Vant
Ahead of taking to the main stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals last weekend, indie-grunge quartet VANT brought their blistering rock show to a sweltering Waterfront Studio. The band’s last visit to Norwich was in this very room almost two years ago. In that time they’ve hit the road with the likes of You Me At Six and Nothing But Thieves, and released an outstanding debut LP Dumb Blood, so it seems unjust that such a hyped act haven’t quite made it big enough for downstairs yet. But no one’s complaining as the intimate setting only adds to the air of anticipation when the lights finally descend.
Emerging through the smoke, the foursome look clean cut and more ready than ever to give it their all. Hair freshly trimmed and in a stark all-white outfit, frontman Mattie Vant channels every teen rock hero archetype perfectly as he leads his band into action. It’s a slow start, but by the time Lampoon comes round, bristling with angst and fire, the pit opens.
Then come the bangers. Fly-By Alien is a rapid-fire stomper of a tune, while Peace & Love epitomises what VANT are about; between lyrics that call for solidarity through political and environmental turmoil, wide, sweeping riffs get everyone in the room moving. Blistering rock songs with open-mindedness at their core make up the most part of Dumb Blood, and further cuts follow. Parasite clocks in less than 90 seconds of Ramones-esque fury while Do You Know Me? launches things into fifth gear. “Is your blood pumping Norwich?” Mattie taunts. You bloody know it is mate.
Thanks are said to the audience for being so respectful to one another, before ending on the incendiary, Americana-infused Parking Lot. There’s even time for a cheeky encore; Time & Money is the last chance to have a jump about before it’s all over. As quickly as they came, VANT head off to the enormous stages they deserve, to spread the love and get even sweatier (if that’s even possible).
