It is Saturday night in Sydney town, I can’t believe I am heading along to the Oxford Art Factory to see one of my favourite bands, play one of my favourite albums in full; and for what is the last last time ever, as Funeral For A Friend call it a day with one last tour to farewell all of their fans.
I enter the OAF ( Oxford Art Factory ) just as second opening act of the night Harbourside, who are a local band are finishing up. I make my way left of stage as I always do, navigating my way through the packed in crowd, hit up the bar, crack my beer get side of stage and watch as the lead singer of Harbourside joins the crowd on the dance floor, ending their performance immersed in fans; but it’s obvious whom the crowd is there for. They give him the floor but as soon as he is done they eagerly clammer to regain their rightful place front of stage.
Lately a string of bands have toured playing albums in full, sometimes it is as advertised track by track, sometimes it is all over the place with a few other hits thrown in. Knowing Casually Dressed in Conversation is being played Sunday, I had expected the show to be purely all Hours.
FFAF lead singer Matthew Davies-Kreye comes on stage addresses the crowd telling us ” We want this to be a celebration an have as much fucking fun as possible an be as much a part of it as possible”.
They open just as strong as the album sounds at home with, ‘All the rage we scream ‘, ‘I’m sick and I’m tired of always being the good guy’, from there its no stoppin. They fire into ‘Streetcar’, in the middle we clap and scream “I can’t feel the same about you anymore”. Then its right into another hit single from the album Roses For The Dead, hearing this song live again gets me feeling all nostalgic and takes me back more than ten years in time, I raised my hands up high, memories course through my veins, as I raise my hands up high again and let the music wash me away it felt like innocence.
Before track four, they get some light on the audience, Matthew points out that the album is being played in order, and then makes a joke naming the tracks one, two, three etc… citing that if you had downloaded Hours then thats how you would know the tracks. He then asks who had a physical copy of Hours and I can’t see a hand not raised up high. Numerous applause comes from the crowd, and with that we get in some FFAF Hospitality clapping, singing, screaming what ever we can do to show our love.
FFAF take a short break to catch their breath, take sip of water, and its in this time we get some insight, into how the vocals on this track were recorded in a pick up truck whilst bent upside down, and how he had drawn inspiration from a film made in the 70s called Badlands.At the time he had a drinking problem and its upon hearing that, that I think about the lyrics ‘Sitting in the car with the radio turned to static’ feeling quite tragic And with one strategic blow And you find yourself Back in the hold You used to sit so comfortably in” i feel even more emotional about the song. This is what you get when you turn up to a live music gig, you end up with an even stronger connection to the music.
We move on from Drive into Monsters it ignites the crowd getting a small pit moving. Before they start on one of my all time favourite tracks ever Singer Matthew Davies-Kreye acknowledges how this album is an emotional roller coaster an says “its no Soundtrack to Jurassic park but it’s emotional lol”.
He continues to inform us the song is about autobiographical as it gets with his experience his triumph over adversity and how it’s about not giving up on yourself, your friends and those you love. And just like we raise our fingers to the sky for one last salute. Its so moving we sing along you can see the emotion pouring out of the lyrics its hard not to feel the love in the room as i look around i see a crowd united in voice singing and swaying along
A little light banter comparing travelling to Australia akin to travelling a galaxy far far away and boy don’t we know it thats why when bands travel to our sweet country i take the time to get out there and give thanks.
If you know the album then you know the next three tunes are best played real loud and screamed along too and its just what happens the furious guitars on Recovery re open the pit it keeps going throughout the heavy drums beating away on The End Of Nothing followed all of that energy keeps going into Alvarez and after it i have screamed, moshed and am covered in sweat but feeling awesome.
With that we have reached the last track on the album before we get there a shout out to the two opening bands Little Brother and Harbourside a show of hands to see who is coming to Sundays sold out show and a confession from the frontman that in fact Hours is his Favourite FFAF record.
Sonny sounds great when played at home a peaceful dark brooding way to finish an album that is so perfectly constructed with its hi and lows. Live however its a good way to bring the crowd down from its furore of the previous tracks and if the show was to end there i wouldn’t know what to do with myself, Luckily that isn’t the case with this farewell show as the band don’t even leave the stage after the seromonusi applause instead they wait and get straight into the encore and what an encore it is first up we get Sixteen from Welcome to Armageddon then its title track from Conduit followed with 1% from most recent release Chapter and Verse.
A crowd member yells ‘Play American Football’ which Matt cheekily replies “maybe you should come tomorrow night no spoilers just saying going online look at the Brisbane setlist” . Hearing the Great Wide Open live is something that always love but if i though that track made me feel good then what came next blew me away there is no mistaking the opening chords to Juneau and i can not type into words the feeling i get when i hear this song the countless times i have turned it up put it on repeat its just got a hold on me so imagine my excitement when they play it. the show ends with Escape Artists never Die and i am left on an ecstatic high one last thank you from the band a roar from the crowd son much support even saw some one patron attempt a crowd surf which at this venue is ill advised but it happen the energy was there,they exit and it really is over I am left moved excited an sad all at once.
Review by Chad
Photos by Christian Ross
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