It's Vee-ry good to be back for festival

It may be nearly 30 years since they went their separate ways, but the members of Blackpool band Vee VV are back together and hope their message still resonates.
Vee VV are reuniting 30 years after their original success. Picture: Nigel LingingsVee VV are reuniting 30 years after their original success. Picture: Nigel Lingings
Vee VV are reuniting 30 years after their original success. Picture: Nigel Lingings

The band, originally formed in 1982 from the ashes of Tunnelvision, will headline Blackpool Music Festival at the Waterloo Music Bar tomorrow night - their first gig in three decades.

Vee VV had a big local following, and played across the UK, with support slots for bands such as New Order, James, The Gun Club, A Certain Ratio, The Beloved, That Petrol Emotion and My Bloody Valentine leading to them leaving the resort for the bright lights of London and Manchester - where they gained attention from the national music press.

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But by 1989 the band’s members and the music scene had moved on and they ‘decided to call it a day’.

Singer Martin Reynolds said: “A lot of why we got back together is asking ‘Is anyone interested in listening to us?’

“There are so many tribute acts from that time, so people have an appetite for the music and they get such a release from it.

“From my point of view, there needs to be people doing things that they have created as well.

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“There’s a place for tribute bands, people love to hear the tracks that they have listened to over the years.”

Next month, they’ll be releasing new single Love Canal, and playing a support gig with Inspiral Carpets’ singer Tom Hingley and his band The Kar-Pets at Manchester Academy on October 12 - both ahead of releasing retrospective album Payola in the new year.

Speaking of tomorrow’s gig, Martin added: “We were wondering if Blackpool would be the best place to make the comeback - two of us live in Manchester now, the other three in St Annes and Blackpool.

"But we decided to jump in at the deep end, and it’s great to be part of Blackpool Music Festival and to be supporting charities like Streetlife and Musicians Against Homelessness.

"The Waterloo is a well-established venue now and it’s great to be asked to headline and we hope people will come along to support us and the charities.”