Scottish duo Vukovi headlined the O2 Ritz for the third date on their UK tour, celebrating the release of their fourth album ‘MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN’ (MGHGAG). The 1,500-capacity venue had just a few tickets left on the door, making it their biggest headline show to date in the city.
Opening the show were alt-rockers Artio, a four-piece from Leeds fronted by singer Rae Brazill. Kicking off with ‘Sertraline’, Brazill launches straight into power vocals reminiscent of early-era Hayley Williams. Backed by enthusiastic guitarists Jai and Rob, and drummer Ieuan, the whole band has an air of Gen-Z youth and demonstrate an enormous amount of talent. Although it’s almost a Gen-Z cliché to be political, it’s hard not to be in the present age, and Artio’s music clearly has substance. Brazill sings with fantastic clarity, introducing ‘Head in The Sand, Finger on The Trigger’ with “what in the post-apocalyptic f***** up s*** is this?”, which I’m sure we’ve all thought at one point or another. Brazill commands the crowd to get down on the ground before the final chorus; a bold move considering no one really wants to do this, especially for the support. The energy did evoke a small mosh pit, so fair play. The band had a clear similarity to Vukovi’s music style, so they were a great choice for an opener, and definitely one to watch.
Next up were London metal band unpeople, ripping through grungy heavy riffs in opening song ‘waste’. The band describe their songs as being inspired by the world’s injustices, so they’ve plenty of material to go off. With influences from punk, alt-rock and metalcore, their hooks were catchy enough to start belting back, with “hey, hey, good going!” echoing through the first song. Their look was as eclectic as their mix of genres, with each member looking like they belonged to a slightly different band. Their genre-blending style (musically and visually) made for an exciting watch, with a healthy mix of singing and screams from frontman Jack Crawford.
Vukovi take to the stage with ‘GUNGHO’, the energetic first single from MGHGAG, carrying their quintessential style of explosive choruses fuelled by singer Janine Shilstone’s belting vocals. Shilstone’s accent shines through in the pre-chorus; “Make way for a Type O, got me feeling like I’m gungho”. Continuing the momentum from their new album, ‘MISTY ECSTACY’ is well-received and charges incredible live energy.
Shilstone exudes mesmerising confidence as she glides around the stage in a bedazzled red one-piece, complete with a floaty mesh cape to emphasise the movements. Her extroverted energy juxtaposes perfectly with guitarist Hamish Reilly, who is understated in all-black, but undoubtedly matches Shilstone’s momentum through irresistibly catchy melodies that make each song unique yet recognisable in their style.
‘SLO’ and ‘LASSO’ from 2022’s NULA project passion and emotion, with the crowd roaring “I lost control and I liked it”. Artio’s singer Rae joins for ‘LASSO,’ with a delightfully similar vocal range that works in perfect harmony with Shilstone’s. Following this, Shilstone holds a bottle of Buckfast with defiance, encouraging the crowd to shout “Mon the bucky!” in unison. This would probably be met with greater enthusiasm at their Glasgow show, but it’s nice to feel included. Shilstone asks if we’re “ready to f***** move” before ‘HADES,’ another track from NULA, and the response is positive; the pits are open.
At the mid-show point Shilstone says she’s going to “have a little sit down” for the hypnotically romantic ‘Colour Me In’ from their 2021 self-titled album: “I want to take a minute to have a breather and reflect on our loved ones; the ones that are here and the one’s that aren’t anymore,” which is met with an explosion of cheers. “And then we’re gonna end on all the f***** bangers,” she reassures, before taking another swig of Buckfast. Shilstone’s vocal range is beautiful to hear, as iPhone flashes sway through the sold-out venue. After the mellow moment is over, Shilstone asks if we’re “ready for a f***** rock show?”, elevating the momentum with 2020 hit ‘C.L.A.U.D.I.A’.
Shilstone speaks through the pre-chorus of the title track ‘MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN’, exclaiming “My God has got a gun and he works me … to the bone!” all while triumphantly holding the bottle of Buckfast in one hand and mic in the other, standing high over us as a true Scot preparing for battle. Unpeople vocalist Crawford takes over the pre-chorus, giving Shilstone pause to swig and the two surge through the chorus with an unapologetic and ferocious charge. The hook “Oh yes, this is what depression looks like” echoes the themes present in MGHGAG, and much of Vukovi’s music past and present, infusing satisfying harmony between upbeat, theatrical delivery and darker lyrical undertones. This is what depression looks like, often masked behind bravado but always present. Tracks like this and ‘SNO’ (“I don’t wanna feel anymore/ switch me off there’s no encore”) display raw vulnerability that explodes in cathartic delivery and ultimately resonates with many of their listeners.
‘I EXIST, RUN/HIDE’ and ‘La Di Da’ end the setlist with a perfect rundown of hits from the last few years. Unpeople bassist Em Lodge joins for ‘La Di Da,’ before Shilstone defiantly crowd surfs through a roar of applause.
“This is very f***** overwhelming,” says Shilstone. “The last time we played here it was to 400 f***** people, what the f*** Manchester – you guys are legends!” It’s true; Vukovi’s last appearance in 2022 was at the 450-capacity Academy 3. When watching them perform, it’s clear to see that Vukovi are a band who have been doing this for over ten years. Shilstone’s stage presence oozes confidence, and the duo have the musical skill to back it.
More than tripling their crowd capacity since their last album is a testament to just how powerful Vukovi are, and how many people are here to listen.
