The Vintage Caravan live in London 2022

As I wait for the venue to open, only a few people are queuing up, but I already know that the room will get filled up quickly. Once I’m inside, I walk up to the photo pit to then find out that I will be the only photographer for the night; what a big responsibility! One of the good things about it is that the bands on stage give you all their attention and that’s great!

As the opening band tonight, we have the British rock band Empyre. Empyre is on the rise; they signed to the record label Kscope in late 2022, announcing their second electric album and follow-up to 2019’s “Self Aware” and which will be released in early 2023. So, at the moment their sights are set that marking 2023 as their biggest year yet. Sonically, Empyre is as intense as an atmospheric rock with a dark and introspective edge that gets deep into your soul.

As the band gets on stage there are a fair number of people in the crowd and by end of the performance, the room is packed with quite a few of them being fans of the band and replying to all the questions that lead singer Henrik Steenholdt is asking. Fans are excited to hear some new songs from the upcoming album with screams all over the venue. The atmosphere in the room is moody and melancholic altogether with guitar effects from Did Coles and distinctive vocals from Henrik. The power of his voice is phenomenal, with a unique and imperious tone that gets under your skin and almost shatters your ears if you are standing too close to the stage. Listening to their music is a challenge that demands your full concentration including complicated riffs and soaring vocals; what an experience!

Just a small interval and we now have the band that we’ve been all waiting for, The Vintage Caravan hailing from Iceland. Virtuosic 70s rock guitar ruminations encounter an irrefutable mixture of astonishing modern elements and classic psychedelic / progressive rock trademarks: The Vintage Caravan returns with a fifth studio album, “Monuments”, that came out on April 16th, 2021.

When they are playing, they command the stage with such a presence that results in high-voltage live performances. And to add to all of this we have lead vocalist/guitarist Óskar Logi Ágústsson executing some of the most passionate and electrifying guitar solos, presenting their very own potent mixture accented by bold, nostalgic nuance. I and the crowd are hooked and can’t take our eyes off of them.

While you are listening to The Vintage Caravan your feet instantly start to move to the beat of their sound. This is a superb set from the trio that includes details and individualism that make this more than just a live performance but a whole journey experience. Their rhythmic flair ignites a number of their tracks mixed with light blues influences, encircling the listener in enchanting guitar lines and quickly rising to the full extent of its power while evoking anecdotes of retro nostalgia. It pulled the songs from their standard, stomping rock beat and sharpened their edges.

The Vintage Caravan are on the run of great things, they won’t be playing in small venues like this one, so I suggest you go and see them now to have a chance to get close and personal before they move to the next level.

Empyre Setlist: