Live Review: The Last Vinci at Blondies, London (21/05/26)

It doesn’t get more intimate than Blondies in Hackney, London, which for a band with the kind of personality of Cork, Ireland’s The Last Vinci, is pretty much perfect. Even if they deserve to be playing much bigger venues.

I’ve been a fan for some time, and finally seeing them live, especially on the back of 15 Minutes at the Time and the past few years of stress and worry for main man, Alex Vinci, feels downright cathartic. The journey isn’t over, far from it, but this show did feel like an exclamation mark on the past few months of The Last Vinci coverage for me. Single Slams, a full album review (read here), and another fabulous interview with Alex, one of the nicest folks in the rock and metal scene (watch/listen to that here). It has been a blast, and I can’t wait to see and hear what comes next.

Though, for now, let me talk about this show and brilliant The Last Vinci are live.

An intimate venue calls for an intimate performance, yet the trio that is Alex Vinci (lead vocals/guitar), Dylan Scully (bass), and Francesco “Brasko” Marietta Odone (drums/backing vocals) approach this like they’re playing Wembley Stadium. Their energy is incredibly infectious and while some parts of the crowd are more curious than crazy, by the end, nobody was standing still. The Last Vinci are simply too much fun, but the heart and soul of the band, shines so brightly too.

This is a major aspect of the band that attracts me, and their latest album ’15 Minutes at a time’ embodies this.

Why? The album title and the themes come from the simple advice of ’take it 15 minutes at a time’. Advice given to Alex from his wife having been diagnosed with a chronic illness. This mantra runs through the album like a thick vein, channelling the fear, uncertainty, hope, and resilience that has made up the past few years of Alex’s life. A life-changing diagnosis transformed into an overwhelming source of meaning.

That Alex is here and able to do this is a triumph in of itself, and his resilient, earnest, and authentic nature adds so much to the performance. I don’t think there wasn’t anyone in the venue who didn’t feel something in Blondies on this night.

How about the music though? How did The Last Vinci sound? To be honest, better than I could have hoped and Blondies’ system is up to the task of making them sound larger than life. Though tracks like Better to Never Know, Temporary, Unbalanced Addressed, Begging for Some Help, Glitter Slaughterhouse, and The Revolution is Made Together, certainly help. Seeing The Last Vinci play is a great reminder of just how many great songs they have.

They delivered and left everyone in Blondies with a huge smile. I’m convinced that they’re the kind of band that will appeal to all, regardless of taste, and could play on any bill and get a crowd moving. If you’ve not checked them out already, give them at least 15 minutes to convince you of their quality.

Their co-headline UK tour with Terminals continues so get to one of the following dates, if you can:

22/05 – Centrala / BIRMINGHAM
23/05 – Six Six Bar / CAMBRIDGE
24/05 – The Blind Pig / SOWERBY BRIDGE
27/05 – The Hug And Pint / GLASGOW
28/05 – Adelphi Club / HULL
29/05 – JT Soar / NOTTINGHAM
30/05 – South Side / LINCOLN