A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.
My record collection
[267] Vacant Lots - Departure (LP)
Departure was the first The Vacant Lots album and hype sticker on the front declared that it was “featuring Dean Wareham” - the inner sleeve more specifically states that the “guitars on Tomorrow [were] by Dean Wareham”.
The Vacant lots are, like Suicide, a two piece, and are (a bit) like Suicide - although, wearing your heart on your sleeve will never get criticism from me!
The album was released by the always excellent Sonic Cathedral. and the track that Dean is “featured” on - Tomorrow - is probably the most accessible one on the album so a good place to ease yourself into the abrasive world of The Vacant Lots.
Around the time of release The Vacant Lots played an album launch gig at the Social in Little Portland Street in London. I briefly chatted to Jared from the band before the show and, for some reason I’m not entirely sure of, he wanted a photo of me with him and Brian (and support act Tess Parks), so we posed outside the venue… I have never seen the photo - I expect he came upon it the next day, wondered who I was, and decided it wasn’t worth a post on Twitter!
The gig was amazing, the basement of The Social is small and dark and very claustrophobic… the music TVL play is big, and dark, and very claustrohphobic! I was literally checking out the venue escape routes during the show… it was quite overwhelming. Jared shredded his fingers as he shredded his guitar and the sight of his blood spattered fingerboard made it all so much more uncomfortable… but then I don’t think TVL are a comforting band.
This is what I wrote at the time:
They played a breathtaking set of numbers from the new LP and finished with a barnstorming 6AM. When the song finished the audience was silent for a few seconds... there was no instant roar of applause or cheers. We knew that had to be the end and some time was needed to appreciate what we had just experienced. Then the cheering started.
The Vacant Lots album launch at The Social
I sadly haven’t seen them live since then, for whatever reasons. Next time…
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 12/074
- Artist: The Vacant Lots
- Title: Departure
- Notes: Dean Wareham plays guitar on the track Tomorrow
- Format: LP
- Bought direct from Sonic Cathedral
- Buy ‘The Vacant Lots - Departure’ on Bandcamp