concert review: want a cure to a cold and rainy night? try The Vaccines.
january, 18th 2025 • the royale • boston, massachusetts
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Forming in 2010 in West London, The Vaccines are an English Indie Rock band currently consisting of Justin Young (vocals + guitar), Árni Árnason (bass + vocals), Timothy Lanham (guitars, keys + vocals), and Yoann Intonti (drums). They are joined on tour by musician Matt Hitt doing keys, rhythm guitar and backing vocals. Their sound is similar to the likes of the Ramones, the Strokes, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. They’re a type of band that seems to absolutely love to tour and has opened up for many icons including Muse, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, and more. Since the inception of the band in 2010 they have released six studio albums titled What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? (2011), Come of Age (2012), English Graffiti (2015), Combat Sports (2018), Back in Love City (2021), and Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations (2024).
The group was originally formed by Justin Young and Freddie Cowan (original guitarist) in the summer of 2009 and was joined by Árni Árnason and Pete Roberston (original drummer). The group uploaded the demo “If You Wanna” to YouTube in the summer of 2010 and it was instantly picked up by Zane Lowe who immediately showered the song with high praise. A Clash magazine article even predicted that The Vaccines could help usher in an entire new era for guitar music. Although still a modern band forming 15 years ago, there’s always a feeling of nostalgia I get from listening to them. Even though I know that they formed in the 2010’s I always feel like they’re a band from the 80s or the like, and I mean that in the best way possible. I think it’s the sound that they make paired with the energy that’s created by them that makes me feeling that way.
The set was started off my “Love to Walk Away” off of Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, followed by “Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) off of What Did You Expect from The Vaccines, and then “I Can’t Quit” off of Combat Sports. When they all took the stage the energy was already extremely high and you could tell that everyone in the audience was just so happy to be there to experience this music live. The stage presence of all of the members was incredibly nice to see, but frontman Justin Young truly stood out. Not just because he’s the designated “frontman” but because he had a way of gliding across the stage and commanding the audience in a way that seemed to effortless that you would be convinced he was born for this role. That being said, his performance didn’t drown out the other performers in the slightest. Each musician was equally as eye catching to watch and everyone’s musicality shown through and blended extremely well together, showing an extremely strong and powerful performance. The colors and lighting that they used were extremely bright and eye-catching, matching the playfulness within their songs and riffs, bringing up the mood on a rainy and cold winter night in Boston.
