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.

Words by Brendan Monteiro / photo’s by Marcus Maschwitz (taken at the Royal Albert Hall on 28 March 2009)

It is genuine devotion to sit outside a venue waiting for a show, by the amount of enthusiasts queuing hours before the doors even open tonight it is visibly evident that Fightstar have their fare share of committed fans. Sheffield’s Laruso get the mob of fans into an early stir. They’re melodic moments are entwined with enough brute force that the riffs literally grab you by the head and do the banging for you. Briefly joined by Dan Harsh (formerly of the Hurt Process) is an added spectacle to their already energetic set. Ireland’s In Case Of Fire are next up on the bill. The similarities between them and Muse are apparent. Yes they are a Trio, and yes they have technical guitar work that creates an immense and progressive sound but they are still very much themselves. They’re post-hardcore/technically innovative melodic moments are a breath of fresh air.

From the back to the front the chants grow louder and louder, ‘Fightstar Fighstar’, and everyone in the room is poised for the entrance. “Hello London!” Charlie greets, and the band dive into set opener ‘Colours bleed to red’. Mid song and the band challenges the mass to “open up the pit” and it’s now that it dawns on me that the entire crowd has moved at least two metres forward. Fightstar has them all in the palm of their hands and keep them their throughout the night. Although the venue is small, the constant voice of the fans gives it a sort of stadium feel. I would like to say that a certain song got the crowd into frenzy. But the reality is that every song from ‘the English Way’ to ‘Palahniuk’s Laughter’ and all the others in-between were met with a vast majority of the crowd either singing, jumping or throwing their hands in the air. ‘Mercury Summer” had loads of arms raised to the sky and seems set to be a summer classic, but it’s ‘War Machine’ that is particularly breathtaking. Integrating a soothing orchestral sound, and just as you feel totally relaxed it slaps back in with that Fightstar touch. The fact that they pull it off and make it look so easy as if its organic to their nature, is just another reason why if you haven’t seen them live then you need to!