Vega 4

Ok, so they may have a name that sounds like a cross between a dodgy Babylon 5 spin off and the latest version of a doorstep salesman’s toilet cleaner but that’s no real reason to put them down – hey, we all gave JJ72 a chance and they had a sh*t name.

Vega 4 were returning to Glasgow after supporting James Dean Bradfield in October. The band represents pretty much every continent going. Lead singer Jonny McDaid is Irish, drummer Brian McLellan is Canadian, guitarist Bruce Gainsford is from New Zealand and bassist Simon Walker is English.

They arrived on stage a little late. King Tut’s always seems a little strange when it’s only half full and it took the bands encouragement to draw the crowd in closer. There always seems to be some trepidation among the Tut’s crowd, it’s almost like everyone is thinking “I really want to be here….but I better not look like I’m enjoying myself”.

The lack of enthusiasm from the crowd was short lived though, and McDaid proved what an all round showman and entertainer he is by embracing the audience and creating a community vibe.



The persistent drum thumping of ‘Traffic Jam’ reminded me a lot of Dove’s ‘Pounding’ or Snow Patrol’s ‘Chocolate’ with McDaid’s powerful vocals on a parr with both these bands and his Irish accent giving him the same type of sound that Gary Lightbody manages to achieve.

One of the main drawbacks of Vega 4 is that they completely reek of Snow Patrol; it’s almost as if the band have been dunked head first into a sea of Snow Patrol’s own musical excrement and have emerged with an over compulsive desire to play the same chords and crawl around chasing cars.

‘Life is beautiful’ starts off with a riff ripped straight from ‘Run’, and then develops into another well-known Snow Patrol song. I’m not going to insult your intelligence by telling you which one. It’s a shame that the two bands are so similar as you simply can’t appreciate the band for what they are without being constantly reminded of the association.

Let me make it clear that this was nowhere near a bad gig. There were some great moments. It was so intimate it could have been acoustic. McDaid’s relationship with the audience made it difficult not to like him, at one point he left his microphone and started singing just to the audience – no amplifier was necessary. It really gave you the sense that this was a gig where musician and fan shared a connection, and mutual appreciation.

McDaid also seemed fascinated with the crowds chants of ‘Here we! Here we! Here we f*cking go!’, completely missing the lyrics and asking them to chant the ‘one where it goes ‘doo doo! doo doo! doo doo doo do!’




Another highpoint was the addition of ‘You and Me’ in the set list. This could easily be the bands breakthrough song. It’s one of the least polished tracks and has a bit of a rawer feel – but it suits them down to the ground, and has all the potential of an old Stereophonics classic.

As with all musical genres, Vega 4’s success pivots on the monumental question: do we really need another Snow Patrol? While depressed housewives and trying-to-be-hip mothers will no doubt be fighting over copies of Vega 4’s latest CD as soon as they’re launched into the mainsteam, music industry moguls and conceited journalists across the globe will be plotting the ultimate demise of the band.

Perhaps it’s unfair but I predict the bands fate is already sealed. They are fantastic at what they do, there is no doubt about that. The problem is that there are so many other people doing what they are doing at the moment. Damn you Snow Patrol.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.