Next Wave #1210: vincent's last summer | Next Wave | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews
Alexandra Burke has just won the X Factor, Manchester United have won their 17th Premier League title and Pete Doherty has just made his way out of
Alexandra Burke has just won the X Factor, Manchester United have won their 17th Premier League title and Pete Doherty has just made his way out of prison. Where are you? At a vincentâs last summer gig of course, where you are transported back to 2008, a world full of superhero cinema, financial crashes and most importantly of all⌠indie sleaze.
Manchester duo vincentâs last summer are one of the sharpest, carefully stylised and fun-focused acts in the country right now. Their absorbing blend of swirling synths, angular riffs and crunchy production creates a sonic whirlpool that sucks you into an all killer, no filler, mid 00s indie party . The pair are re-energising the retro sound with a youthful swagger, unapologetically diving headfirst into indie sleaze and taking you along for the ride.Â
Tracks like âgive it up for the machinesâ and âmovie starsâ are prime examples of the bandâs love for the genre, creating thick layers of buzzing guitars and bright electronics that ring of MGMT. The melodies have an infectious pop sensibility while carrying the palpable biting attitude of all your favourite indie sleaze icons. So much so that you can easily imagine these guys making headlines with a playfully antagonistic acceptance speech.
However, they do differ slightly from the majority of mid 00s indie giants in their lyricism, swapping tales of love, loss and booze-stricken nights out for socially astute lyrics more akin with modern post-punk. They cover topics from modern digitisation and the idea of celebrity to vanity and over-indulgence, placing tongue-in-cheek cynicism next to considered societal analysis.
If you listen to their latest groove-driven single âHOTLINEâ, youâll notice a big red telephone adorned on the track artwork. It is this telephone that acts as their personal portal to the past, ringing at regular intervals at their live shows to offer glimpses into the current state of things in 2008.
In addition to their renowned intense performances, this stylised aesthetic makes their live shows completely unique, yet the duo say that the origin of their affinity for 2008 remains a mystery: âItâs difficult to pinpoint where the infatuation started for 2008 specifically. It definitely isnât personal nostalgia, I was five years old and Tommy was nine so we werenât massively into clubbing at the time. It just screams out as this pinpoint that indie sleaze was the biggest thing out there. Debut albums from The Ting Tings and MGMT do the legwork musically. Arctic Monkeys dressing as farmers at the Brits. People just seemed to mess around and do whatever they wanted in 2008 and I envy it. Who wouldnât want to relive that?â.
Indeed, once youâve been to a vincentâs last summer show, you canât help but leave wondering if 2008 was truly the best year in human history. And according to the band, 2008 is a place you can exist in forever: âWe want people to feel like theyâre never gonna go home. Thatâs it now, the night out lasts forever. Just because you may have walked in on 2008 doesnât mean you have to leave it once the party is over. It could even well be where it all beginsâ.
After a huge 2024 for the pair, 2025 seems to promise even greater things on the horizon. Theyâll be kicking off the year on the Dork Hype List tour supporting Welly in Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow whilst sticking religiously to their New Yearâs resolutions: âNew year, new us! Weâve been preparing lots for this year to make it as big as it can possibly be. Our long term resolution is to push our foot further on the gas. For now though, Iâm only eating foods that begin with the letter C and Tommy has just bought a yoga matâ.
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Words: James BootonPhoto Credit: Jamie MacMillan
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