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The thought goes that when a man comes into a room
it is not the motion that carries him into the room
which is of interest, but what he does when he is in
it; indeed what will come next? This propensity for
action is nowhere more prescient than for a band; especially
one sent out to sell itself.
The Vines have been courted, favoured and succoured
by Capitol Records since last year. The record
label has fuelled The Vines, financially supporting
them over the odds with $800-a-day studio time over
six months and exuberant living expenses; all dedicated
to a fistful of fiscal return. This is of a concerned
interest for a record label, not many groups off the
back of a mislaid demo, have ever found themselves as
rich as Croesus, or at least Eddie George, and been
afforded such a time to record a first album.
 Over
here now to promote 'Get Free', their third single,
the group has also been sent to Europe to play out an
easier market than the unslayable beast that is the
States. Smaller tours, easier and achievable press and
an already fawning fan base stirred up by this year’s
resurgence of guitar bands – The Hives, The Strokes,
The White Stripes – bands from abroad are selling garage-loads
here. And The Vines name has been added to the above
list.
All this downloadable information for The Vines makes
the first date of this short tour of Northern England,
tough for now the band has to enter the room and show
after the time and money spent that they could impress
and perform. Time, place and action. On entering the Sheffield
Leadmill, what can they do?
Craig Nicholls, small of frame and bird-nest of hair,
casts himself well as a diminutive-rocker when bolting
on, throwing his guitar around and playing out to the
Leadmill. You can perhaps see the appeal, for he can
appear deranged to suit the unhinged befit status of
a talented man and comes across as vulnerable, making
people want to protect and mother him. The band plays
around with this idea and him. As always the singer
is the star.
Yet after reading, waiting and hoping that here could
be another band suitable to while away your time on
- CDs, tickets, t-shirts, badges and bobby socks – The
Vines begin to fall apart as potential before all of
us standing there. The immediate rush of Craig and Co
arriving on stage is the motion that carries the audience
initially but when they begin to play 'Sun Child', The
Vines run out of the appeal which has carried them so
far. With sheer dedication the group promptly impales
itself on Craig’s self-indulgence, leaving us to watch
as a young man flails on a spike thrust into him by
an every whim satiated ego driven to breaking by the
dollar fuelled spectacular expected by Capitol.
Whereas the b-side to 'Highly Evolved', the song sounded
as a lost 45 by Love as sung by Taj Mahal with the dust
blown off it. Here we get attitooood. Craig’s
eyes roll and his scream becomes not one of released
aggression that has charged the singles but of a self-indulgence
more befitting a spoilt brat arguing with his mother
over a new pair of shoes.
What could have seen me biting my nails waiting to see
what on earth a band can do next, which you would expect
to feel after all the hype, during the rest of the hour,
The Vines play turns in to a gruelling and predictable
showcase for the utterly decrepit and mediocre. The
Vines alternate with each song between fast punk and
acoustic building, where the song strums itself out;
petering out, becoming more and more predictable as
my friends and I take turns to go to the bar. You know
what will come next when the now entitled 'Acoustic-Buddie'
strolls on, guitar under his arm and Craig goes into
another four minutes of rolling around and sounding
like he is clearing his throat. Boy he must have a mucus
and catarrh problem not suffered since my Great Aunt!
The Sheffield gig is one long burst of energy from the punk only
to be lead nowhere but to disappointment. As 'Get Free'
rollocks along, as good as it is, you can still feel
let down as what has preceded these three minutes has
been arduous and painful. But money has been spent and
people have been bought by what has been said and read,
which is why my friends and I felt like we had attended
a Combat 18 meeting dressed as Ariel Sharon. Most people
leapt and yelped and bordered on openly weeping when
The Vines left the stage temporarily before the obvious
encore, whilst we internally hummed the soundtrack of
our lives which we like to pass the time.
No doubt The Vines will go on to sell records, play
to enthusiastic crowds at festivals and revel in the
success that probably awaits them. Yet for anyone set
a distance from the hype and can see what is really
going on the band have entered the room and done nothing.
Will Jenkins for Crud Magazine© 2002
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| 04/02 1 Giant Leap - My Culture
04/02 Elfpower Interview - Andrew Rieger - Creatures
04/02 Frou Frou Interview - Guy Sigsworth/Imogen Heap
04/02 Gomez Interview - Ian Ball
04/02 Idlewild - Live - London Astoria
04/02 K's Choice Interview
04/02 Leaves - Live - Camden Dingwall
04/02 Longwave Interview - Exit
04/02 Lucy Mongrel Interview
04/02 Oasis - The Hindu Times
04/02 Phantom Planet - Interview
04/02 Unwritten Law - Interview
04/02 VUE - Coordinates Interview
05/02 BRMC - LIve - Kentish Town, London
05/02 Breeders - Title K
05/02 FC Kahuna - Machine Says Yes
05/02 Moco - Live - London Monarch
05/02 Need New Body - Interview
05/02 The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Live - Soundhause, Northampton
05/02 The Bellrays - Meet The Bellrays
06/02 Fleadh Festival - Finsbury Park
06/02 Frou Frou Coordinates Interview
06/02 Incubus - Interview - Mark Einziger
06/02 North Mississippi Allstars - Interview
06/02 Papa Roach - She Loves Me Not
06/02 Proud Mary - Live - Northampton, Soundhaus
06/02 Pulp - Live - Sherwood Pines, Edwinstowe
06/02 Reindeer section - You Are My Joy
06/02 Silverchair - Diorama
|  | 06/02 Something Corporate - Leaving Through The Window
06/02 Soinc Youth - Interview
06/02 The Burn - The Smiling Face
06/02 The Coral - Live - Roadmender, Northampton
06/02 The LIbertines - Live - The Social, Nottingham
06/02 The Vines, Sheffield Leadmill
06/02 Trik Turner - Interview
06/02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live, Soundhaus, Northampton
07/02 12 Stones Interview
07/02 Arolo -Interview
07/02 Buy To Let Doncaster - Anti Social Behaviour
07/02 Cassius - Interview
07/02 Farrah - Interview
07/02 Glassjaw - Interview
07/02 Neil Michael Haggerty - Interview
07/02 Hoobastank - Running Away
07/02 Leaves - Interview
07/02 LL Cool Jay Interview
07/02 Oasis - Live - Finsbury Park, London
07/02 Polyphonic Spree - Live - Camden Monarch
07/02 Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
07/02 Super Furry Animals - Interview
07/02 The Beatings - Live - Metro Club London
07/02 The Bellrays + The D4 - Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street London
January 2001
July - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002 | |
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