Déjà Vega saw out their most successful year to date with a show in the Pink
Room of Yes in Manchester on Saturday night, adding a festive twist to their
set.
Hull's Velkro open up the evening and despite a muddy sound that often takes away
some of the impact of their wonderfully vibrant take on shoegaze with guitars
turned up. Formed out of the ashes of the highly rated Priestgate only a few
months ago they impress a rapidly filling up Pink Room with a half-hour set
that promises much more to come in 2024 as they establish themselves with
their new identity.
This is a much more intimate Déjà Vega show than you'd expect these days
given their ascent from support slots around town to being one of the most
exciting and visceral headliners around, both in Manchester and further
afield. With two albums under their belt, tonight has the feeling of an
end-of-term event where everyone lets their hair down and has fun.
Of course Déjà Vega are a serious proposition live. The combination of Jack's
furiously intense performance as their front man, one of the nicest guys in
music turned into a ferocious demon the minute he steps on stage lost in the
music he and his mates are creating and Mike and Tom's rhythm section that are
every bit as vital aurally but who seem almost oblivious to the manic
movements of their lifelong friend a few feet away from them. They've learned
their trade over the best part of a decade to now be able to seamlessly and
effortlessly gel together, creating a sound that threatens to overwhelm Yes's
set-up such is the sheer intensity of the trio.
The set, as you'd expect leans heavily on their second album Personal Hell but
there's plenty for everyone in their hour and a half set. Early singles
Friends In High Places is dusted down for the occasion and the self-titled
debut album also gives us Chasing, Mr Powder and Eyes Of Steel, all crowd
favourites for both those in the growing mosh-pit down the front and those
standing back and drinking in the raw power of the band as the room heats up.
Slow And Steady, one of the stand-outs from Personal Hell, shows that Déjà
Vega are not just about volume and adrenaline-fueled headrushes - there's lots
of grooves running through these songs.
They finish, as you'd expect, with a glorious soaring version of The Test, a
song that takes on new life and is always teeming with the band's adventurous
spirit as the three of them jam through fifteen minutes plus of
part-improvised music. Tonight's version is a unique one as it's got a short
blast of Merry Xmas Everybody that the whole room joins in with before The
Test's final section drains every last remaining drop of energy from the
moshpit and the band leave with roars of appreciation ringing in their ears.
2024 will mean new music and new adventures but this was Déjà Vega signing out
of 2023 in the only way they know how.
Déjà Vega are on Facebook and Twitter.
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