Fightstar – Roundhouse – iTunes Festival – 2 July 2009
Support from The Young Guns
Words by Tiaan Kotze / Photos courtesy of iTunes Festival
As I got the call early this week asking if I wanted to review the Fightstar show I reluctantly accepted, as the week dragged on I was looking for any excuse to cancel but finally Thursday arrived and no escape could be made. Having not paid much attention to Fightstar over the years, partly because Charlie Simpson is that guy that used to be in ‘Busted’, and the music didn’t really interest me. But tonight I felt a little regret at my preconceptions as they blew my mind with an incredibly tight and powerful set.
As they announce Fightstar in 7 minutes the whole venue starts buzzing with excitement and the floor slowly fills up. The band takes to the stage two by two and of cause the loudest roar is when Charlie steps to the plate. They start off with some fast paced songs getting the crowd in the mood and small pits open sporadically with bodies being flung around, this continues during the set and just gets bigger and more intense. They build a strong bond during the night with their audience, making it feel more like a garage show in someones backyard rather than one of London’s biggest venues.
The band keeps it interesting, flowing between new and old favourites like ‘Palahniuk’s laughter‘, ‘Never Change‘, ‘War Machine‘ and the piano driven ‘Floods‘ showing some versatility and keeping the crowd on their toes. The sound and visual effects are amazing but you wouldn’t expect anything less from the iTunes festival.
As the night rolls on I find that there is something missing and I finally narrow it down, the band isn’t moving much and there is almost no showmanship. I realize that even though the music is powerful and energetic I have seen more movement at a boules game. This still doesn’t take away from the incredible talent these guys showcase by effortlessly throwing slow and fast songs at you and keeping your foot tapping throughout the night.
All I can say is make your way out to their next show and you will be pleasantly surprised.
This post is tagged Alex Westaway, Charlie Simpson, Dan Haigh, Fightstar, iTunes Festival, London Roundhouse, Omar Abidi, The Roundhouse, Townsend Record Label
