By Michelle Corns
If anyone had randomly called into the Jug and Barrel pub in Stanningley, they would have done a double take. Several members of the bar staff had donned multi-coloured kaftans, flares and even curly wigs in tribute to that night’s band: popular 70s glam supergroup Vig Vam Bam.
It was a great turnout – the room was packed – sending the temperature soaring and drinks flowing.
Vig Vam Bam are a six piece band fronted by vocalist Fiona ‘Fi’ McMillan – who lives in Swinnow – looking very dapper in a red tartan drape jacket – playing 70s glam classics like T-Rex, Sweet, Mudd, The Bay City Rollers, David Bowie etc.
They are a collaboration from members of other Leeds bands including: The Vaynes, Rose of Avalanche, Indigo Slink, The Expelaires, XLerators and Patsy Clone. They recently hosted a fundraiser for the bar staff who had lost their jobs when The Grove Inn – one of the oldest and most cherished pubs in Leeds – was gutted in an arson attack.
The band played not one – but two ‘Dynamite’ sets two sets of twenty seven glam rock classics, and the audience came alive to Suzi Quatro’s ‘Devil Gate Drive’ a lively number that got people on their feet.
The rest of the set was a step back in time to when a packet of crisps was about 5p, a bag of chips was 7p and a pint of beer was 20p – now those were the days, eh?
After Fi crooned ‘Cooca Chew’ (Alvin Stardust), everyone started tapping their feet to ‘Get it on’ (T-Rex) and having a blast to ‘Ballroom Blitz’ (Sweet), ‘Queen Bitch’ (David Bowie) and ‘Dynamite’ (Mud). There was a little change in tempo and the crowd swayed and sang along ‘Come up and See Me’ (Steve Harley and the Cockney Rebel) and ‘See My Baby Jive’ (Wizard).’ Then things got a little more ‘racey’ with ‘Some Girls’ (Racey), ‘Mama Weer all Crazee Now’ (Slade) and ‘Crazy Horses’ (The Osmonds).
The end of the first set was the Bay City Rollers ‘Bye Bye Baby’ and there were several tartan (and one or two striped and floral) scarves being waved in the air – grasped at both ends like the it was a home match at Elland Road.
After a brief interlude in which people grabbed the opportunity to cool down and refresh their drinks, it was time for set two – kicking off with two Sweet numbers ‘Wig Wam Bam’ and ‘Blockbuster.
Then it was time to rev their engines for ‘Motorbikin’ (Chris Spedding). A few avid Mud fans knew the dance to ‘Tiger Feet’ then it was ‘Wam bam thank you mam’ for all the Bowie fans when they belted out ‘Suffragette City.’ The band played ‘Roll Away the Stone’ (Mott the Hoople) sang ‘Gudbye T’Jane’ (Slade) and the ‘20th Century Boy’ (T-Rex), then everyone clapped their hands to ‘Shang-a-lang’ (Bay City Rollers).
After these, it was time to give tribute to another 70’s supergroup Abba with ‘Does your Mother Know?’ followed by a ‘Jukebox Jive’ (The Rubettes). This was followed by the emotional ‘All the Young Dudes’ (Mott the Hoople).
‘Can the Can’ (Suzi Quatro), increased the beat again, then the crowd went on a ‘Teenage Rampage’ (Sweet). Vig Vam Bam brought this all to a close with a glittering, explosive finale playing ‘Cherry Bomb’ (The Runaways’). They had a captive audience from start to finish, had brought along all their regular fans and left with quite a few more by the end. It was a spectacular and very successful night for Vig Vam Bam and this Stanningley pub.
Vig Vam Bam play gigs and festivals all over Leeds and West Yorkshire. To find out when this superb, 70s supergroup are playing in the near future, visit their Facebook page.
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