Event Date: May 22, 2009
Event Venue: The Louisiana, Bristol

My introduction to Vagabond came courtesy of James Morrison: when I went to see him a few months back in March, Vagabond were his support act. As ashamed as I am to admit it, for I do delight to discover great new music, I was guilty of writing off the support band before I'd even heard them; of viewing them merely as a set amount of time before the headline act came on, but no longer do I hold this view. Vagabond far and away surpassed my expectations, so much so that I jumped at the chance to go and see them again. However, this time they themselves were the headline act, and it suited them: they're just too good to be anybody's support.

Although The Louisiana was a far cry from Colston Hall (where I had seen them supporting James Morrison), both in terms of audience size and general venue grandeur, the band didn't seem the least bit phased by the transition, a testament to the professional ethos and love of music clearly shared by the band. The room was small, but packed full of people. The ceiling was so low on the stage that foam had been put up to prevent enthusiastic band members from hitting their heads and concussing themselves, which although was thoughtful on the part of the venue owners, I couldn't  help but think was necessitated by an unfortunate accident in the first instance. I was grateful for the air conditioning in the room, although even that couldn't stop the smell of sweat building up towards the end of the night. Ah well, it's all part of the experience I suppose!

The audience was varied in age, although consisted more of women than men. To be honest, it was mostly teenage girls. It's really little wonder - the music appeals to both men and women, but there's no denying that frontman Alex Vargas' curly-permed good looks help to draw in the ladies.

It was a privilege, in a way, to go to this gig. In the same way as I now mourn the fact that by the time I was into music in a big way, I was too late to see Keane do a small, intimate gig, this was exactly the kind of gig that I know will one day make all of my friends jealous; that day, when Vagabond are internationally famous and nobody can get hold of tickets except for some extortionate ransom price, I will tell of how I was once a mere two feet from the band, and the guy playing the keyboard kept smiling at me... or did I imagine that?

Anyway, it's about time I talked about the music. Vargas' gorgeous, bluesy vocals define the sound of this indie soul band: a modern blend of real, authentic vocals over a backdrop of synth-pop guitars, mellow bass lines and smooth drumming. It's a winning combination.

I was really struck by the stage presence and positive vibe emitted by the band the entire night. Vargas had a good rapport with the audience; his ability to get the whole room dancing was truly impressive. It's so obvious that they love what they're doing, and it's a joy to be a part of that experience.

Time will do a lot for this band. Although intimate gigs are great, and I did relish the proximity to the band, I was left wanting more. From the band's point of view, this is a good thing, of course, but sadly they didn't even get to do an encore. This was due to the fact that a large portion of the audience left after they went off stage. Now, I know it looked like they'd finished, but at every other gig I've been to if you just scream loud enough, you get an encore. Well, nobody was hanging around to scream for more this time, and I know this was a really small gig, but I wanted an encore, surely I can't have been the only one. I'm sure that this small disappointment will be rectified in time, when more people become as passionate about the band as I am, and they start drawing in larger crowds. I see big things in the future for Vagabond, and I know for a fact I am not the only one who recognises this potential. I can't wait for their album to be released in August.

these guys rock they are really good i saw them play in Birmingham a few weeks ago as a support band and they were great