MANILA, Philippines - Get ready, kids. The Vamps will be staging their first concert in the Philippines on Feb. 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena. They’ve been following hot on the heels of groups like One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer with their own boy band pop hits such as Can We Dance, Wild Heart, Last Night, and Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart), which you’ve probably heard on the radio. Their YouTube views and Facebook likes have numbered in the millions, making them famous across the globe.
Flashback to when 2012 started and they were boys posting covers online: James McVey, the guitarist, waded through numerous demos and covers on the Internet to find the perfect singer for his songs. Bradley Will Simpson caught James’ attention with his spot-on Ed Sheeran and Arctic Monkeys covers on YouTube. They decided to meet up and begin writing songs in James’ home. Then came along Tristan Evans, a finalist in the 2010 UK Drummer of the Year competition, who messaged James on Facebook asking if they needed a drummer. Bassist Connor Ball soon joined the band after that. At the time, none of them were older than 18.
When they started posting covers online as a group, people on the Internet started tuning in and following, and their songs started drawing millions of views. They got signed and were soon on a plane to LA to record the songs that would comprise their debut album, “Meet the Vamps.” Since then, they’ve gone on a worldwide tour, selling out shows everywhere. Their next stop? Manila.
Young STAR called up drummer Tristan Evans recently to catch up with him before The Vamps head to Manila for their concert.
YOUNG STAR: Are you guys excited to play in Manila?
TRISTAN EVANS: Yes, we’ve always been excited to go there, and we’re really excited to see you guys!
Did you ever expect you’d be playing shows outside of the UK?
No, to be honest, we never really did when we started this. It’s just a breath of fresh air to kind of come out and visit and travel the world. It’s so lovely.
You guys started as YouTube stars and found each other on YouTube. Would you say that YouTube is the best way to find bandmates in this day and age?
Yeah, it’s just great so you could see all the markets and just see everyone. It’s very accessible.
What does it take to be famous on YouTube?
I don’t know, I mean none of us did it just to be famous. You have to kind of do the right things.
What made your bandmates stand out on YouTube?
Really skinny legs and the fact that they play instruments.
Skinny legs?
Yes, skinny legs.
On Cecilia, you guys sample Simon and Garfunkel. Why?
We’ve always been big fans and it was nice to kind of sample them.
Who else would you like to sample?
Blink-182 and Guns n’ Roses.
What was it like touring with Taylor Swift?
Touring with Taylor Swift — she was awesome. She is very, very talented and she’s lovely to all the people she works with. She’s got a great reputation.
What are some of the most memorable moments while you guys were on tour with her?
We watched the Super Bowl with her. She cooked us dinner at her house. She’s really nice, and we hung out.
And you guys also toured with McFly, right? What are some of your favorite moments on tour with them?
We were just chilling, they’re really nice guys. We kind of took a lot from them. We saw them loads, and we were looking at their stage presence.
That’s cool. Are you guys writing new music?
Yes, we’ve started on our second album already.
What’s it going to be like?
We don’t really know. We’re just experimenting at the moment.
In what sense?
Just experimenting, having fun, and creating something that’s not specific.
What are your favorite songs to play live?
Wild Heart, Last Night and Can We Dance.
Why?
Because Can We Dance is like really fast at the end.
Do you have any message that you want say to your fans in Manila?
Yeah! Thank you so much for the continuous support. We can’t wait to come and see you. It’s about time and we’re excited to see you to see what you think about the show!