Vaults

Formed in late 2001 in the small Suffolk town of Stowmarket, the band soon hit the road in earnest playing respectable venues, where they started to gather loyal following. After recording their first demo CD and playing just a handful of gigs, The Vaults were invited to record a session for John Peel. This in turn lead to them being chosen as one of Radio One’s week of unsigned playlist artists. Since then they have completed a second Peel session and been invited back for a third live show from the BBC’s Maida Vale studios later in the year. They have already gained huge fans at XFM through word of mouth and were invited to play at Ian Camfield’s live rock show night at London’s Barfly venue. The band have also been gigging constantly around the UK. This exposure led to The Vaults being invited as only support to bearded marvels ZZ Top on their recent Arena and Academy UK tour. They played to over 15,000 people with an amazing response. (official site, 2003, via angelfire.com)

The Discogs site suggests the Vaults had only three releases, all on the Red Flag label, with their debut 10” in 2003 followed by two further EPs the following year.

Links to Peel
The Vaults were among the Bury St Edmunds area artists to receive radio exposure by Peel in the early 21st century (others included Miss Black America, Dawn Parade, the Exiles and Cowcube). The Vaults appeared to be particular favourites, with Peel claiming on 16 January 2003:

"“I couldn't be more proud of them if they were my own children, which blood tests have shown they are not.'"

In Margrave Of The Marshes (hardback, p327), Sheila Ravenscroft recalls that the Vaults were very much on Peel’s mind in 2004 as he set off for South America on what would prove to be his last-ever holiday:

"“He had saved the band’s T-shirt to wear at Machu Picchu, which we planned to visit on our last day in Peru. We were taking our own snaps to accompany the travel feature that John was writing for the Telegraph, and he wanted to give the Vaults some helpful publicity.”"

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 2003 Festive Fifty: I'm Going #50
 * 2004 Festive Fifty: No Sleep No Need (CD single) Red Flag #50

Sessions
Four sessions. No known commercial release.

1. Recorded 2002-05-07. First broadcast 25 June 2002. Repeated 14 November 2002.
 * Blurred Round The Edges / In Black / And All Between / Velvet Dress

2. Recorded 2003-03-12. First broadcast 02 April 2003. Not repeated.
 * Fame / Furry / The Mess Behind / Part Of You

3. Live from Maida Vale 19 November 2003. Not repeated.
 * She Loves / Do It Again / I'm Going / No Sleep No Need / Leaving Here / Blurred Round The Edge / Untitled / Lady Hell / Part Of You / Show And Tell

4. Recorded 2004-03-17. First broadcast 05 May 2004. Repeated 15 July 2004.
 * Show And Tell / Skiffle / Leaving Here / Untitled

Other Shows Played

 * 2002
 * 22 October 2002: Blurred Round The Edge (white label)
 * 07 November 2002: Furry (Vaults Demo Cdr) white label
 * 13 November 2002: All Between (CDR Demo) white label
 * 14 November 2002 (Radio Mafia): She Loves (EP)
 * 28 November 2002 (Radio Mafia): Blurred Round The Edge (demo)
 * 26 December 2002: Blurred Around The Edge (Demo Cd) white label


 * 2003
 * 09 January 2003: She Loves (white label)
 * 16 January 2003: She Loves (CDR Demo) white label (JP: "From Stowmarket, those are the Vaults. I couldn't be more proud of them if they were my own children, which blood tests have shown they are not.")
 * 30 April 2003: Furry
 * 22 July 2003: I'm Going (white label)
 * 29 July 2003: I'm Going (CD Single) white label
 * 27 August 2003: I'm Going (CDR) white label
 * 04 September 2003 (Radio Eins): I'm Going (white label) (JP claims Vaults rehearse in his shed and notes they are currently on tour with ZZ Top, "probably getting booed off every night.")
 * 17 September 2003: Part Of You (CDR) white label
 * 23 September 2003: I'm Going (CDR) white label
 * 28 October 2003: I’m Going (10”) Red Flag
 * 13 November 2003: Part of You (10") Red Flag
 * 18 November 2003: I'm Going (10") white label
 * 24 December 2003: I'm Going (10 inch) Red Flag FF#50


 * 2004
 * 27 January 2004: No Sleep No Need (CDR Demo) white label
 * 03 February 2004: No Need, No Sleep (CD Single) Red Flag
 * 04 February 2004: Leaving (EP - No Sleep, No Need) Red Flag
 * 10 February 2004: Lady Hell (EP - No Sleep No Need) Red Flag
 * 12 February 2004: No Sleep, No Need (EP- No Sleep, No Need) Red Flag
 * 19 February 2004: Lady Hell (CD single) Red Flag
 * 10 March 2004: No Sleep, No Need (EP - No Sleep, No Need) Red Flag
 * 24 March 2004: Lady Hell (Single)
 * 20 May 2004: Straight Faced (10" - Friday Night Monday Morning Blackout EP) Red Flag
 * 02 June 2004: Straight Faced (10" - Friday Night Monday Morning Blackout EP) Red Flag
 * 03 June 2004: From The Grave (10" EP-Friday Night Monday Morning Blackout) Red Flag
 * 16 June 2004: Straight Faced (Single) Red Flag
 * 17 June 2004: From The Grave (Single) Red Flag
 * 01 July 2004: Straight Faced (CD single) Red Flag
 * 21 July 2004: Straight Faced (CD Single) Red Flag
 * 11 August 2004: Straight Face (CD Single) Red Flag
 * 31 August 2004: (JP: "We had a big party at home on Monday night, to which the Radio One crew were obviously invited. Some of them came along. It was a good party, wasn't it?' (addressed to Louise Kattenhorn, presumably-SIG) 'Camera Obscura played, and also my favourite local band, local to Stowmarket. Not the Vaults, although I love them very much, but a band called Partly Soiled.")
 * 28 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): No Sleep No Need (CD single) Red Flag FF#50


 * Other
 * July 2004 (Peel's Record Box): Straight Faced (The Red Flag)