Oliver Nolan
Staff Writing
From time to time, a pop song comes out of the blue, defining a specific period for so many people. Any band so fiercely defined by one such track usually struggles to maintain a hold on this sudden, unexpected momentum, and said song usually tends to outlast them as they descend rapidly into bargain-basement hell. When Foster The People’s Pumped Up Kicks went viral this summer, with its dream-like synth, unshakable bass-hook and ubiquitous chorus, its impact was immediately, and lazily, aligned with that of MGMT’s Kids. That band have since tried their utmost to distance themselves from the song, rarely performing it live, and when they actually do, ironically singing along to a backing track. As firmly established by their first Irish appearance since they packed out the Cosby tent at Electric Picnic, Foster The People take considerably more pride in their arsenal of hits.
Even in the knowledge that front man Mark Foster used to make his wage writing jingles for ads, the sheer amount of sing-along moments tonight is nonetheless striking. Their debut album Torches, all of which is played tonight, has an endearingly familiar quality, full of instantly memorable choruses that WILL burrow into your skull whether you like it or not. Bouncy opener Houdini sets the tone for what really doesn’t feel like a wet Monday evening. A three piece, the band are backed by a lead guitarist and a guy who doesn’t really seem to play anything in particular. Their answer to Arcade Fire’s Will Butler perhaps. Indeed, the band is on ebullient form considering this is the final date of an extensive European tour. I have to add that bar the guitarist, they’re all sporting fantastic mo’s.
Proving that the album is anything but a by-gone format, songs like I Would Do Anything For You and Waste receive just as uproarious a welcome as the big singles like Helena Beat and Don’t Stop (Colour on the Walls), and are boosted by an eye-popping light show, heavy on strobe and light on subtlety. This can’t however, take attention away from the man on the stage. Forget his infamous I-just-shrug-my-shoulders dance from Electric Picnic; Foster has developed a striking stage presence. Dancing like a man possessed from one side of the stage to the other and back between instrumental breaks, you can’t really take your eyes off him. He even has a stab at the ‘We feel like we’ve come home’ shtick of his arena bound peers, though admittedly, it’s a lot funnier than he perhaps intended.
They do of course, end on that song, but they sure as hell don’t seem to be tired of it yet. They actually extend it beyond 7 minutes with an exhilarating outro that sees Foster stage dive, settling on a barrier in the centre of the venue as he serenades the Olympia for the last time this evening. It sure beats dancing along to the backing track anyway.
