Sweaty Vamps put on a night of fun

'We're just four sweaty boys who like to play music.'
The Vamps were a hit at Sheffield's Fly DSA Arena.The Vamps were a hit at Sheffield's Fly DSA Arena.
The Vamps were a hit at Sheffield's Fly DSA Arena.

That was how the rather self-effacing Vamps described themselves on the first night of their Night & Day Tour at Sheffield’s FlyDSA Arena on Saturday.

But if the hordes of screaming girls in the audience – along with 4.3 million Twitter followers and six million Facebook fans – are anything to go by, these four lads have found a way to turn their hard work and passion into real commercial

success.

The Vamps frontman Brad Simpson on stage at Sheffield Arena. Picture: Robin Burns.The Vamps frontman Brad Simpson on stage at Sheffield Arena. Picture: Robin Burns.
The Vamps frontman Brad Simpson on stage at Sheffield Arena. Picture: Robin Burns.
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Kicking off their set with Staying Up, frontman Brad Simpson, bassist Connor Ball, guitarist James McVey and drummer Tristan Evans were lively and likeable, engaging with their enthusiastic audience at every opportunity.

Special effects, a panoramic screen and a runway which allowed the band to get closer to more of their fans helped add a wow factor to the show, which was the first of 13 UK dates followed by a tour of Europe.

Tristan is one of the few drummers I have seen who seems to relish the opportunity to take centre-stage.

Playing on a raised platform with neon drumsticks, there was no way he was going to risk fading into the background.

The Vamps frontman Brad Simpson on stage at Sheffield Arena. Picture: Robin Burns.The Vamps frontman Brad Simpson on stage at Sheffield Arena. Picture: Robin Burns.
The Vamps frontman Brad Simpson on stage at Sheffield Arena. Picture: Robin Burns.
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From chatting happily to the crowd and playing an energetic solo to giving an impromptu drum lesson to one lucky girl – in this case a fan called Jasmine from Hull, who won the chance to join her idols up on stage.

As well as the expected hits like Can We Dance, Somebody to You and Last Night, the band took the opportunity to test out some of their new material on very willing ears.

The Sheffield audience were the first to hear The Vamps perform Just My Type and Hair Too Long live.

They were also treated to an acoustic rendition of Girls on TV by Connor and James.

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This song was voted for in a Twitter poll and the lads admitted they had to quickly learn it before the concert as they hadn’t played it in three years.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the Vamps were joined on stage by Maggie Lindemann for Personal, with her staying on afterward to sing her own hit Pretty Girl.

If you’re not already a fan of The Vamps, their music is unlikely to set your world alight.

It’s a touch cheesy, but the band’s clean cut image and catchy tunes make them perfect for a predominantly female teenage audience.