Out from the darkness appears Tom Vek, a sophisticated, multi-faceted figure. Tonight is the emergence of the gentleman, so poised and captivating. Guitar in tow and his two band mates on stage and they are ready to shake things up in The Kazimier! Vek’s back, ready to grace Liverpool with his quizzical and electric mix of music.
A warm and intimate gig, a select few of Vek’s most admiring fans circulate the room. You can feel the jubilant atmosphere here tonight, one of admiration and excitement. A fully charged and energised crowd makes for an electrifying night, fused together with their love for Vek. A genius of his craft and a legend amongst tonight’s fuelled audience. Get ready for the velocity, a spiral of sensational speed is about to rapture around The Kazimier. Vek is hitting the accelerator and taking us, the crowd along for the ride. Buckle up and enjoy the ride! A multi-talented craftsman, from electric to bass guitar, the intervals from one to the other are sheer brilliance! Hell yeah, can this guy play and he is not shy to own it on stage! A virtuoso, a mystical wizard, stagemanship is all so natural to him.
“You Set The Fire In Me”:
“You Set The Fire In Me” erupts out like a volcano, a track so well suited as Vek is definitely all fired up and ready to explode, showering the crowd with his musing excellence. Energy levels to a maximum and the momentum of a magical phenomenon! Vek has the infused crowd dancing along to this groovy beat, as he struts his most impressive ‘snake hips’ on stage, all done with an air of grace and a cheeky, humorous smile on his face. This man could easily charm the birds from the trees, but a braying, zealous Liverpool crowd will suffice nicely.
“Pushing Your Luck” is delivered so smoothly, tight and on-point. Vek is feeling this performance, the moves are cool, calm and collected, and for a somewhat ‘geeky’ guy, hi is by far the coolest man in here. Who can remix in Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” into their song – disjointed, amorous dad dancing and all – and still provide a demeanor of seasoned suave? A man who is as cool as a cucumber, so overtly prominent is Vek’s ‘cool’. As he pronounces, “everyone needs a bit of Salt-N-Pepa now and again“, and amen to that!
“Aroused”:
“Try To Do Better” ventures out like an energetic kaleidoscope of heavy guitars amongst fluttering electronica and Vek’s voice, wow, it ruminates fantastically! But it’s the favourable and probably most popular “Aroused” that makes this gig truly take levity. A mass of cheers and screams pulsate throughout, he has the crowd hyped, adrenaline fuelled, every song delivered with perfection, angst and a little ‘geeky’ charm. “A Chore” sends everyone into a blinding frenzy of pure Vek beatitude. A party amongst friends feels like the notion here, happiness all around and who wouldn’t enjoy this!? Such a nice, genuine man! The best divergence comes with this Vek, one man and his guitar on stage, a musical soliloquy as he slows it down and captivates a bemused crowd.
Vek here tonight is an equinox, never has a performance been delivered so shapely, something you only see rarely and boy did he convey the exceptional. So in control and in his element, performing is his forte and its blindingly apparent through the course of the night. This is a musical shake-down, sporadic intersections colliding with one another as the show draws to a close. He has left his best achievement till the end, out through the ecstasy explodes “Sherman“, a magnetizing, raucous vibe when it is remixed with a heavy jungle beat. Enter the rave, a sea of intoxicating, dazzling lights swarm over us, blazing inconjuction with Vek’s unexpected performance. This man just keeps on giving and surprising us with all these twists and turns musically. One word for tonight, epic!
“Sherman”:
Like that curfew calls and its time to end, a bittersweet moment, adulation lingers on the faces of a satisfied crowd but also a sadness that it is over. A gig where the agility has breezed by so rapidly, over in a flash and if only it could all happen all over again. A performance immense beyond belief, an astonishing accolade and stunningly striking!
Purchase Tom Vek’s latest album Luck (iTunes)
Photo Credit: Sam Hiscox
Words by Melanie John // Edited by Ayo Adepoju
