Don't call The Vamps a boyband
They look like one, they sound like one, and they perform like one.
But British pop group The Vamps, who are in town to perform their first-ever concert in Singapore on Tuesday (Jan 26), don’t seem to think they are a boy band.
Formed in 2012, the quartet - comprising James McVey, Brad Simpson, Tristan Evans and Connor Ball - released their debut album Meet The Vamps just over a year ago, but have already gone on to score five Top 10 hits in the UK, sold out multiple arena shows and earned comparisons with UK boy band One Direction.
“We play (our own instruments), we write and we pride ourselves on being musicians rather than a boy band, which we see as a solely vocal group or a dance group,” lead singer and guitarist Simpson, 20, told The New Paper in an interview on Monday (Jan 25) at the Pan Pacific Singapore.
“We don’t want to be like anyone, we just want to be ourselves. We take influences from a lot of different people but that doesn’t mean we want to be exactly the same as them. We listen to a load of different things and we’ve been inspired a lot but we’ll just be The Vamps,” said lead guitarist McVey, 21.
When The New Paper met up with the guys, they had only been in Singapore for eight hours but were already mobbed by fans at the airport and enjoyed dinner at Marina Bay Sands.
“I slept the whole time since being here,” said drummer Evans, 21, while Simpson and McVey enjoyed a rooftop supper of teriyaki chicken, sushi and noodles at Marina Bay Sands.
McVey said: “We’ve never been here before so the fans that we’ve met are very excited and we are excited too. Back home in London, we get to meet our fans a lot so we’ve become really friendly with loads of them.”
The Vamps will be at Junction 8 Shopping Centre for a meet-and-greet session on Jan 25.
Bassist Ball, 19, on the other hand, has visited Singapore before when he was seven and has memories of being in a mall full of people playing with yo-yos.
“They used to be big here, right?” he asked.
The boys have a trip to the Night Safari planned and are looking forward to pigging out on local delicacies such as chicken rice and chilli crab.
“I want to try everything. Just give it all to me,” said Evans.
The Vamps hope to one day collaborate with Ed Sheeran, Eminem, Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl, Panic At The Disco and Zara Larsson.
But they have already teamed up with a few celebrities for their music videos and dished on those encounters...
WATCH: The Vamps talk about working with Demi Lovato, Brooklyn Beckham and Maisie Williams
English actress Maisie Williams in Rest Your Love
McVey: I’m friends with one of her friends so we met through that. (Tris and I) are fans of hers, like we watched her (on hit TV series Game Of Thrones). We just texted her about being in the video and she just came down.
Brooklyn Beckham, eldest son of British soccer star David Beckham and British fashion designer Victoria Beckham, in Wake Up
Ball: (His parents are) very nice.
McVey: We started speaking to him on Twitter and then he came to some gigs and we just became friends. Really cool guy. I spoke to him just this morning, in fact.
Simpson: The video was the first ever acting work he’s done and he did a great job. He took direction really well. He was amazing considering it was the first (time).
US singer Demi Lovato - Somebody To You
Evans: We were working with Swedish producer-songwriter Max Martin and his crew and we knew we needed a feature on the song for the second verse and Demi was working closely with Max as well so she was in the studio and we asked her and she said ‘Yes!’ and it’s all good. She’s really cute and amazing. She’s so awesome.
Simpson: I think she’s a very good role model for young women and even young men as well. She’s setting a good example.
US singer Shawn Mendes - Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)
Ball: We toured with him and US singer Austin Mahone. We played with him a lot and we got to be friends with him.
FYI
What: The Vamps with special guests The Tide - Live in Singapore
Where: The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa
When: Jan 26, 7.30pm
Tickets: $118 and $168 from Sistic (6348-5555 or www.sistic.com.sg)
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