Foster The People at the Enmore Theatre 29/7/14 - Live Review

Close your eyes and try to imagine Mark Foster sliding down a rainbow and serenading you with his angelic voice as you float on near by clouds doused in other people’s sweat. That is just a very quick summary of the Fantastica night that the sold out crowd at the Enmore Theatre got to experience from the unbelievably talented indie-pop/indietronica/neo-psychedelia band Foster the People accompanied by Gang of Youths.

Earlier this year when I saw Gang of Youths supporting Vampire Weekend their performance definitely did not meet my expectations. After going home and listening to the rest of their music and realising its beauty I was frustrated that the concert fell short. I can safely say that they have improved significantly in the past few months. They seemed like a completely different band this night and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance, they were well put together, entertaining and most importantly I could hear the lyrics this time. They owned the stage.

As the clock was nearing 9 and the crowd eagerly awaited Foster to enthral them it began to grow tiresome as it was now well past their supposed starting time and we were sick of being drenched in other people’s sweat and not being able to feel our own feet. I can assure you 147.8% that when those lights dimmed however and the first few drum pulses of Helena Beat were pumping all the pain and sweat was forgotten.

Despite their most recent album – Supermodel - being on everybody’s mind, the first three songs of their set were from their 2011 debut album, Torches. Nothing like a bit of nostalgia to get the crowed revved up for the rest of the beautifully assembled set which was comprised of new album favourites, such as Best Friend and Are You What You Want To Be and the old favourites like the classic hit, Pumped Up Kicks.

Now I may be biased as Foster the People hold a position in my top 10 favourite bands but their performance was outstanding. Not only is Mark Foster ‘fit’ in his dashing looks but he also must be physically fit to run and dance across the stage and then straight back to the microphone without even having to catch his breath. His smooth vocals were a delight as they were blended with the range of instruments on stage; from guitars to keyboards to electric drum pads and even maracas, I could find no fault in their arrangement. Call It What You Want but I thought it was a little slice of heaven.

The obvious enthusiasm Foster and the rest of the band possessed was evident through their beaming smiles and passionate performing. It’s things like that which fans love to see, their favourite musicians loving what they do. So whether you were drenched in the crowds sweat, relaxing in the upstairs seats or crying to yourself at home whilst watching their live videos I hope you enjoyed their outstanding performance more than a fat kid enjoys cake.

SETLIST

Helena Beat

Waste

Hustling (Life on the Nickel)

Coming of Age

Houdini

Goats in Trees

Pseudologia Fantastica

Call It What You Want

Are You What You Want To Be?

Ask Yourself

A Beginner’s Guide To Destroying The Moon

Best Friend

Miss You

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Encore:

The Truth

Pumped up Kicks

Colour on the Walls (Don’t Stop)

Review by Sarah Hutt

Photo by Dylan Moore see more here

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