Having found fame/gone viral via frontman Samuel T. Herring’s dance moves during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in May (refreshed on this side of the pond with Jools Holland in September), Future Islands sold out the 2000 tickets for Shepherd’s Bush Empire tonight, having struggled to fill a bar in Hoxton last time they were here. The fact that they have already sold out The Roundhouse next year (with a second date not far off) shows the power of, well, of the internet on todays music scene, of Herring’s fusion of “D Brent with Ian Curtis shit” but most importantly, of the music Future Islands make.
Sure, a gimmick can help grab attention, but as the frontman (a bizarre concoction of Jack Nicholson, Johnny Cash and Steve McDonald) busts out the moves for the majority of the tracks, it’s immediately obvious that this was not a conscious effort to sell themselves, but rather Herring’s natural instincts as the dominant rock star leader of a primarily synth-pop band. Throughout the night he kicks and shakes (less snake hips, more shark calves), beating his chest while the audience roar, attempting to replicate the moves of their newly crowned king.
Opening with a trio of tracks from recent album Singles – confusingly not a greatest hits collection – the band’s blend of Kraftwekian rhythms with Cure-like melodies is eased into, while previous releases In Evening Air and On The Water (equally measured musically) showcase Future Islands ability to perform where other synth-heavy acts fall, providing heartfelt numbers based around electronic loops. While providing the energy of the upbeat moments, Herring also oozes emotion during ‘The Great Fire’ and ‘A Song For Our Grandfathers’. And while his bandmates (William Cashion on bass and Gerrit Welmers on keyboards) almost stand like statues, it’s a dynamic that allows for Herring’s eccentricity to explode.
Singles single ‘Doves’ gains a huge crowd reaction, partly due to the undeniably gleeful bounce but mainly because of Samuel’s switch to sexy dancing, while Bono’s current fave ‘Seasons (Waiting For You)’ – the track that caused so much chaos during those TV appearance – fails to disappoint, with the sometimes Cossack inspired choreography now definitely a routine, incorporating elements of sport and scream by someone being controlled by a magnet along the way. (It’s how many of us might imagine Ralf Hutter dancing while drunk at a wedding disco.) The only sadness comes when some members of the audience leave soon after, missing out on the closing trio of the delightfully heartbreaking ‘Tin Man’, the running groove of ‘Long Flight’ and, as with both of these, the undeniable Kraftwerk influence of playful ‘Spirit’.
The band don’t need any tips on performance or their catalogue, but perhaps a quick word regarding the set list might be welcomed. As beautiful as their encore is, it seems that it’s only the diehard fans who recognise the songs (with one, ‘Beach Foam’, the only track from debut Wave Like Home) whereas ending with ‘Seasons’ or ‘Doves’ would have kept the new fans until they were played. The band have earned the attention of the crowd for the entire gig, and now they have them here they should keep them until the very end. “Seasons change…”, but there’s nothing tiring about 90 minutes of stunning synth-pop accompanied waiting before a climax that only Herring could deliver.
Dan Bull
@danbull7609
Dan Bull
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