Live Review: Confidence Man - Bristol Beacon, 03/12/2024
Complete with laser pigeons and technicolour bras, non-stop party patrons Confidence Man champion unbridled rave at Bristol Beacon.
Confidence is in the name for Australian electro-pop four piece, Confidence Man. If you want evidence, see Figure 1 - their most recent music video for ‘I CAN’T LOSE YOU’ where Janet Planet (Grace Stephenson) and Sugar Bones (Aidan Moore) danced in a helicopter nude over the London skyline.
And Figure 2 is undoubtably their legendary live shows - think Monica and Ross doing their infamous routine at New Year’s Eve on Friends and you get the idea. Fans regularly gush over the bubbly euphoria they exert onstage, showcased at their appearance on The Other Stage at Glastonbury earlier this year.
The support act was New York three-piece FCUKERS, fronted by the enigmatic Shanny Wise and backed by producer and DJ Jackson Walker Lewis. Their unique concerts have already garnered interest from the biggest names in rock music, with recent London show at the Market Hotel boasting the likes of Julian Casablancas, Beck and Clairo in attendance.
Set to the frequency of noughties house music, the odd rhythm of ‘Homie Don’t Shake’ rolled off the tongue with lines like “Silks real, leathers fake, say you’ll DJ at my wake”. As expected, the wavy bass of their recent hit ‘Bon Bon’ was the ultimate warm-up – which proved the hype to be well-deserved.
Bounding onstage right on time after a ‘Confidence Man Loading…’ screen showed Janet and Sugar busting their signature moves, they opened with their effervescent DJ Seinfeld collaboration ‘Now U Do’. It is currently their biggest hit, with a combined total of 29 million streams for both versions, prompting the thought not many bands would start with what some consider to be their most popular song – but they had far more tricks up their sleeve.
The lively set was peppered with unexpected acrobatics - in-between Janet whipping her hair and jumping in the air Sugar often spun her upside down, caught her, dropped to the floor with her or copied the choreography. Their onstage antics made it impossible to look away from the action - whether it be a synchronised routine featuring the shadowy back half of the Brisbane band before 'All My People' or a Western stand-off where Janet and Sugar hurtled into each other from opposite ends of the stage ahead of 'CONTROL'.
They are never far off from a throwback - 'Feels Like A Different Thing' had all the trappings of an 80's workout video in the best possible way, possessing such a high amount of energy it was one leotard away from a Jane Fonda cameo. While ‘I CAN’T LOSE YOU’ was an undeniable highlight, the playful march of ‘All My People’ quickly locked in the audience who joined in to assist them pondering how one can have an “ass like that” and a “face like that”.
Backed by a bright screen full of laser-eye pigeons on the dancefloor, Sugar sprayed the crowd with champagne as the crowd mimicked the letters of ‘C.O.O.L Party’ through dance, making it a worthy rival of Chappell Roan’s viral ‘Hot to Go’ trend – although little instruction was needed. Putting her vocal on full display, Janet commanded the trip-hop number ‘BREAKBEAT’ belting out the high notes with ease.
The most common hack they deployed was using their instrumental interludes as opportunities for costume changes, giving time for Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie to shine. Preferring to stay out of public view, their faces were hidden in all-black attire that resembled beekeepers in mourning. After the rave-fuelled 'Firebreak' Sugar arrived shirtless with flashing shoulder pads while Janet sported a technicolour LED cone bra.
For all their theatrics, one song offered something a little different in tone. Crawling around on the stage to a loud coughs, Sugar took the spotlight for the Britpop addled 'SICKO', an experimental cut that was far more sinister than their usual jubilant jams. Switching from nonchalant to celebratory, Sugar’s unrelented swagger onstage complimented Janet’s unhinged capers.
Equally experimental, their KLF-inspired encore ‘3AM (LA LA LA)’ pondered the post-club comedown, an apt closer for the deafening silence to come after 90 minutes of euphoric dance anthems. Yet after a singalong to the sun-soaked ‘Holiday’ and the unshackled chaos of ‘SO WHAT’, the downbeat encore cooled down their hot girl summer.
Pop music has become increasingly mature - Ariana Grande delivered a devastating blow with the sob-inducing 'We Can't Be Friends' and the latest Billie Eilish record 'Hit Me Hard & Soft' featured a track written from the perspective of her stalker. The early 2010's was an unforgettable era dubbed the age of recession pop, kept running by artists like Pitbull, LMFAO and Black Eyed Peas. Thanks to Confidence Man, this forgotten utopia of deliriously fun party platitudes feels like it never left.
Words by Oliver Evans
