To celebrate the release of their latest album My God Has Got A Gun, alternative rock band VUKOVI embarked on a three week tour visiting several locations across the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, starting with Eindhoven and ending in their home country Scotland. Now reaching the finale of this haul, the band find themselves in Manchester for their second to last date at the O2 Ritz, boasting a capacity of 1,500 that’s certain to guarantee a packed and energetic crowd for these final performances.
Hailing from Leeds, alternative rock band Artio were not far from home when taking the stage first and commencing the evening. They immediately delivered a fresh and impactful sound, as if it was the first night of the tour, that lived up to the hype of having finally been able to see and hear them performing live. Rae’s vocals provided a crystal clear and mesmerising melody against the electronically textured background of the band’s instrumentals, which were vibrant, energetic, and powerful. The band opened the night strongly, confidently setting the tone and the energy for the rest of the evening with a captivating appearance that not only promises potential for their development as they continue to push milestones and grow, but also for the future of the alternative scene.
Next up was Unpeople, with a playful and fun performance from start to finish, as they began their set huddled and smiling in a group talk before breaking out into several catchy and energetic pieces. Guitarist Luke and bassist Em added chant-like backing vocals against a solid and strong drum beat, while frontman Jake delivered grungy vocals to create an infectious recipe that instantly had the whole room moving, even on stage. For the final song, Luke made his way into the crowd, guitar and all, and was lifted into the air to play. If their effect on the crowd wasn’t evident enough already, the whole room erupted into applause at the end of their set for a few minutes, showing their appreciation and hopefully winning over several new fans that night.
Finally it was time for the highly anticipated VUKOVI. They started their set with the lights dimmed and played the introduction instrumental track ‘This Is My Life And My Trauma’ from their newest album, with guitarist Hamish taking the lead. They then fully kicked off the night as the sound dissolved into the single ‘GUNGHO’, where the energy and atmosphere immediately spiked as vocalist Janine entered the stage. This album’s new era and aesthetic could be overtly observed as attention to detail even in the stage attire, with Janine wearing a vibrant red and sparkling jumpsuit with Hamish’s own attire being embellished in small red details to unite the duo together. Not only were they visually intriguing, the stage presence and charisma was massive for such a small act, as they moved and danced to fill the stage against the strobing lights. Their set was filled with a promising mixture of new and old numbers that delighted many returning fans, integrating gnarly riffs and elegant yet powerful vocals throughout. It was also a joy to see these tracks feature several guest vocalists at certain points throughout the night, with Rae adding to ‘Lasso’, as well as Em and Jake from Unpeople participating on ‘La Di Da’ and ‘My God Has Got A Gun’ respectively.
Since VUKOVI’s last headline tour in 2022, playing across the city at Academy 3 with only a capacity of 450 people, it’s inspiring to see this underrated duo reaching new heights as they continue to deliver the same quality and passion no matter what. This tour has evidently shown to be a fun and promising display, not only for the incredible Vukovi, but also for both supporting bands Artio and Unpeople, who will hopefully keep making appearances like this in the future.
Written by: Daniel Blake
Photographed by: Daniel Blake
Edited by: Suzanne Teernstra
