Transvision Vamp at O2 Academy Bournemouth (21.10.2026) with Yee Loi supporting.
The nasty surprise greeting me arriving at my favourite local venue (see O2 Bournemouth venue blog) is the conversion of the main car park option in Hawkeswood Road, into a building site. More distant on-street parking found in the unlit streets around and I shall have to explore other options further. A security guy thought that the ground floor of the Sovereign Shopping Centre was open in the evening, despite most of it shutting at 8pm usually.
The pleasant surprise greeting my arrival was support band Yee Loi. Great to see and hear three young musicians hammering out punky tunes – the male bassist is wearing a Ramones t-shirt, looks very Dee Dee. Female guitarist supports on vocals, I notice sporting a Vibrators t-shirt, but main vocals come from the female drummer. They’re from Liverpool and the band name means ‘two girls’ in Cantonese.
A thumping good listen, ending with Ramblin’ Rose, an MC5 Cover. They have a first album out in January.
The O2 is by no means full this evening. I had anticipated a low turnout and when I saw the upper two balconies were shut I feared the worst. However, it is busy enough and those who are here are well engaged with it all and very appreciative, as is Wendy James.
Transvision Vamp emerged in 1988 with what was quite an early 80s post-punk sound, and certainly image. They did have considerable success with 10 singles in the charts and a number one album: Velveteen. Most of that LP is played tonight.
I wasn’t into them at the time but absorbed the singles via radio play. Then in 2019 I saw the Wendy James Band supporting The Psychedelic Furs twice and that got me buying some old TV stuff second hand.. signed by Wendy at a soundcheck for one gig.
With so many singles they can afford to spread them out and the Holly and the Italians’ cover, Tell That Girl To Shut Up is the second song to get things moving.
Despite the Transvision Vamp reunion feel to this, there is only the bassist, Dave Parsons, and Wendy James that were in the band. A really excellent selection of musicians though and the band sounds great and Wendy’s voice is all there and has a lovely attitude to the audience.
I particularly liked Sister Moon and Revolution Baby in this full set, which included a few Wendy James Band songs also.
Unsurprisingly, Baby I Don’t Care was the stormer we all love (reached no.3 in the UK chart). That finished the main set. Three songs as an encore and Velveteen was something of an epic. Wonderful delivery of a top track…it’s ten minutes long.
I was surprised how good tonight was and left feeling I’d been given something I never thought I would get the chance to see. Not a massive band in my history but part of the rock’n’roll jigsaw of my life…go and have a listen to Velveteen..the track and the LP.
