Inspired by Vh1’s You Oughta Know.

Vincent’s Late Arrival

By Rachel Rimm The band Vincent’s Late Arrival (better known as VLA) made their debut this past spring at Jamnesty. VLA consists of Dan Rimm on the drums, Shane Emery on guitar and lead vocals, John Vincent on guitar and backup vocals, and Emmett Cassidy on bass and backup vocals. When asked what genre of music they play, drummer Dan Rimm replied, “We’re an alternative rock band that deviates into other musical styles on the inconsistent whims of its members.” The band was optimistic that, during the summer, they’d be able to boost their publicity and gain some fans, but they didn’t know that the end of the summer would bring a victory in a Battle of the Bands competition. The band entered the competition at “The Space” in Hamden, hoping to do well and have a good time.  After an excellent performance followed by deafening applause from friends and strangers alike, the band made it to the final round. In the entire contest, there were roughly forty-eight other bands. VLA was one of only nine bands who made it to the finals. “After we found out that we made it to the final round,” Bassist Emmett Cassidy remarked, “I was surprised… but I had a feeling that we had it. When we got off the stage, we all kind of looked at each other, and we knew… it was ours.” After hours of long, sometimes frustrating and hard-to-schedule practices, the band stepped onto the stage for the final round. They played their best, and walked away with $1000 and a great feeling of victory. “I was expecting it to be one of our best performances, but I did not expect to win,” said guitarist John Vincent. “I was really surprised because everyone else was a lot older… much more put together,” commented Shane Emery. So $1000 prize money to a group of teenage boys? What will it be spent on, you may ask?   Vincent answered, “We split $500 between the four of us. The other half we are going to put toward equipment that will benefit the whole band.” Recently the band purchased a Didgeridoo, which is a large instrument that originated in Australia. A Didgeridoo? Why? “Well, we went to an Incubus concert, and they had a Didgeridoo. We’re trying to incorporate unique instruments in rock music. We’re considering bagpipes…” joked Shane Emery. Even though the members have moved apart, the band plans on staying together. This winter, they will record their first CD. Any last words for your fans, VLA? “Thanks so much to everyone! We appreciate your support! We love you guys!” Want to know more? Check out VLA’s Myspace and Facebook. Photo by Rachel Rimm For more interviews with local artists check out our interviews with: The Red Tide Dr. Rocktopus and the Nunks Great Caesar and the GoGetters The Smyrk