With their recent release of their second album, ‘Supermodel’, indie pop outfit Foster The People are one of the biggest names in international youthful music.
With their multi-platinum debut, ‘Torches’, and the massive, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, being one of the first songs to gain viral success in 2010 the trio from Los Angelas have become a common name in most indie lover’s music collection.
The stage is set perfectly then for their first UK shows in nearly two years. On Friday 27th June they’re due to play the historic Other Stage at Glastonbury but before that, as some what a dress rehearsal, they played to a capacity ground at The Ritz in Manchester.
Support consisted of fab Scottish electro-pop band Prides – they’re going to be huge. Whack a load of smoke onto the stage and the band come onto rapturous applause and they’re openers ‘Miss You’ and ‘Life On The Nickel’ add a dollop of strobe lighting and the 1,500+ strong crowd are on their feet getting into the infectious beats. Getting big early with, ‘Are You What You Want To Be?’, the grade two listed building built in 1927, renowned for it’s springy dance floor, was shaking like never before with Mark Foster gyrating wildly on stage.
In the hour and half set the brothers got through their hits like ‘Houdini’, ‘Coming Of Age’, ‘Pseudologia Fantastica’ and ‘Helena Beat’. The big moment came where their biggest hit, fan favourite and brilliant gig singalong belter, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, was played and it was everything the fans wanted and more with Mark Foster proclaiming “Manchester, you’ve got some pipes on you”.
Peaking further at ‘Call It What You Want’ the traditional cloudy Manchester evening was awash with smoke, strobe, lasers, bouncing and good helping of beer to please the crowd. Finishing with encores of new song, ‘Best Friend’, and ‘Don’t Stop’ (potentially better know for the music on the Pizza Hut ad) the student-heavy ground were all returning into the cold twilight sweaty, sung out and smiling.
After tonight the trio made it clear that they weren’t just a one hit wonder and they are here to show and the only way is up. Believe the hype.
Foster The People played:
- Encore: