Frozen In A Red Light

Last Sunday (28th), Mrs. K and I ventured into the centre of Bristol to see Future Islands live in concert, one of only 4 UK dates to promote their seventh album, People Who Aren’t There Anymore.

 

The usual domestic and logistical challenges applied, which meant that we arrived at the Bristol Beacon just ahead of the main event but not in time to catch support act JOON aka Yasmin Kuymizakis.

 

I know very little about JOON, essentially a bit of 'research' into her music ahead of the show and most of it taken from her Bandcamp bio. JOON is a Maltese songwriter and producer who released her debut album, Dream Again, in 2021 and writes pop songs about alienation, optimism and believing that anything is possible, as evidenced on singles like E.T.. JOON also covered Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode (with a fun video to boot) and Bananarama's Cruel Summer. I was sorry to have missed her set.

Mrs. K and I were in the standing area, but it was a sold-out show, with people crammed into the three levels of seating around the main stage. We picked a good spot mostly devoid of men with big hair over two metres tall, and wondered why one of the Rovers from cult 1960s TV show The Prisoner was propped up on stage.

We didn't have long to wait, as the band appeared and the unusual stage set up was revealed. Michael Lowry entered first from stage right, heading to the drum kit on the opposite side. William Cashion next, the shortest walk as he strapped on a bass guitar on the far right side. Gerrit Welmers appeared atop a cube structure to take position at the keyboards some ten feet above William. 

 

Finally, Samuel T. Herring came through an arched doorway in the cube, black jeans, black T-shirt, big smiles as the crowd roared their appreciation.

After a few words of introduction, Future Islands got straight into it with King Of Sweden, the opening song on People Who Aren’t There Anymore. The album came out in January and already the majority of the crowd in the stalls knew it word for word and joined in. I love the album, though clearly haven't put in the effort as far as the lyrics are concerned, so I subjected those in my immediate vicinity to my dancing instead. 

 

I have been known to mosh, but I've also perfected the art of expressive dancing 'on the spot' that doesn't encroach on anyone's personal space. Probably looks laughably po-faced, yet who cares when the music's urging you to move?

Two thirds of the current album were performed, yet spread throughout the 22-song set so there were regular dips into the back catalogue for long-time Future Islands, who seemed to be in the majority. 

There was no breakneck dash though songs; each one had a distinct beginning, middle and end with Samuel introducing every single song with some background or anecdote. He's also very generous with his staging and audience engagement. Not for him a fixed central point, with the occasional move to the left or right for a song, oh no. Samuel hurtles from one side to the other many times in each song, so regardless of your vantage point, you're guaranteed to have sight of him during the performance.

Samuel has clearly been taking notes from Andy McCluskey's stage craft, mirroring the O.M.D. legend's penchant for tapping his arm and chest as if he's trying to find a pulse or restart his heart. Samuel is also prone to some unusual choreography, and jokes at one point that with over a thousand gigs under his belt, Bristol is the only place where he's actually fallen off stage. (This is true and it happened at the O2 Academy in 2017) Thankfully, whilst the high kicks stayed in, there were no mishaps tonight.

The deceptively simple stage set works remarkably well, changing lights and angles and really making use of the projected silhouettes of the band, especially Gerrit Welmers, high up on his block.

 

Too many highlights to mention them all, and perhaps little surprise that Singles, 2014's breakthrough album - and first for 4AD - is the represented by four songs. Seasons (Waiting On You) came towards the end of the set and the audience had gone completely ape by this point. 

JOON made an appearance to sing with Samuel on Shadows. On the original album version, he duets with Debbie Harry, so almost impossibly big shoes for JOON to step into, but the song works well on stage.

 

It didn't matter that Mrs. K and I were largely unfamiliar with songs outside of the two albums, or that at times it was hard to understand what Samuel was saying or singing, it was a non-stop thrill from start to finish, guitar, synths, percussion and voice in perfect harmony. The hype about Future Island's live performances was deserved.

Following a short break and sustained applause and cheering, the band returned to the stage for an encore, all of which were completely new to Mrs. K and I. 

After a blistering, bass-driven second song, things then drop down to a musical hush as Samuel delivers a monologue about a song that the band wrote as 23 year old kids, heading from the skate park to the studio to make their first album. He tells us that whilst life changes, sometimes the very next day after writing a song, the song itself stays with you.

As with so many of Future Islands songs, the narrative deals with a relationship then active now long since ended. Samuel expresses that there were times when it was almost too painful to sing, but that it's been a staple set closer for many years. 

 

"One day we won't finish every set with this song", Samuel smiles. "But not today".

"The song's called Val Kilmer and the song's about someone I loved very very deeply many many years ago".

Only when we were driving home and I mentioned the unusual song title, Mrs. K laughed and told me that the song was actually called Little Dreamer...

An absolutely fantastic ninety minutes in the company of a band at the top of their game and an audience of new and deep-rooted Future Islands fans who experienced something truly special.

 

1) King Of Sweden (Album Version) (2024)

2) The Tower (Album Version) (2024)

3) A Dream Of You And Me (Album Version) (2014)

4) The Garden Wheel (Album Version) (2024)

5) Ran (Live @ KCRW) (2017)

6) Plastic Beach (Moss Of Aura Remix By Gerrit Welmers) (2021)

7) Peach (Album Version) (2024)

8) Light House (4AD Session) (2014)

9) Give Me The Ghost Back (Album Version) (2024)

10) The Sickness (Album Version) (2024)

11) City's Face (Album Version) (2020)

12) Like The Moon (Album Version) (2014)

13) Shadows (Album Version ft. Debbie Harry) (2017)

14) The Thief (Album Version) (2024)

15) For Sure (Washed Out Remix By Ernest Greene) (2021)

16) Say Goodbye (Album Version) (2024)

17) Seasons (Waiting On You) (Video Version) (2014)

18) Long Flight (Undressed Version) (2010)   

19) Tin Man (Extended Version By Chester Endersby Gwazda) (2010)

20) Ancient Water (Live @ KEXP) (2017) 

21) Vireo's Eye (2010)

22) Little Dreamer (Undressed Version) (2010)

 

2010: In Evening Air: 21

2010: In The Fall EP: 19

2010: Undressed EP: 18, 22

2014: 4AD Session: 8

2014: Singles: 3, 12, 17

2017: Live On KCRW (bootleg): 5

2017: Live On KEXP EP (bootleg): 20

2017: The Far Field: 13

2020: As Long As You Are: 11

2021: ALAYA Remixes EP 1-3: 6, 15

2024: People Who Aren’t There Anymore: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16

 

Frozen In A Red Light (1:23:53) (KF) (Mega) 

 

 

As usual, I've had help with the visuals to accompany this post and my headline photo of the audience waiting for Future Islands to appear. 

Photos #2 and #5 were taken from fellow Bristolian Simon and posted on Twitter. The silhouette of Gerrit Welmers is a detail from another of Simon's photos.

Photo #4 was courtesy of Mrs. K, towards the end of the set.

Thanks all!