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You know when you see a band that are starting out and you just know that they’re destined for greatness? That’s the feeling you get seeing The Virgin Marys for the first time.
The band from Macclesfield have only been on the scene for a couple of years now but have made massive inroads in a short space of time.
With performances at the Download festival, support slots for the legendary Slash on his solo tour in June and now they’re out on the road with rock legends Skunk Anansie on their current UK tour.
When The Virgin Marys first took to the stage they suffered from early-doors syndrome and walked out to a fairly empty Rock City main hall. To make it worse for them they even had a number of technical problems with the guitars, but still they managed to keep their composure and the malfunction was barely noticeable to anyone but the band.
From a higher vantage point, it was easy to perceive that the crowd absolutely loved them and were throwing moves and head banging like storm troopers.
The drummer is particularly captivating, he is the one you can’t take your eyes off and it’s easy to see why he holds the centre of stage, a position which is usually under the dominion of the lead singer.
His energy and intensity was incredible and you find yourself wondering how so it’s possible for such a big sound to come from just three musicians.
In a way their power on stage is reminiscent of Kings of Leon c2003- 2004, back when they were still producing interesting songs.
The Virgin Marys’ has elements of Zeppelin, with a sprinkling of White Stripes and early Biffy Clyro, but maybe that homage is just down to the hair?
Neverthless, as brilliant as TVM were, the 2000 capacity venue was packed to the rafters to see one band alone and that was Skunk Anansie, and let’s be honest, specifically the never-ageing, slightly intimidating but ever so beautiful, Skin.
The band started a little late, the reasons for the delay unknown but appeared on stage with the words “Yes It’s Fucking Political” to a phenomenal lightshow.
Skin wore a black zipped lycra catsuit adorned with an amazing feather shoulder-piece for the first two songs and looked ever the alternative style icon that she looked back in the mid 90’s when they first emerged.
They seemed pleased to be back in Rock City telling the adoring crowd that they had been away far too long and declared their undying love for Nottingham.
Then the band launched into Because of You the standout track of the show, it had so much energy and bite that the crowd were impelled to give it their all.
Skin then left the stage during their song Brazen and climbed onto the shoulders of the crowd continuing to flawlessly belt out the tune and finishing it standing on top of her flock right in the middle of the audience.
It made for an epic sight and removed all barriers between fans and artist for those few minutes.
The set was an incredible and seamless mix of old and new songs from the truly beautiful Talk Too Much off the current album to the gut wrenching Twisted and finally closing the night with Little Baby Swastika.