Foals are like a fine wine; they’ve matured and simply got more delectable with age. Gone are the days whereby the band came on stage and immediately launched into a raucous frenzy so that they couldn’t fail to grab the audience’s attention. It’s taken them a couple of years to arrive at this point, but they’re finally letting the music rather than sheer attitude prove their worth, and this new-found assurance is wholly favoured. ‘Blue Blood’ with it’s singular guitar plucks supplies a more subdued and atmospheric opening to what long-term Foals fans might be used to; though as a band they’ve never been adverse to experimentation so expectations for their set list should be no different.
Not by a long shot have all traces of the exuberant Foals gone however, and they swiftly follow up with a highly charged rendition of ‘Olympic Airways’. The crowd go wild for old favourite ‘Cassius’, which switches things up a notch to such a frantic level that even lead singer Yannis Philippakis can barely keep up, skipping words as he goes in order to stay with the riffs. The fervent and extended instrumental in ‘After Glow’ and the subsequent poundings of ‘Alabaster’ bring a sense of the dramatic to the occasion and rile the audience up into a maniacal state. Disappointingly, this sense of elated commotion is stilted temporarily as a rendition of the haunting but slow ‘Two Trees’ merely serves to dampen the atmosphere somewhat. However, the pace soon kick-starts again and the sparks of excitement spitting around the room help guide the band back on their electrifying track for the remainder of the evening.
Those who have seen or read interviews with Yannis will be aware that he can be a rather reluctant and obstinate participant. However, what he lacks in enthusiasm for the media he most certainly compensates for once he is on stage and tonight is no exception. Between calmly walking through the baying crowd to jumping up and down like an excited bunny at the opening thumps of ‘Electric Bloom’, he certainly knows how to captivate an audience. He’s known for his enthusiastic stage dives but adds additonal thrills this evening as he ventures up to the balcony during the finale of ‘Two Steps Twice’, meandering his way across before climbing over the edge and leaping back onto the stage to triumphantly wrap up proceedings.
The ability to enchant both musically and visually is a rare talent, but Foals manage both in adundance. Their live shows possess an invigorating energy that engulfs all in it’s wake yet at the same time continues to exude an air of collected sophistication. This dexterity undoubtedly elevates them significantly above their peers and makes them truly unmissable performers.
This review was originally published on www.culturedeluxe.com
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