Live Review: half*alive - Electric Brixton, London 12/11/2019

Last time they played London, half•alive sold out Camden's Dingwalls. This time around and only nine months later, its Electric Brixton that are illuminating their name above their doors. With the band's growing success and the release of their debut album 'Now, Not Yet', it’s no surprise that they are selling out such a comparatively bigger venue and also embracing a much grander production on stage. 

The set began with the members of the three-piece band appearing only under a flashlight with the larger lights starting to appear at the first chorus. Movement has always been a key part of half•alive's performances, either on stage or in their music videos - and they took this to a whole new level in this show. Fans were marvelling at the genius of their illusion-style dancing and interaction with the huge light panel at the back of the stage, a real step up from the handmade linen banners they had last time. 

Frontman, Josh Taylor, made sure to thank the whole tour crew; one that is substantially larger than their previous UK tour and now features visual artists. Things didn't run flawlessly to begin with but they soon got themselves established and led a very smooth and exciting show. 

Not only has their stage production come on in leaps since their previous UK romp, but their vocal and instrumental performance seemed tighter and more impactful on a bigger scale and with a bigger crowd throwing energy back at them. Their most popular tracks, 'arrow' and 'still feel', made the crowd go wild with excitement. I don't think there was a single person present who wasn't jiving to the innovative sounds of half•alive. A little of the intimacy and buzz was lost in the larger venue, but ultimately, the production made up for it and for many fans, this is their first time seeing the band since discovering them. 

The band made sure to give their love back to the crowd and even did an interactive dance routine, with the whole crowd joining in with a short routine to the chorus of one of their new tracks. It was a great performance from the band and their growing success is allowing them to branch out more creatively. We can't wait to see what they will do next.

Words by Jesse Wells and Photography by Max Herridge.