Live Review: Friendly Fires - Here at Outernet, London 24/02/2023
Legendary Indietronica outfit Friendly Fires celebrate the 15th anniversary of their acclaimed self-titled record in a stunning show of noughties brilliance.
After initially struggling to locate the exact location of the gig in-and-amongst the wider Outernet space in Tottenham Court Road, I finally headed down the stairs of London’s newest venues, eagerly anticipating the upcoming show. The crowd was indicative of the era the Friendly Fires LP dropped in; mostly consisting of 30-40 somethings ordering Camden Helles en-masse and reminiscing on past Glastonbury’s. This was certainly not a bad thing, in fact it was refreshing to see very few phones in sight even during the bands best-known hits. The crowd were clearly loyal fans of the group, and the excitement was palpable as the act began dead at 9 o’clock.
The album and set opener ‘Jump in the Pool’ is a display of the band at their best, blending elements of classic indie rock, noise and psychedelia in a fast-paced song reminiscent of Animal Collective. A perfect opener and a classic in the ‘Indietronica’ genre.
Following this was the more chilled ‘In the Hospital’, after which came another huge hit for the band in ‘Paris’, to which the crowd seemed to know every word. It could be argued that a slight con of recreating an album live is that you then have to follow the order of the LP, leading to 2/3 of their best-known songs being played very early into the set. Although I would personally say that this is nullified by the fact that the crowd were there for the album and band themselves rather than to hear a particular song. It was also great to see how much passion Friendly Fires still have for these batch of tunes 15 years on, with front-man Ed Macfarlane continually thanking the fans throughout whilst getting increasingly visibly sweaty (he was performing at a frantic pace in a tightly packed venue to be fair to him).
The production and performance of the show continue to impress, particularly in the horn sections of the mid-set songs ‘On board’ and ‘lovesick’, which also featured Macfarlane amusingly dual-wielding different microphones. My personal favourite tune of theirs ‘Skeleton Boy’ marked the last big hitter of the album, in which the group endeavours on a huge interlude followed by an epic beat drop. The subsequent ‘Photobooth’ is a classic disco-punk piece, very reminiscent of the era that Friendly Fires found fame in.
Even throughout the deeper cuts of the setlist the energy and production is maintained, with the lights of the gig being a consistent highlight throughout, providing a trippy and vibrant experience. The final track, ‘Ex-lover’, featured two drummers playing simultaneously at a frantic pace to end the main chunk of the show as the boys go off for a quick break, followed (of course) by an encore.
Upon coming back onto the stage, they promise the crowd a lot more. They proceed with a solid handful of their best known tunes from their latter albums, including the ridiculously funky ‘Silhouettes’, and a great sing-along tune in ‘Hawaiian air’. The finale of ‘Kiss of Life’ ends the show exactly as it went on, with an electric performance and vibrant lights. This was a show that was sure to bring a lot of joy to fans who have listened to the album since 2009. Friendly Fires expertly performed every track on the self titled album while still throwing in some fan favourites after the encore, demonstrating the very best of what late noughties Indietronica has to offer.
Words by Josh Wilkey
Photography by James Baker
