Vega Live @ Rock City supported by Santa Cruz & Mia Klose

 

I reviewed Vega’s second album ‘What The Hell‘ released via Spinefarm Records, for Planetmosh back in March of this year. What I heard then was a pure revelation to these old ears. Since then I’d been waiting patiently for the opportunity to see the guy’s playing a live gig , now I was getting my chance at Rock City, Nottingham.

But before they played their set, they had two supporting bands made up from our continental rock cousins. Mia Klose, the blonde bombshell from Stockholm, Sweden and Finland’s own very hair metal band Santa Cruz.

To kick off this extremely hot summer night in Rock City’s basement we started with Mia and her band.

(C) Dave Bradbery Photo's

 

Thoughtfully the organizers at Rock City had turned on their air-con or it would have been really uncomfortable for everyone in there. Well done guy’s. To be really honest here, I wasn’t expecting the first support band to be that good. But! When Mia and her group started to play their set it took me and a few others by complete surprise. Not only did they sound good but Mia’s stage presence drew the audience closer. With her sun bright blonde hair, confident cheeky winks and wild eyed looks thrust upon the punters she sang her heart out. She had a fresh new style, hard to find these days as there’s so many groups out there doing mostly the same thing, but Mia is trying to find a different angle that seems to be working. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of Mia and the guy’s on the UK rock scene.

 

 

We couldn’t miss the fact that she was having a blast performing at Rock City for the first time, and she’s since told me that she loved being in Nottingham as” it rocks”. She has her debut album ‘London’ out now’, which was released in August of 2012. If you missed her at Rock City and would like the chance to see her, she will be at the Bloodstock Open Air (BOA) Festival near Derby in August.

 

Mia Klose
Mia Klose

 

Group members… Mia Klose, Jon Evans, C-Rexx, Alex Stewart and Jonny Scaramanga

Mia’s set list……
-Mama
-You Drive Me Crazy
-Living For Love
-Living For Tomorrow
-Lady Killer
-Never Too Late

The lights went down to a green smokey haze. Mystic music now played out and the room was filled with a slow steady sounding bass beat ( not dissimilar to a Jaw’s film). Now one after the other the guy’s of Santa Cruz came onto the stage. They then began to blast us with the heavy metal rockin, hair flicking, head banging rock sounds that trace their roots back to the 1980’s glam rock era. With all the long blonde hair flying about it was reminding me at times that I could have been watching a young Def Leopard or Guns N Roses, these guy’s tried their best but unsuccessfully to bring the roof down of the gig.

Santa Cruz

Santa CruzWith their heavy riff’s and powerful beat, I’m sure we’ll see more of these guys. Compact as it was in the Rock City basement Santa Cruz took advantage of using every part of the stage they could. Even several times using the bar top as an impromptu stage, much to the delight of the crowd who seemed to love feeling part of the stage set. In fact, I think the guy’s spent more time at the bar (or on it ) than the punters did! This was their first tour of the UK too, and their first gig at Rock City. I’m very sure they will be back again, as they went down really well with the crowd. If you’d like to hear them their first album Screaming For Adrenaline was released on the 26-4-2013 via Spinefarm Records.

 

 

Group Members……..
Archie: Vocals, Guitar
Johnny: Guitar, Backing Vocals
Middy: Bass, Backing Vocals
Taz: Drums, Backing Vocals

Now it was time for our main group of the night, VEGA!

Vega

As I’d stated before, I’d been waiting since March to see and hear these guy’s do a live gig. I wanted to see for myself if they could ‘do it live’ so to speak as good as recording a track in the studio with all the fancy gizmo’s groups can use to make a mediocre track sound great . Well I can tell you now, these Vega guy’s were simply outstanding! Not a single note, riff or vocal was off beat or out of tune. They were in fact I feel as good if not better live. To able to see the guy’s working their butts off for the Nott’s people was awesome, and hearing the gathered fans singing along with Nick gave me the spine tingles. From the first song ‘ Kiss Of Life’ until the last they completely took control of the mesmerized audience. Nick Workman the front-man was performing like they were at a seventy thousand seat venue instead of just over a hundred in Rock City’s Basement room. All the guy’s did a sterling job. Nick Workman then took time to introduce the band member’s.

VegaDan Chantrey smiling away on the drums, James Martin on the keys. His brother Tom Martin on bass and vocals was on top form having the crack now and then with Nick as they played. Plus not forgetting Nick introduced Dan’s mum too! In all it was a great light-hearted gig as we found out when Nick had some banter with the crowd and found their first official Vega stalker, with the T-shirt to prove it! There’s not much more i can say about Saturday night because mere words cannot describe how good Vega are. You really must just go and experience them play live. If you don’t your life will be bereft for the lack of it.

Group Members…..Dan Chantery, Tom Martin, James Martin and Nick Workman

Backing Support Members….Daniel Johansson and Marcus Thurston

 

VegaVega set list for Sat– 6/7/13

Kiss Of Life
Ny4u
You Can’t Run
She Walks Alone
Into the Wild
Saviour
What The Hell
Cry
Hearts of glass
Stay with me
Hands in the air
—————–
Headlights
White Knuckle Ride

 

A big thank you must go to the organizers for putting on a great night too.

About Dave Bradbery

Dave Bradbery. A writer/Interviewer & contributor to Planetmosh.comMy favorite motto is:-"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need!" ( Rolling Stones,1969 ) very true words.