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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
9:29 AM 6th October 2014
arts

Gig Review: The Vamps - Manchester Apollo

 
In just over a year The Vamps have gone from supporting artists to headling their own sold out tour.

Playing two nights at the Manchester Apollo the band are one of the hottest groups in pop music at the moment. Before they arrive on stage a video plays of their new single Oh Cecilia (yes, it is their version of the Simon and Garfunkel song).

The screams reach fever pitch as the 4 band members arrive on stage. The audience is mainly teenage girls with their mothers in tow (who probably were here at this venue screaming along to Take That when they played here 20 years ago). Their hit single Wild Heart is a good track to open the show with.

The problem with only having one album released is how the band can fill a 90 minute set as they do not have enough material, so we get the cover versions such as Bruno Mars' When I Was Your Man and a cover of the Taylor Swift track I Knew You Were Trouble,: there is even a drum solo during the set..

X Factor finalist Luke Friend joins the band on stage to perform Somebody to You. The band can play though as lead singer Bradley Simpson plays drums and guitarist James McVey sings lead vocals on Move My Way. An acoustic version of High Hopes sounded good too.

The concert ends with them performing Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart) before they return to the stage to perform the closing tracks Risk It All and Can We Dance as red and white confetti shower the audience.

It was simple, fun and entertaining - just what pop music should be all about.

The band plays an arena tour next year and visits Sheffield arena on 24th April 2015.