old crouch down / jump up / go wild routine. Press To MECO manage to blend beautiful harmonies, crushing riffs and mathcore intricacies, and are definitely ones to look out for.

Somewhere in between the last band ending and Vukovi beginning the crowd seems to have doubled in size, and the room has got several degrees warmer. As soon as the lights go down the roars go up, and after a slightly subdued entrance from guitarist Hamish Reilly, leading lady extraordinaire Janine Shilstone bursts onto the stage, instantly kicking into set opener ‘17359’.

There’s no stopping the two-piece, Vukovi are a thrilling band to watch live, it’s almost impossible for such charisma to radiate from only two members, yet they manage to fill the stage with their presence. ‘Hurt’ has the whole room bouncing, while ‘Play With Me’ is introduced with a ‘I best see you fucking moshing!’ by Shilstone, needless to say she wasn’t left disappointed, with a pit opening up the middle of the room.

The energy is calmed for a few slower songs ‘I’m Sorry’ and ‘Colour Me In’ being more sing-along than mosh-along, but as the set draws to a close – with no encore may I add, because they’re ‘a bit wank’ according to Shilstone– the pace picks up with ‘Run/Hide’ and closes with ‘La Di Da’, which has the whole crowd shouting along to the hook.

Vukovi always bring the energy, the songs and the moves, what a brilliant way to welcome me back to art of the live concert.