FUTUREHEADS w/ JOHNNY FOREIGNER

('Sup magazine, December 12, 2008)

SUB 29, CARDIFF

Live review

PHOTOS: MARK THOMAS

The crowd set to welcome Johnny Foreigner onstage is a bit thin at Sub 29, truth be told. The dingy hall of Cardiff's newest music venue is sparsely populated when the Birmingham trio come onstage, save for an excitable core of fans bobbing up and down as if their whole lives have been building up to this moment. And what a moment, when it arrives. Singer Alexei Berrow has already ploughed himself quite a convincing 'frontman' furrow, and instantly the band's exuberant pop with joyful boy-girl vocals - bassist Kelly Southern, the girl to Berrow's boy - whips the assembled few into a frenzy. The band storm through selected tracks from debut record Waited Up 'Til It Was Light with aplomb, and as the venue starts to fill, a few newcomers are definitely won over to the Brummie side.


The hall fills in earnest then, with sharp-dressed gig-goers all waiting for one thing: a loud Geordie to bound onstage. It happens, in the shape of Barry Hyde, bellowing: "We're the The Futureheads from Sunderland and we're here to raise holy hell." Quite a promise, and enough to galvanise the legions of 'Heads fans into rock action.

The songs kick off with a version of Decent Days And Nights, which has such intensity and exuberance, it is hard to believe that the track is already four years old. From the off, the band are musically beyond tight - their instinctive melodiousness produces a set list packed with all hum-along tunes and terrific pogoing anthems, and all layered with those trademark The Futureheads harmonies. For a band who made such currency of their youth back in the day, they now have a grasp of their craft far beyond their years. They also aren't afraid to play from their back catalogue, and the songs which make an appearance still delight like they did way back when. Meantime and Le Garage off the eponymous debut make an appearance, sitting comfortably alongside new single I Wouldn't Be Like This If You Were Here. Hyde tells the crowd to buy the single - 'out today' - before berating himself, "As if anyone is crazy enough to still buy music."



The best part of seeing The Futureheads live is the promise of their quality banter, and they don't disappoint tonight. Hyde ribs guitarist Ross Millard onstage for his love of obscure bands, labelling him "the indie music Santa Claus", whilst Millard mildly defends himself.

The biggest laugh comes when Hyde announces that they were told they were coming to Cardiff to play the Millennium Stadium. He stops, casts an eye around the diminutive venue, and deadpans, "What the fuck is this?"

Other musical forays of the evening include the title track from the recent album This Is Not The World - which sees Hyde asking if there are dancers in the audience "because this is a waltz." Sadly no one waltzes, but it's back on track for pogoing to Radio Heart.
The accomplishment of the songs on show and the fevered excitement of the crowd would imply a greater success than The Futureheads are currently enjoying. After all, their most recent record has fared the least well of their career. But the good-naturedness of the boys and the sheer enthusiasm of their music has cemented them firmly into the hearts of true fans.

As Hyde introduces Work Is Never Done, he calls it "Ross's moment in the sun", and demands screaming from the crowd. It seems like maybe The Futureheads' moment in the sun has passed, but what's left is a truly talented band with plenty of energy and some really fantastic music. If that's not enough to raise holy hell round your way, then who knows what is?