Tim Finch<\/a><\/p>\nWords: Matthew Williams<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been several years since I last saw The Vintage Caravan, so I thought it was incumbent upon myself to rectify that and drive down the M6 to Mama Roux\u2019s in Birmingham. I first saw the band back in 2014, when they supported Blues Pills and their brand of 70\u2019s hard rock fused with psychedelia was an instant winner in my eyes. Having reviewed their latest album, \u201cPortals\u201d in September, I was excited to hear some new songs alongside some old favourites.<\/p>\n
Inside the dimly venue, they had brought along a little-known band called The Motherz<\/strong>. I searched in vain for some of their music to listen to beforehand, but as bassist and vocalist Cedric Pfister said on stage, they actually \u201chaven\u2019t released anything yet\u201d so well done to their booking agent I\u2019d say. The fact that their intro music was Danzig\u2019s \u201cMother\u201d made me warm to them instantly, as the trio get straight down to business.<\/p>\nThey sound like sleazy rock n\u2019 roll, and come fully loaded with some cracking songs, like \u201cBurn the Pages\u201d, \u201cBulletproof\u201d and \u201cAshes\u201d. For a band who were only on their 6th gig, they are tight, and supremely confident, as they mix their tempos well across several of the songs. With Miguel Montalban showcasing his guitar skills as every opportunity, he adds more with his vocal range as the melodies and rhythm get people\u2019s heads rocking.<\/p>\n
Drummer Jake Cook is a bundle of energy and keeps the place bouncing throughout their set. They have a decent selection of heavier riffs, that weave around slow elements and moody solos, creating a nice atmosphere and in parts, a raucous sound. At one moment Pfister did forget where he was when he asked, \u201cAre you still with us Bristol?\u201d which brought a few ironic cheers. The big songs kept coming and after announcing that this was \u201ctheir first ever tour as The Motherz\u201d, and Montalban having a few tech issues, they finish with \u201cSweat\u201d which had a heavier, rockier Kyuss vibe to it. A band worth keeping an eye on.<\/p>\n
It seemed strange seeing The Vintage Caravan<\/strong> bassist Alexander Orn Numason walking through the crowd with his bass chatting to a friend about ten mins before showtime, but he was quickly followed by Oskar Logi Agustsson, and they spoke briefly before entering the stage.<\/p>\nAn icy blue light filled the stage as the intro to \u201cPhilosopher\u201d began and the crowd got revved up. Showcasing their excellent new album, we were treated to 6 new songs, and the harmonised vocals were in full flow from the off. The strong opening trio of songs included \u201cHere you Come Again\u201d and \u201cReflections\u201d. They sounded amazing with the bass being prominent but not overpowering.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood evening, Birmingham. We are The Vintage Caravan from Iceland\u201d announced a beaming and bedazzled Agustsson, as they continue with the excellent \u201cCan\u2019t Get You off My Mind\u201d which sounded funky and gets the audience clapping along. \u201cWe have a new album out, but sadly no copies here tonight due to shipping, blah, blah, blah\u201d says Numason, \u201cbut we have t-shirts to fit all your body sizes up there. This is off the new album, and it\u2019s called Current\u201d which has a slow and tender beginning.<\/p>\n
One thing that struck me was the sound of the cymbals from drummer Stefan Ari Stefnsson, as they pierced each song like a dagger to the heart, creating a huge sound alongside the bass lines. What was also apparent, is how good a guitarist Agustsson is, as his solos were imperious and although him and energizer bunny Numason appeared to be entering a gurning competition most of the night, they complement reach other exceptionally well.<\/p>\n
\u201cRiot\u201d was followed by \u201cLet Me Be\u201d which was introduced by Agustsson telling us that \u201ca woman in Vienna wanted to lick my teeth, but it was OK, because her husband wanted to film it\u201d so they dedicated the song to her, as he told us he\u2019d said no. The ending to this and beginning to the fantastic \u201cExpand Your Mind\u201d had a drum solo sandwiched in-between and the band get the chance to really let go and showcase their individual talents, which are very impressive.<\/p>\n
With the trippy, psychedelic sound in full bloom, they switch tempos and rhythms so easily, and the crowd are loving every minute of this dynamic performance. \u201cCrystalized\u201d flows delectably, before green lights flood the stage for the introduction to \u201cCrossroads\u201d which they play with power, precision and elegant poise. \u201cYou guys still doing good?\u201d they ask. \u201cThis song is the opposite of what we are doing\u201d explains Numason, \u201cin fact, it\u2019s the opposite of being together\u201d which gets a big laugh from the crowd, as they play \u201cAlone\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, this song is a different tuning to every other song in the set, and I sometimes forget what I\u2019m playing\u201d comments the bassist, \u201cit\u2019s like an extreme sport for me\u201d as he beams once again playing the tremendous song that is \u201cBabylon\u201d. The crowd chant along, as the trio are in complete control, with high tempos, slow parts, big amounts of energy and a few lighters appear at the start of \u201cOn The Run\u201d.<\/p>\n
They disappear for a few moments as they start the encore with \u201ca song we haven\u2019t played yet on this tour, so here it is \u2013 Crazy Horses\u201d which sparks wild celebrations amongst those who asked for it on the front row of the crowd. They end the set with the majestic \u201cMidnight Meditation\u201d which has the crowd is full vocal mode. I certainly won\u2019t be waiting years until I see them again, as this was one hell of a set and they are stacked with old and new songs that will impress anyone who sees them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Live Review: The Vintage Caravan – Mama Roux’s, Birmingham 30th October 2025Support: The MotherzHeader Image: Tim Finch Words:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":546177,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,748,393,4884,45453,175482,175483,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-546176","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-live-review","13":"tag-the-motherz","14":"tag-the-vintage-caravan","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115485691376852592","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=546176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/546177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=546176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=546176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=546176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}