Friendly Fires Live Review

Thursday is now the new Friday, allegedly. But there are no allegations about it according to Friendly Fires who brought their white-boy indie-funk to Camden’s Roundhouse for the fourteenth installment of this month’s iTunes Festival.

Currently surfing the wave of hype surrounding their unashamedly party-infused new album, ‘Pala’, the St. Albarn’s three-piece experienced no trouble in encouraging the crowd to lose all inhibitions and gyrate their groins in rhythm to old hip-shakers such as ‘Lovesick’, ‘Jump In The Pool’ and the classic ‘Paris’.

The night’s duty of dancing and embracing the party vibe was supported by lead-singer Ed who seemed genuinely shocked that some members of the crowd actually had the audacity to mosh. He quickly instructed these rebels to cease that behaviour at once, as tonight was about dancing. A declaration the audience agreed with.

Sounding loud and tight, the band shook, rattled and cowbell-bashed their way through the trademark punk-funk sound that typified their first album. A sound even more prominent and realised on their new LP with stand out tracks ‘Blue Cassette’ and ‘Live Those Days Tonight’ getting hips gyrating and arms waving especially.

Equipped with a brass section the indie-dance troupe closed the evening of frenzied dancing with an encore of new single ‘Hawaiian Air’ and an extended jazz-rock rendition of ‘Kiss of Life’ leaving the crowd heading for the Northern Line with a funk in their step and dreams of cocktails and salsa carnivals. Instead it will be back to the office in the morning. But at least it will be Friday!

By Michael "Gyrate" Currell