Track Listing > >
Wow / Sparks / Side To Side / Fountainhead / Keep On Cutting / She Takes Me Out / Bugs / Make It Ride / Not Your Fault / Information / Danger To Myself / The End Is At The Beginning
RED FLAG RECORDS
With a certain Kasabian meets Bloc Party swagger to their sound, London five piece Vatican DC are a band creating music that surges over you like a tidal wave. Straddling that tricky line between the dancefloor and the moshpit, Vatican DC come on like a noisy collision between Kasabian, Bloc Party and Fugazi; making a groove heavy racket that takes in post hardcore, jagged guitar work and bowel shaking bass rumbles, this is music to slay dancefloors and start riots.
On debut long player MAKE IT RIDE, the band throb with the kind of sleazy vibrancy you expect of your rock stars; a record rammed to the gills with dirty, infectious grooves and rabid attitude. Opening strong with the jerky art rock of WOW, guitars jerk wildly, drumbeats make paranoid metronomic beats and frontman Irish Steve hollers and yelps like Iggy Pop channelling Liam Gallagher. The yob punk singalong of SPARKS is a righteous call to arms whilst SIDE TO SIDE is a jittery stab of Kaiser Chiefs meets Rival Schools indie rock that centres around one of the most colossal choruses you'll likely hear all year. On former single FOUNTAINHEAD, Vatican DC manage to meld Fugazi, Kasabian, Coldplay and the Doctor Who theme together into a sweaty three and a half minute pop song. Frontman Irish Steve delivers his vocals with an attitude laced sneer whilst various piano chords, crunching guitar riffs and swirling synth lines come together into one glorious whole that could well be the start of something truly special for Vatican DC, a song that manages to bridge the gaps between emo, hardcore, pop and new rave with a definite sparkle in its eye.
KEEP ON CUTTING and SHE TAKES ME OUT are songs as frantically frenetic as you've by now come to expect from Vatican DC, spiky new wave guitar riffs clash against the angular rhthyms and jerky vocals. An epic anthem in waiting, BUGS finds Vatican DC laying claim to their place as festival favourites this year, one listen to that massive chorus and you realise just how massive this band could be. Elsewhere here, title track MAKE IT RIDE is a dirty slice of bluesy rock n roll ala Jet and the Kings Of Leon, NOT YOUR FAULT a jittery art rock monster and INFORMATION another ultra melodic hit single in waiting. Slow burning closer THE END IS AT THE BEGINNING finds Vatican DC climaxing in spectacular epic rock fashion, sprinkling a little krautrock excess into their usual art rocking post hardcore mix.
A vibrant, vital and thrilling debut album, MAKE IT RIDE is the sound of Vatican DC not just taking over the indie disco, but burning it down and reclaiming it as their very own. An essential and ass kicking experience, you need this in your life.
BIOGRAPHY
Vatican DC are a London band with pedigree, intent and a substance that more than equals their style. Already touring partners of Bloc Party, The Rakes and The Prodigy, the band’s infectious electro-punk is brought to the fore on ‘Fountainhead’, a track surely destined to grace indie dancefloors across the country in the very near future. Mixing a definitive hook with a ghostly, bastardised Dr.Who-style synthline (wait for it, its there..) the result is a masterstroke in dark-wave pop music.
The band have already won fans in high places, Ricky from Kaiser Chiefs showed his dedication by attending one of their shows on crutches, Queens Of Noize are their drinking buddies, and their first dates with The Prodigy went so well that they’ve since been invited back to play with them again and again - and are the only support act who haven’t been bottled off stage! Oh, and if you recognise the lead guitarist, that would be because Chris Gentry used to play with the Britpop upstarts Menswear in the 90’s..
With catchy hooks, a sure-fire attitude and a sound that truly hits home in the live arena, Vatican DC are a band to hold close to your heart and a band to pour faith into. Offer them that much and they promise not to let you down.
Vatican DC are a London based 5 piece. They are Irish Steve on vocals, Daniel Lindegren on rhythm guitar, Chris Gentry on lead guitar, Luca Spoto on bass and Tal Amiran on drums.
Although these rockers are London based they are by far not born and bred. Vatican DC mix up their origins along with their music and have the far corners of the globe covered, from Israel to Essex via Ireland and Sweden.
They are moving swiftly to great heights of rock n roll stardom too. After Radio One's Zane Lowe heard their demo in the morning he put it straight on his 'Fresh Meat' show that evening and it won hands down. XFM's John Kennedy did the same thing and it won his unsigned competition. And that was just the beginning. They have since toured with Bloc Party and The Prodigy and managed to secure back to back London shows. They have been photographed by David Bailey for ID magazine and been promoted by Vice international magazine. So it's all looking good, and the future is only brighter and louder, with XFM's Eddie Temple-Morris as their number one supporter.
Vatican DC draw their influences from The Undertones, The Buzzcocks and The Dead Kennedys and have created a fresh new sound. The music is raw and real and comes straight from the hearts of these fine young gentlemen. They are musicians who insist that they don't want any gimmicks or stories making out they are something they're not. So if you are reading this and have your mitts on their new release, take it out of the sleeve and go listen to it loud and judge for yourself.
Their first single on Red Flag, 'Say Nothing At All', was released in November as a limited edition 7" vinyl and included the marvellous B-side, 'Nice Nice Friend'. It was co-produced by Daniel the guitarist and Rob Kirwan (Soul Wax, New Order). They released a follow up EP, the aptly titled "We Carnival", in early 2005 and at present are gearing up for their album launch. Busy writing some storming songs and performing once again as The Prodigy's support and featuring in festivals across Europe. So get ready for Vatican DC.
LINE UP
Steve
Daniel
Chris
Tal
DISCOGRAPHY
FOUNTAINHEAD (Red Flag Records>2007)
Fountainhead
MAKE IT RIDE (Red Flag Records>2007)
Wow
Sparks
Side To Side
Fountainhead
Keep On Cutting
She Takes Me Out
Bugs
Make It Ride
Not Your Fault
Information
Danger To Myself
The End Is At The Beginning
LINKS
Vatican DC>vaticandc.com
FURTHER LISTENING
Kasabian
Kaiser Chiefs
Fugazi
Review date: May 2007 |
