The Invisible
Appearance-wise, The Invisible are a very unorthodox band.
As the London three-piece waltz on to the stage to an already rammed Rock City,
you wouldn’t be surprised if they were just doing the sound-check.
Lead singer Dave Okumu promises the crowd a special night.
He was right, but unfortunately for The Invisible, that’s all down to Foals.
The band’s synth-heavy sound, sprinkled with catchy
melodies, takes clear influence from the likes of Radiohead and tour-pals,
Foals. However, as the set drags into one long, mesmerising song, the pumped
crowd begin to grow tired.
No denying they’re talented; as an impromptu jam session
proves. But ultimately it’s too self-absorbed for a crowd of this magnitude to indulge. A few more crowd-pleasing hooks and this band are
on to something.
Foals
A mounting tension fills Rock City as Foals grace the stage
one by one. By the time frontman Yannis Phillippakis enters the fray, set
opener Prelude is in full swing. The pulsating instrumental track is a fitting
calm before the storm.
Although tonight is all about latest album Holy Fire, the
Oxford band up the ante with fans favourite Olympic Airways – sparking a mass
sing-a-long. The band don’t interact with the frenzied crowd much; opting
instead to tear through their setlist in electrifying fashion. However, before
boosting the venue’s bass levels with Miami, Yannis holds his guitar up to the
heavens in an almost sacrificial nature.
Following the release of their third album, it’s evident
that Foals are in their prime – channelling raw energy into new songs like My
Number and Milk & Black Spiders. The former track is received with pure
delight as the Nottingham crowd shifts from a moshpit to a rave. Another cut
from Holy Fire, Bad Habit, gets its second ever live play. Having admitted to
it going horribly wrong the first time, the band hit all the right notes with
the anthemic track. These new songs sit comfortably alongside Foals’ older
material – with fans singing along as if they’d known them for years.
The soulful crescendo of current single Late Night is only
trumped by the perfect Spanish Sahara. Played live with crystal-clear quality,
the track has a transcendent feel to it.
Before taking a brief rest, Yannis joins the crowd during
Electric Bloom. While fans fans swarm the enigmatic frontman, drummer Jack
Bevan is left to his own devices – delivering a scintillating drum solo.
“You ready? You ready?” Returning with an encore, this is
Yannis’ cry to the crowd before the band’s curtain call. And as Inhaler’s
electric riff rings around the venue, it’s pretty obvious the crowd are up to
the challenge. Judging by the number of circle pits formed during the song,
this is Foals’ most popular track to date. The track’s shrieking chorus also
provides the loudest moment of the night.
As Foals close their set with the breath-taking Two Steps
Twice, Rock City may have just seen its most spectacular performance yet.
10/10
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