Touting one of the finest collections of indie-pop in UK history, Hertfordshire trio Friendly Fires are a treat to behold live. Fans of rabble-rousing, dancefloor infernos and cutting meticulous shapes will swoon at mainman Ed Macfarlane's ringleader approach to gigs, manipulating audiences into pools of boogie-ing mayhem. With a pelvis like Elvis, Macfarlane's hip-game is on fire – and that, in itself, is a magnetic force sure to draw throngs. His penchant for floral shirts is pretty impressive too. Doozies like “Paris”, “Kiss Of Life”, “Hawaiian Air”, “Jump In The Pool” and “Skeleton Boy” are frequent set highlights. Doused in the kaleidoscopic chaos of spotlights and strobes, the three-piece are insistent when it comes to crafting a party atmosphere. There's no room for standing, beard-stroking, or pensive poserism; if you arrive at a Friendly Fires show, you'd better be prepared to sweat. You'll ache in the morning, but boy, you'll have had the time of your life the night before.
They've been a quiet storm over the past couple of years since the release of 2011's Pala, but in recent talks with NME and other outlets, they've begun to discuss the prospect of a newfangled psychedelic direction, which is an exciting notion. Electro-indie-dance-psych? Phwoar.
Radhika
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