VENDETTA LOVE

Hard-edged grunge-rockers Vendetta Love make their first UK performance at Sheffield’s Indie-Go Resurrection bar (formerly The Devonshire Cat), tonight’s event was organised by Red Pen promotions.

On stage tonight, are three blistering acts: ‘Bad Heritage’, ‘Eddie & The Wolves’ and of course Irish headliners Vendetta Love.

BAD HERITAGE is a four-piece rock band hailing from Manchester, it’s also their first time at the Indie-Go Resurrection bar. Playing alternative rock, sorry, I didn’t catch the names of the songs and frontwoman Courtney left the set list at home. That aside, Courtney entices the watching crowd and says this next song requires crowd participation, slowly they join, clapping along but they don’t need any encouragement as they cover Black Sabbath’s’ Paranoid’… Now everyone is in a rocking mood, their own songs are bold, riffy and slightly grungey-blues. Playing a cover of Audio Slave’s ‘Show Me How To Live’, the band displays their showmanship, Courtney’s vox suits this style of song, it’s a shame Shawn, of Vendetta Love didn’t take up the offer to join in when invited at the start of the song!

The final song is a belter as Courtney’s vocals turn this track into this screamer, the band go all out having a powerhouse of a jam; a massive band ‘roar’ ends their terrific performance, which receives a big crowd cheers, and a ‘Yorkshire’ chant! A great new band, to keep an eye on! I’d love to tell you more about the band members etc… but there are no further details on their FaceBook page!

Bad Heritage – https://www.facebook.com/badheritageband

EDDIE & THE WOLVES… Here we go! Expect a lot of ‘awoo’s’ from this band, who promise to rock you like a hurricane or ya ‘awoo’ back, okay, I made the last part up, but Eddie & The Wolves don’t disappoint as they deliver a howler of a raucous set. From the start, the Derbyshire rockers (were real-life lives!) who are fronted by husband and wife, Edd & Char Saffell, play classic rock songs with a twist. Char kicks off the duo vocals and Eddie delivers power riffs.

Having gone UK national ‘The Coming Storm’ has been played on PlanetRock, and the bluesy rocking number kicks up a storm. Describing the next song about ‘shagging’; ‘awoooo’ is the audience’s response to ‘Burning Embers’, with Char giving it some extra oomph by playing a solo snare drum – and we are left wanting more.

Playing the last song from their upcoming album ‘Tasty Sin’, there’s a slow thunderous and dramatic start to ‘Crawling’ which closes with a smoochy on-stage dance by the dynamic duo. Awooo!!! If you like edgy, blues-inspired rock and heavy riffs, check out Eddie & The Wolves.

‘Tasty Sin’ is out via Revolver Records on 13th September 2024.

Edd Saffell – Vocals, Guitar, Synth
Char Saffell – Vocals, Percussion, Synth
Joe Griffiths – Bass Guitar
Cain Paisley – Guitar
Ben Gaines – Drums & Percussion

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Eddieandthewolves

Facebook: www.facebook.com/eddieandthewolves

Instagram: www.instagram.com/eddieandthewolves

It’s 10 pm and Vendetta Love is about to go on stage their audience numbers are dwindling, probably as folk have to get transport home. This is a shame as Vendetta Love is only playing four UK shows, and tonight is their UK debut at Sheffield’s Indie-Go Resurrection bar. Ha! Let’s pretend we’re at The Ritz, in downtown Hollywood and this is the late 80s/early 90s and the biggest explosion of rock is about to hit you in the face hard!

Vendetta Love looks the epitome of grungey hard rock, with bleached hair, distressed clothes and a tired-hungry look in their eyes, except for their stand-in bassist, Chris (kudos to him for learning the songs at short notice). Taking to the stage, the band gets straight into ‘ODE’. Sleazy bass-heavy riffs pound the tiny stage area, where they play for the next hour or so! Singer and axeman, Shawn Mullens, looks like he could sell you heroin from his socks, as his half-open eyes squint through the backlighting, draping himself over his mike, in between blasting guitar riffs, his raspy vocals are raw and enticing.

Fueled by their passion for hard-edged rock-roll, the songs ‘On & On’ and ‘Soothe’ bring the power grooves and you can hear ‘Guns and Roses’ influences on the latter. Point proven as I spot their merch has the G’nR cross but with their skull heads on it! Sadly we don’t get their cover version of ‘It’s So Easy’.

The crowd might have dwindled in size but Vendetta Love’s performance doesn’t, they play like they are playing to a full house! Mullens is drip wet in his sweat. Going for it, ‘Chains’ moves away in a more Alice In Chains direction, as you can gather from its title.

I appreciate the passion and energy Vendetta Love has to offer, and I’ve got to say I was intrigued by them before this show, they could go two ways ‘excellent’ or a ‘pile of nostalgia-hyped shit’, and I’m glad their live performance is not the latter. You can find most of Vendetta Love’s songs on Spotify, as they haven’t made an album, but they have two EPs for sale, and I bought both!

Despite looking like they haven’t slept for days, Vendetta Love’s energy is amazing as they rock through their set. ‘Blackened Hands’ is a savage monster played live, as the band lose themselves in their playing, it’s intense and hypnotic. And we know it’s getting late, the ferocity and pounding beats of their previous single ‘Might as well (MNDFVK)’ envelope your mind, and the underlying riff reminds me of The Cure’s ‘Burn’.

Closing with their first single release ‘Witches & Thieves’ this party pop-rocker, slides n grooves.

Vendetta Love has ‘attitude and passion’ by the bucket-load, and they do what they do best by expressing themselves through their music. I always say the best gigs are the ones you come away drenched in your sweat. I hope they return to the UK soon!