Well, I think it’s safe to say that after last nights venture to the Rescue Rooms I no longer associate Iceland with a supermarket. When I think ‘Iceland’ I will think ‘The Vintage Caravan’.
I cannot express how pleased I am to give this review, I’d been diving through The Vintage Caravan’s catalogue of classic/psychedelic rock hits on repeat before the gig in holy anticipation and by God did they deliver!
With their long swaying hair (for at least two members), banging blues riffs and loose-fitted leather and suede outfits, the Icelandic trio were one drug trip away from taking Nottingham back to the 70’s; all-the-while screaming modern influences. Imagine a bowl of Led Zeppelin sprinkled with a bit of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and just a pinch of Royal Blood here and there; it’s quite a sound.
They commanded the stage with such a presence, the lead vocalist/guitarist Óskar Logi Ágústsson (Iceland boasting some of the best names out there) executed some of the most passionate yet electrifying guitar solos of modern rock all while ‘lip-syncing’ to the sounds of his guitar; it was a hilarious but incredible combination. It was certainly a night of great music but with a surprising amount of laughs, with some great banter between Oskar and bassist Alexander Örn Númason along with a stand-out moment where Alex’s wireless receiver broke because a cable had broken; you cannot write this stuff. The crowd, myself included, were hooked, ear-to-ear grins across the floor for the whole two hours – prompting only ‘boos’ when it was announced only two songs remained.
I really don’t blame the crowd for showing a little discontent, when a band has played flawlessly and all you’re looking for is the next song it’s a real shame when it all draws to a close. More to the point, they could have just played their songs, got on with it, left. No, Nottingham was shown some Icelandic love with a show full on flavour and unpredictability. We got a set list ranging from old hits like Midnight Meditation to newer bangers like ‘Set Your Sights’, we got a fantastic drum solo, and not one, but two bass solos; two! I always try and remain as balanced as possible but it’s hard to find fault with that show: sexy guitar tones combined with groovy yet hard-hitting riffs, a very deep, warm bass played at some God-like pace and all topped off with a superb drum performance showing quality fills and crashes. Plus, when they finished with their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ they may as well have kissed me because I was in love.
Musically? Fantastic. Presence? Comfortable/familiar yet wild. Crowd? Very happy. Having the opportunity to speak with the band was a massive bonus, a queue formed as they welcomed all for pictures, autographs or just a friendly chat (my preferred choice); I even found out the drummer is a huge fan of one of my favourite bands Gojira. It’s those sort of details that make gigs special, and as I write this, wearing my The Vintage Caravan shirt with pride I’m certain I’ll be seeing these guys again whether it be at another gig or on the big screen; they’ll go places I’m sure of it.
Perhaps rock isn’t quite dead just yet – 8/10
By Alex Mace