Vona Vella take The Old Blue Last by storm
The Nottingham indie group play an intimate show in London.
Photo: Roger Sargent
Off the back of their set at Newcastle’s Come Together Festival, Vona Vella made their way to East London for an intimate gig at The Old Blue Last. Despite being down a member for the night, the band brought their A-game and delivered a stellar performance.
After a slight detour through the downstairs of the pub, where the pub’s Celtic house band was serenading patrons, I made my way up to The Old Blue Last’s small performance space. I was greeted by Brighton-based shoegaze quartet, Swallowtail, who were the first act of the night and a true force to be reckoned with.
The crowd was in awe as lead singer, Katie Prescott, sang her heart out and drummer, Drew Vickerstaff, played like rent was due. Then, guitarist Caleb Ryde brought out a bow and added a whole new texture to the performance. The small but passionate crowd were loving it. Every song felt like a goosebump-inducing battle cry. Fans of alt-rock should certainly keep their eye on Swallowtail, who are stars in the making.
Next to grace the stage was Lonnie Gunn and her phenomenal backing band. Lonnie implored the crowd to bear with her as she was on crutches after undergoing foot surgery but, nevertheless, she rocked the stage. Her presence was quite simply magnetic. The live rendition of Dog in a Hot Car had me in awe as Lonnie served raw emotion on a platter.
Then came the time for Vona Vella, who were in tip-top form. The band’s co-lead, Izzy Davis, motioned for the small crowd to come closer, and I knew we were in for a treat from the first few seconds of I Wanna Tap Into Your Heaven, an outstanding unreleased track with a killer intro. They hit the ground running and, once they got going, nothing could stop them. The whole performance had a driving forward momentum. Every time I thought we’d hit the peak, they found a new way to impress me. Much of the band’s newer material has been built with live performances in mind, and this quickly became evident.
It was impossible to not dance along to the infectiously catchy melodies of tracks like Coming By and Bear Trap, which are played with unbridled enthusiasm live. Izzy and Dan Cunningham’s onstage interplay is particularly enthralling. Their signature vocals somehow reach new heights in a live setting. Particularly on I Thought We Were Falling in Love, an old favourite from their first album which took on a new life with a rock and roll facelift. Izzy’s silky smooth vocals shine on this one and Dan complements them perfectly.
These aren’t just musicians; these are bonafide rock stars in the making. Despite being a relatively new band, they play with the confidence you would expect from a group that’s been at it for decades. Their passion for performing is clear, making them all the more fun to watch live. I left the gig with a massive smile on my face and their tunes stuck in my head for the whole tube ride home.