Writeup by Andrew Bansal, photos by Brad Worsham
February 19th 2015. La Cuevita, Los Angeles CA: Los Angeles-based quintet The Vigils are perhaps the hardest band to describe to someone who’s never heard or seen them, such is the diversity captured within their musicianship. The best, most accurate term one would associate with them is quite simply rock ‘n roll, as the energy and spirit of their live performances is synonymous with the very essence of the genre. Singer Daniel Cieplinski is a huge NWOBHM fanatic, so much so that he successfully stumps me with obscure bands I’ve never heard of every time I engage in conversation with him, and it’s perhaps no coincidence that his appearance and on-stage mannerisms strongly resemble that of a Brave New World-era Bruce Dickinson. While Cieplinski serves as The Vigils’ link between punk rock and straight-up heavy metal, each of his four band-mates express themselves freely and showcase their individual talents in plenty. Guitarist David St. Davids and bassist Sol Del Sur match the singer with their energy levels and wild moves of their own, as drummer Skeeter Joplin and saxophone player Jessy Bender hold fort with flawless grip on their respective instruments. Although The Vigils aren’t metal in the strict sense, they’re very much the metalhead’s rock band. They keep themselves active with gigs in the LA area on a regular basis, and last Thursday February 19, they played at the very aptly named La Cuevita (the little cave) in the Highland Park region of the great city. Our photographer Brad Worsham and I were in attendance to witness yet another insanely energetic performance from The Vigils, and even in this dark room, Brad managed to get a few photos that capture the show. Check them out below:
The Vigils links: facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp
