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Viva Machine at the ball

15th June 2007

Many bands probably wouldn't see covering Liberty X as a step in the right direction in the search for stardom, but then again, not many bands could pull it off as well as VIVA MACHINE, especially underneath grey Swansea skies.

After a successful appearance at Scotland's Rockness festival the weekend before, playing the Swansea University Summer Ball is essentially a hometown gig for this electric four-piece who have already pricked the ears of music hacks nationwide.

Touring with the likes of Shiny Toy Guns, Yourcodenameis:milo and fellow Ball acts The Automatic is starting to really get Viva Machine noticed and it's hard to see how they could go wrong from here.

From the outset, the band were explosive and energetic, led by lead vocalist Chris Seacombe, and it's this energy that makes Viva Machine such a pleasure to watch.

Although still on the cusp of releasing their debut album, hopefully out later this year, the arsenal of tunes that the band carry round with them will probably captivate any audience, perhaps proved by the healthy number of people who ventured over to the main stage as Viva took flight at the Summer Ball.

Last December's single, 'My Jet Set Radio' sits perfectly alongside newer, unreleased tracks such as 'Death Star Trucker' and 'Robot Bodyrox', all examples of a band capable of combining an intense performance with an expansive, infectious sound.

Now you start to see the clues that tell you why their take on Liberty X's 'Sexy' came off with such aplomb that it totally upstaged anything Liberty X themselves could have done with their own track following on after Viva Machine's set.

Admittedly, a band can't be all things to all people, but Viva Machine don't pretend to be. This is a band with a clear idea of how they want to sound, and it just so happens that the formula they've come upon is probably one that ensures that these Swansea lads will continue to attract wider attention.

Wales has a reputation for producing great bands - Stereophonics, Feeder, Manic Street Preachers, The Alarm... OK, well maybe not quite the last one, but with The Automatic already ensuring the trend continues, it shouldn't be too long at all until this band join the party. Viva la machine!

Pete Hayman