Foals arguably represent the pinnacle in live show performance. Ask anyone who has seen the five Oxford boys do their thing and they’ll speak at length about how engaging, how explosive, how vastly phenomenal both their stage presence and overall performance is.
The band, it seems, know what they’re doing when they take to the stage to deliver their funk-flavoured heart-wrenching pop. Though it took a while for Foals to hit their stride, last night this translated to one dangerously captivating set at Brisbane’s Tivoli, as Foals with the support of Alpines virtually rewrote the book on how to play a live show.
The Foals, Photo: Dean Swindell
Beginning the set was Melbourne-based pop sensations Alpine, who would be best described as a more-than-pleasant surprise for a more than angst-y crowd anticipating holy fires. If you’ve ever heard Alpine, you know what to expect - that mellow and relaxed flowing pop that echoes a sound similar to that of The XX and The Jezebels. Ultimately, Alpine’s music in a word is charming and yet when describing their live set last night, the word that comes to mind is savage. In spades Alpine brought it, delivering their playful sound but translating and evolving it seamlessly to entertain more than enthusiastic crowds. Alpines set dripped energy and reeked intensity, crossing the clean poppy melodies of bands like Phoenix and Bloc Party, and then adding more than a little Yeah Yeah Yeahs spice into the mix to construct a show with edge. This all wouldn’t have been possible if not for the undeniable confidence and swagger with which the dual vocalists directed themselves around the stage. They had presence and the talent to back it up, flawlessly translating their unusually sharp vocal harmonies to the live setting. To that end, the whole band sounded great with beating drums (both electronic and acoustic), subtly groovy bass and catchy riffs that offered sensibilities ranging from chaotic to humble to playful. If anything, Alpine can be considered another example of just how special a venue The Tivoli is in bringing to the forefront the best qualities bands have to offer. Seeing Alpine live, it becomes apparent that they’re a band who aren’t afraid to take a few risks and then throw the fruits of this labour straight in your face. It was impossible to look away, and not only that but you never had the desire to, anyway. Alpine were just so cohesive and absurdly proficient and a total pleasure to see as they performed the best kind of pop short of New Order.
The Foals, Photo: Dean Swindell
Before beginning it has to be noted that Foals remain one of the best live bands to come out of England, Europe, Earth really in a long, long time. While other bands have tried to capture that something special in constructing pop that ranges between sharp abuse of a delay pedal and a wholesome harmonic quality, currently, Foals represent the strongest candidate for striking this balance. From playing in bedrooms to filling the Royal Albert Hall, the band has also proven to be more than capable out of the safety of a studio. And within the crowded settings and low hanging balconies of the Tivoli, Foals continued to live up to their reputation, eventually.
Starting with a bang, Foals came on to stage and with wild and relentless enthusiasm began the set, offering an explosive prelude to the night’s proceedings. It was loud, dangerous, swampy grooves that had the eagerly awaiting crowd dripping sweat in seconds as the band continued to build its refined live performance. The problem, however, was that with such intensity and with the bar set so high in these first few minutes, for the first half of the show Foals weren’t able to keep this same persistence for full throttle, heart racing energy. Admittedly, Foals suffered from being unable to find their stride, to find the vigour that drenches their shows and provides them with such profound acclaim. If anything, the first half of the show just simply seemed a little fatigued. Everything was there, the band sounded great without any noticeable flaws to their sharp pop and funk sound. The performance, however, echoed a sense of being hollow. Watching Foals, it felt as if they were simply going through the motions, as dramatic as these are with front man Yannis Philippakis climbing all over the place, jumping into crowds and overall providing fan service in abundance.
The Foals, Photo: Dean Swindell
Fortunately, this feeling of weariness didn’t persist. It took a while but when the light switched on, Foals really settled into the live show everyone anticipated and wanted. Foals came alive and the crowd responded in kind. They were without remorse, unashamed and ultimately primitive beasts of raw musical expression and stage presence. Yet despite such ferocity and excitement, Foals remained firmly grounded in keeping the music sounding as tight as ever. The significance and beauty to the performance was that it was by no means a surprising set, however that didn’t make it any less incredible. Rather it served to further these conceptions people have about Foals as a band; capable of performing with furious savagery while not sacrificing musical capability.
The Foals, Photo: Dean Swindell
All in all, Wednesday night at The Tivoli is not going to be a show anyone who attended is going to forget about any time soon with Alpine providing totally exciting surprises and Foals bringing the strength and energy they’re known for. Despite a few hiccups in getting to that energy, by the time they had hit that stride and stayed there for the remainder of the show, it can’t be denied that Foals are nothing less than one of the best live bands currently existing.
@foals were something else tonight. Yannis jumped off the balcony at the Tivoli. Not once. But twice.
— FAIRCHILD (@wearefairchild) October 2, 2013
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