Samuel T. Herring has the endearingly befuddled air of someone who just woke up from a dream to find themselves onstage in front of thousands of people. As the pulsing rhythms of āFor Sureā begin to wash over the 10,000-strong crowd at Londonās Alexandra Palace this evening, the Future Islands frontman laughs and shakes his head in disbelief, before suddenly swinging his mic like a lasso. āLetās fucking go,ā he commands.
Itās moments like this where youāre struck by Herringās ability to completely shift his emotions in a split-second. Thereās something deeply magnetic about him: he possesses a rare, colossal charisma that can quickly veer into unsettlingly powerful stage theatrics. In his most audacious moments, he licks his own sweat off his arms and creaks his neck like a contortionist, causing thousands of hearts to move to mouths. He knows exactly what he is doing, too: āI was kicked out of art school,ā he says, barely concealing a smirk as he surveys the crowd’s rapture after a delightfully ravey āKing Of Swedenā. āBecause I break the rules.ā
But tonight, Herringās many sporadic outbreaks of wild dancing and air-punching seem far from absurd; it’s exactly what the therapeutic intensity of Future Islandsā music is made for. They are a band you absolutely want to love: searching and sensitive, with songs that focus on the heart. In Herring, they have a heroic frontman who can create a deep sense of togetherness in one of the largest indoor venues in the capital: āBut trust me as a friend / And I’ll do all that I can doā, he sings on a tender and soaring āBalanceā. You believe him.
The Baltimore four-piece draw generously from 2020 album āAs Long As You Areā, swaying in unison to the joyful reverie of āHit The Coastā, and flexing sumptuous arrays of guitar and percussion on āMoonlightā, a romantic epic writ large: filmic, intimate and uplifting. This is their biggest headline show to date, but thankfully, thereās no pretence at playing it cool: āBeauty Of The Roadā ā the highlight from 2017ās āThe Far Fieldā ā is dedicated to the bandās 16-year journey to get here. From the supersized pop of the recent material (āPeachā) to the throwbacks (āTin Manā, a triumphant āLittle Dreamerā), they work to flesh out the enormity of Future Islandsā spellbinding universe.
The crack in Herringās voice in breakthrough hit āSeasons (Waiting On You)ā is killingly real. His tears fall hard and fast as audience cheers ring out for minutes after the songās gleaming synths have faded away, adding real emotional heft to a revelatory set from one of the most adored cult bands on the planet. We are lucky to have them.
Future Islands played:
‘For Sure’
‘Hit The Coast’
‘Beauty Of The Road’
‘Plastic Beach’
‘Peach’
‘Waking’
‘Walking Through That Door’
‘Balance’
‘Before The Bridge’
‘Light House’
‘Moonlight’
‘A Dream Of You And Me’
‘The Painter’
‘The King Of Sweden’
‘Ancient Water’
‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’
‘Long Flight’
‘Tin Man’
‘Thrill’
‘Inch Of Dust’
‘Vireo’s Eye’
‘Little Dreamer’
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