Touring their third studio album, Scottish trio Vistas graced the Leadmill stage for the first time in four years last Wednesday night. Is This All We Are? is a confident follow up from their first two albums that is filled with the indie-rock anthems that Vistas are known for as well as a fresh energy that transferred excellently to the live crowd.
The band kicked off their set with the opener to the album ‘Cruel Hearts’, and rightfully so. A relaxed opening to the set had us singing along with frontman Prentice Robertson as the track built into an explosion towards the end of the song, setting an energetic tone for the rest of the set. Capitalising on this tone, the band ran straight into ‘Tigerblood’, a much loved classic from their second album that had the crowd singing and dancing, much of this dancing would barely stop from here until the end of the set. Of course the intensity of dancing varied throughout the set, rising to particular heights for ‘Dayglow’ and ‘Calm’.
One of the best things about this gig was the band’s setlist. Artists often feel the need to force their newer tracks down the audience’s throat on an album tour but Vistas worked through their new album whilst effortlessly weaving in the old tracks that fans know and love.
A fan I was chatting to post-gig described Vistas as ‘the indie Mcfly’, citing their constant upbeat tunes and ‘singalongable’ songs as major draws towards the band. I’m inclined to agree, it was hard to stand still or to not join in with the crowd as they clapped, sang, or chanted along to the bands.
As the band neared the end of their set I was wondering what they had left to play in their encore apart from their biggest hit ‘Retrospect’. Just then Robertson revealed the band were dispensing with the ancient tradition of pretending they were finished until the crowd had feigned a chant for a few minutes only to walk back acting surprised that we’d called for more… success!