Contrary to popular belief, and much to the bewilderment of many, I do only have one pair of hands and can still only be in one place at any one given time. This can be quite frustrating at times, especially when you really want to do one thing, but you also really want to do another, and you really should be doing something else completely.
I had this very dilemma the other weekend – I had gigs to see at both sides of town, on both Saturday and Sunday, I had errands to run, and my house needed painting. So despite every effort I was unable to spend more than an hour or so at the Strangeforms festival in Leeds. Which was a real shame, for I have been informed by many, that I missed some very good bands.
But what I did get to see in the short time I was there was three guitars and one set of drums and whole lot of energy and fine tunes. This came in the shape of Vasa, who I can assure you are very exciting live. As soon as the first track had ended it was evident that they had raised the bar significantly at Strangeforms. Drawing influence from the likes of Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky and Foals, Vasa create vast expanses of sound that are simply mind blowing.
Their latest offering, ‘Not A Cop’ is released on 4th May with the b-side ‘Something Awful’.
A great track that gives you a real sample of what the band are capable of. It’s a decent track and well worth a listen and a purchase. But it’s as a live band that Vasa truly impress, and as luck would have it, they are just about to set out on a full blown UK tour.
So before you get into the pickle that I got myself into a few weekends back, check out the dates below and make sure you’re in the right place at the right time for Vasa live.
Thu 1st May – Non-Zeros, Dundee
Fri 2nd May – Opium, Edinburgh
Sat 3rd May – Basement Cafe, Ayr
Sun 4th May – The Roxy 171, Glasgow
Mon 5th May – Downstairs, Aberdeen
Tue 6th May – Dulcimer, Manchester
Wed 7th May – Maguires, Liverpool
Thu 8th May – Old Angel, Nottingham
Fri 9th May – Southsea, Sheffield
Sat 10th May – Basement, York
Sun 11th May – Power Lunches, London
Mon 12th May – Avondale House, Southampton
Tue 13th May – Edge of the Wedge, Portsmouth
Wed 14th May – Brighton Electric, Brighton
