Vasa @ Bloc+, Glasgow (12th August 2021)

with: Adult Fun

It turns out that 17 months of no live music is a hell of a long time, and returning to a gig like this was something I had both been praying and absolutely bricking it for. 

My last gig was Torpor at Bloc+ way back in the "before times" (also known as March 2020), so it was really fitting that my first gig back should be in the same place I went to my last gig for what felt like a lifetime. Before the whole world changed and the entire music industry collapsed... 

But I digress. Back to the here and now.

Once it became clear that we would start seeing proper gigs again in Scotland during August, I started looking for some small, local bands to ease myself back into things. Bloc+ was to be the perfect small venue to return to, with two mathy, instrumental bands playing on this late Thursday evening. 

I must confess that I had never listened to both of the bands playing this evening before I looked at the gig listings. But that is the beauty of your typical gig night at Bloc+, where you can find some new bands to really savour live and share a cool experience with a small group of similar individuals. I've missed this more than I can express. 

Let's get into the event itself before I lament a year and half's worth of lost gigs and opportunities any further... 

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Having been so long since being to a gig here (or anywhere), I kind of forgot that arriving at the stated 9pm door time would leave me waiting for a good while before the music actually started. 

Being unfamiliar with exactly how the Covid procedure would be, I also foolishly thought that the tables would remain throughout the gig and that it would be a different and quieter affair than normal. 

Lulled into a false sense of security, I could laugh now at my shock when the tables were pushed to the side and people started piling into the room. Strange how odd it felt to be in a packed, hot room when this used to be so commonplace before. 

This theme of strangeness will definitely crop up a few times in this review, so I apologise in advance!

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Thankfully me and a buddy who met up with me at the gig were there early enough to be right at the front for the opening band of the evening. Thankfully this gave me some much needed space to breathe a little more within the ever denser crowd that was forming. 

The heat would only then increase once Adult Fun took to the stage and immediately unleashed their brand of post-rock influenced instrumental sonic beauty. I'll be the first to say that this style of music is not one I'm overly familiar with, but these guys were really wicked. 

If there were any nerves or sloppiness after such a long time away, you couldn't hear it in their performance at all. Gorgeous clean licks floated above a fat bass sound and impactful drumming that accentuated the subtly changing time signatures and rhythms. 

Although this was a more laid back sonic performance than what was to follow, the band were still not afraid to add some tasty fuzz and bite to their tone in the harder sections which got the crowd swaying and moving their heads more and more as the set went on. 

The energy and vibe of this set was something that has stuck with me as I write this now. Every single member on stage was so clearly buzzing to be there. In particular, Sean the bassist couldn't help but shout out "It's fucking great to be back" in between grinning widely and rocking blissfully in circular motions. 

I'll confess that the waves of emotion of this kind of music nearly got me a few times as I got swept up in just how simultaneously comforting and strange it was to actually be listening to a live band again. Feeling the sound waves hang in the air from the amps and the vibrations pulse under my feet was just magic. 

In what felt like no time at all, Adult Fun finished their set that mostly consisted of new tunes they had written over the lockdown and thanked the audience profusely as they exited the stage. About as perfect a return to live music as I could have hoped for. 

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And the night wasn't over yet! After some rehydration, an escape outside and a stretch for my aching back and feet that had forgotten how to stand still for that amount of time, it was back in the venue to see Vasa. 

By the time I got in again, the crowd had somehow gotten even busier and I ended up lingering in the middle for a time before I worked up the courage to push through to the front again near a group of fellow mask wearers. By the time I got here, the band were a song or two in so I thankfully got to enjoy most of the set from a decent vantage point. 

I knew from previous listening that Vasa were a band with a more raucous sound than Adult Fun, but I think I underestimated the added power that the live environment would give them. 

With a sound that heavily reminds me of bands like And So I Watch You From Afar interlacing with some of the dense mathy brilliance of some of Biffy Clyro's earlier work, it was genuinely a thrill to hear the chunky off-kilter riffs blast out from the speakers. The six-string bass was put to particularly good use as the beefy tone bulked up the rhythm section and layered guitars wonderfully.

I don't think I quite expected the level of energy that was displayed by both the band and crowd to match the scale of the sound, but I was glad to be proven wrong as Vasa swung their instruments and bodies forwards and backwards during the heavier sections with as much joyful abandon as the limited space would allow. 

The crowd began to rock in a similar fashion throughout the set, which would then climax with the final tune of the evening.

I believe this song was 'Settle', the closer from the band's 2020 album Heroics that was released before the band could even properly tour it. 

One of the heaviest songs in their online catalogue, this song really did increase the early and heavy Biffy Clyro vibes- which is always a win for me. An excellent way to end a set that totally reinvigorated my desire to see some real heavy bands in the near future. 

And as the band then packed up their equipment and I left the stifling room, I was left with a strange mix of feelings. Although I'm not 100% sure I'm completely comfortable being back in the gig environment with so many people yet, things certainly look a hell of a lot brighter when there's live music to look forward to. 

Music is magic. I don't think that can be overstated ever again. Hopefully I will see anyone reading this at a gig very soon. 

Stay safe, and keep music alive out there. No one else will!

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On that note, I hope you enjoyed this review of Vasa at Bloc+. Now that live music is back, this blog will start to become more active again so please feel free to leave a comment below or you can help support RWEI by giving us a like/follow on the socials. 

As always, we're open to submissions and/or contributions from bands and writers in Glasgow and beyond so give us an email or message if you're interested. 

Cheers!