Vintage Trouble Get Heavy And Hymnal At Electric Brixton

by | Aug 7, 2023

Vintage Trouble have a new album out. It’s called Heavy Hymnal and they’re rightly proud of it. So proud, in fact, that Ty Taylor pulls out a copy during their London gig to show off the coloured vinyl. “It’s bronze, but when you play it, it makes you feel like gold,” the frontman promises.

Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-012

Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-012

He’s not wrong. Six of the LP’s tracks are performed tonight and go a very long way in creating the feel good sense of community inside Electric Brixton. There’s the immediate You Already Know that, yes, the audience already know, needing no encouragement to chant the single-line chorus over and over again. There’s the ’50s-flavoured soul breakup ballad Not The One with its built-in moment of silence for the crowd to sing back to Taylor, who, in turn, responds with a broad smile. 

There’s the vibrant Holla!, introduced by the energetic singer’s reflections on recent racial injustices that he ends with with the wonderfully poetic line: “When hate becomes louder than love, you’ve got to holler.” The song itself does just that and becomes the soundtrack to Taylor dancing with fans on the floor before returning to the stage to lead them through an “oh! oh!” call and response.

Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-011

Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-011

There’s the pure adrenaline rush of Who I Am with its breakneck verses (boasting rhymes like the clearly autobiographical “I’m here to show them I’m a living livewire/ I’m the preacher, congregation and the choir”) and go-go-gospel choruses. It’s an all-out celebration capped by Taylor crowd surfing and another jubilant mass singalong.

There’s the Stax-style ballad The Love That Once Lingered with Dean Fairhurst of support act Standin’ Man filling in for Lady Blackbird as Taylor’s duet partner. Later in the set, there’s the psychedelic soul of Repeating History accompanied by the garrulous singer asking everyone to take tonight’s shared feelings of diversity and unity out into the world with them.

And those are just the new songs.

Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-006

Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-006

The classics are just as well represented — and received even more enthusiastically. Blues rock stomp Run Like The River, rollicking Blues Hand Me Down, and ray of sunshine Doin’ What You Were Doin’ are the perfect choice to kick off the set and introduce the band. On full display are guitarist Nalle Colt’s fluid slide playing and soloing, bass player Rick Barrio Dill‘s tireless swing, Richard Danielson‘s flashy fills and relentless kick drum, and Taylor’s twirls, jumps, and precarious microphone stand leans.

The Los Angeles quartet’s influences really come to the fore on a confident, muscular rendition of Stevie Wonder‘s Higher Ground, while Gracefully shows off the band’s more romantic side. As Taylor introduces the duet with the invitation to “dance with your lover”, he’s joined on stage by Amelia McFall. A Vintage Trouble fan (and talented singer) who introduced herself to the band at their Rough Trade East record signing in June, she adds a whole new dimension to the ballad with her smoky, sultry vocals. The cheers, whistles, and whoops of appreciation are well earned. 

The hard-hitting Knock Me Out brings back the punchy blues rock, with Taylor running around the stage perimeter as if he’s a boxer taunting his opponent, before the whole of Standin’ Man join in for a trippy take on Jefferson Airplane‘s White Rabbit. It’s a fitting end to a show that’s transported the London audience to another place and time — not unlike Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.

  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-017
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-016
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-015
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-014
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-013
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-012
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-011
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-010
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-009
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-008
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-007
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-006
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-005
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-004
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-003
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-002
  • Vintage Trouble Electric Brixton 030823-001

Review of Vintage Trouble at Electric Brixton on 3rd August 2023 by Nils van der Linden. Photography by Simon Reed.

No Pyro, No Party – KISS Sign Off In Typically Overblown Style At The O2

Skunk Anansie @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)

Skunk Anansie Unveil Powerful Visual For Deeply Personal New Single ‘Shame’

British rock legends Skunk Anansie have released a striking new video for their latest single Shame, a raw and emotional track that sees frontwoman Skin dive deep into her own past, confronting complex family dynamics and personal identity with unflinching honesty.

Sabrina Carpenter @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Jordan Curtis Hughes / Alfredo Flores)

An Explosive Sabrina Carpenter Show Keeps Drenched London Warm At BST Hyde Park 2025

“Hey London, how you doing? My name’s Sabrina — what’s your name?”. There is a daft cacophony of replies, that shows...
Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam @ BST Hyde Park 2022 (Simon Reed)

Matt Cameron Departs Pearl Jam After 27 Years Amidst Wave Of Drummer Changes In Rock

After nearly three decades behind the kit, Matt Cameron has announced his departure from Pearl Jam. The legendary drummer, 62, shared the news via social media on 7th July, marking the end of a 27‑year tenure that began in 1998. His departure comes in the wake of the band’s Dark Matter World Tour, which concluded earlier this year.

Sydney Rose @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Sydney Rose Shines In Mid-Afternoon Magic On The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

While headliner Noah Kahan was preparing to command the Great Oak Stage later in the evening, over on the Rainbow Stage a quieter but equally stirring performance was unfolding under the soft mid-afternoon sun. Georgia-born singer-songwriter Sydney Rose brought her headline tour to a moving finale, wrapping her journey in heartfelt lyrics and gently fierce vocals that captivated a festival crowd seeking intimacy amid the day’s growing energy.

Gigi Perez @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Gigi Perez Captivates London With Raw Emotion And Rising-Star Power At BST Hyde Park 2025

At just 25 years old, Gigi Perez has already carved out a reputation as one of indie-pop’s most compelling new voices — and her late afternoon set on the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park proved exactly why. Supporting headliner Noah Kahan and following a string of breakout moments this year, the Hackensack, New Jersey native delivered a deeply affecting performance filled with vulnerability, power, and soaring vocals

Paris Paloma @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Paris Paloma Brings Barefoot Magic To The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

In a festival rich with soaring choruses and star power, it was Paris Paloma’s barefoot grace and gothic romanticism that carved out one of the day’s most mesmerising sets. Taking to The Rainbow Stage on a golden midsummer afternoon, the Derbyshire singer-songwriter captivated her growing legion of fans with an intimate, emotionally charged performance that felt part séance, part storybook.

FINNEAS @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

FINNEAS Warms Up London With Heart And Humour Before Noah Kahan’s Headline Set At BST Hyde Park 2025

It’s not every day that a support slot feels like a moment of main event magic, but FINNEAS — the GRAMMY®-winning songwriter, producer, and solo artist — brought just that to the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park on Friday. Performing ahead of headliner Noah Kahan and main support Gracie Abrams, the 27-year-old delivered a slick, emotionally charged set that balanced heartfelt sincerity with tongue-in-cheek charm.

Noah Kahan @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Northern Attitude In London: Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams & Friends Light Up BST Hyde Park 2025

It was, as the name requires, the perfect summer's day for British Summer Time Hyde Park on Friday. The sun was...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing