Cause I've been waiting on you: Future Islands, London, 21/11/17

'Are they a new band, then?' asked someone in the audience. Far from it. The members of Future Islands have been performing electropop music together for over ten years. Lead singer Samuel's reputation precedes him, his energetic dance moves make the crowd wonder how his knees haven't given up yet. 

It was with great excitement that Future Islands headed to London to take over Brixton's O2 Academy for three days this week. Samuel told the crowd that it was the biggest show they've ever done to date. This tour is in support of the band's latest album, 'The Far Field'. And look how far they've come...

With a huge back catalogue to choose from, it was good to see the band didn't solely focus on their new record. Instead, many tracks came from 2013's 'Singles' album, which arguably propelled the synthpop trio to stardom. Future Islands today are Samuel T. Herring (vocals), William Cashion (bass), and Gerrit Welmers (keyboard).

The set started with 'In the Fall' from the 2010 EP. Then we entered 'The Far Field', in which 'Ran' was particularly successful. If you haven't seen the music video yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

There was a good mix of tempos during the set, allowing Samuel to take short breaks from his grooving. After 'Balance', 'Long Flight' was well received and got the crowd dancing. When the lead singer is clearly enjoying himself and is care-free, the crowd are more inclined to act in a similar way.

From left to right: Samuel, Gerrit, William

Often an artist relies on funky backing images to enhance a performance, but Future Islands simply had a white screen behind them. It reflected the stage lights effectively - and at one point blinded me - but meant the focus really was on Samuel and his interaction with the crowd. 

One memorable act was during 'A Song For Our Grandfathers' where he seemed fully lost in the moment. As he ended the song with 'I hear the ghost whisper / And those old eyes watching me / But I feel safe,' he stopped moving and raised his hand up in the air.

Aside from his dance moves, Samuel's vocal range must be mentioned. On the albums, it's clear he can quickly change from a relatively high pitched note to a guttural howl, but in person this was hugely amplified.  

Future Islands in their element

My particular highlight was the final song, 'Fall from Grace'. When the song reaches its climatic scream 'Before you go, please tell me / "Was it all inside of me?", the stage went black apart from a single spotlight on a kneeling Samuel. It was incredibly atmospheric and a perfect ending.

The show is very much centred on Samuel and his dancing, but praise must also be given to William and Gerrit. William in particular kept a stoic expression throughout the entire set, only smiling when we applauded at the end. I think he enjoyed himself, really.

Future Islands are quite a crowd pleasing band. If you simply want to dance along to the synthy beats, you are more than welcome to. If you stop to listen to the lyrics, however, a chill runs down your spine.