REVIEW – FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
@ Newcastle O2 Academy 2, October 11 2012
Heralded and championed by Kerrang! and derided by The Guardian, Fearless Vampire Killers are a band set to divide opinion. Taking their name from the 1967 Roman Polanski horror comedy The Fearless Vampire Killers, aka Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck, they show that they may not take themselves as seriously as some of their contemporaries.
A genre that is continually pigeon-holed as a depression-filled cringe fest with very little substance, FVK prove that where their progressive sound is concerned this is far from the case.
The Fearless Vampire Killers certainly have a taste for the theatrical, with their on-stage clothing looking like something you might find in the wardrobe of the Addams family. They’ve also taken to walking on stage to music from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho.
Their strong fan base has the o2 Academy’s second room filled with a mix of hardened head banging thrashers to metal fans and teenage girls, who perhaps equate the band with those the Twilight vampire films.
And of course the My Chemical Romance comparison will constantly rear its ugly head as both bands are tagged with the stigma of ‘Emo’ and both play anthemic melodies.
FVK emerge to screams of delight and burst into the heavy opener Bow Ties On Dead Guys following up with the intriguing Concede Repent Destroy which seems to be a major crowd favourite. Intermixed with the crowd hysteria, they open their set with a bang.
The Blink 182ish Bleed Till Sunrise has major potential for crossover appeal and the band do have some seriously catchy melodies, though they occasionally get lost in the mix of shouting, screaming and heavy thrashing guitar. The FVKs are at their best when at mid-tempo, when you can hear the melodies and hooks which should be something they attempt to build upon.
Ending with At War With Thirst they leave the crowd baying for more. With a strong core fan base the lads from Suffolk certainly have the potential to take the baton of alt rock and run with it. With a bit of luck and the right promotion they very well could be the next big UK alternative success story.
Kris Foston
There is something about me..
