Tahiti 80

When I saw Tahiti 80 with a friend in France I wasn’t familiar with their material beforehand. However, turns out I was delighted by the French indie pop we discovered. The band were energetic and joyful on stage as the electronic melodies and Xavier Boyer’s gentle vocals sweeped over us. The similarity of Tahiti 80 with their fellow French indie pop band Phoenix is noticeable – they share the same funky, happy-go-lucky dance feel in their music, partnered with slightly dark lyrics on close inspection. I would say that Tahiti 80 though, have a more sixties, new wave twist as shown in the songs ‘Crush!’ and ‘Easy’. The down tempo rhythms and synth pop tunes encouraged the crowd to dance and sway along – it truly felt like a bit of a throwback to a sixties dance party in the low lit crowded venue. The band clearly enjoyed themselves too and Xavier’s between song comments showed his adorable personality. The songs ‘Heartbeat’ (from their very first album ‘Puzzle’) and ‘Big Day’ (from the more recent ‘Big Day’ album) were probably my favourites live. I loved the electronic synth refrains and the soul vibe that came through in these live performance. By the end of the concert the crowd was truly absorbing the happy vibe and still dancing despite the heat. I can’t wait to see Tahiti 80 again, and hopefully in another small venue to get the same sixties nostalgia!