Live Review: Future Islands - The Great Hall, Cardiff
FUTURE ISLANDS
THE GREAT HALL
CARDIFF
11/11/2022
Words and Photography by Philip Giouras
★★★★★
Making a long overdue debut in Wales, legendary alternative American synth-rock quartet Future Islands astound with an energetic, euphoric and at times emotional performance.
Future Islands frontman Samuel Herring starts tonight's performance with an apology. Despite being a band now for seventeen years and performing well over a thousand concerts, this is the group's first appearance in Wales. Herring seems noticeably keen to make it up to Cardiff’s packed-out Great Hall, starting proceedings off by launching into a sublime and frenetic rendition of ‘For Sure’, the lead single from their 2020 record ‘As Long As You Are’.
From the outset, there is an unspoken emotional undercurrent ruminating throughout the room. For an album released during the pandemic, it truly is the first time this crowd have gotten to process some of this evening's beautiful and visceral tracks in person. Instantly there is a man on the front row visibly overcome, pouring his heart and soul into mirroring each of Herring’s enigmatic movements. Noticing this, Herring frequently slinks over to him, sharing this moment with him.
The stage set-up for this evening is surprisingly stripped back. Herring stands out front and centre stage with the rest of the band (keyboardist Gerrit Welmers, bassist William Cashion and percussionist Michael Lowry) elevated on a platform behind him. A simplistic but ever-changing light display creates a technicolour glow around each member. At one point it is hard to decipher whether the warm amber sunset glow on Herring's cheeks is due to the lights or a byproduct of the immense amount of physical exertion he is undertaking during the show.
That is because anyone who has taken just a cursory glance at Future Islands will know of Herring’s trademark interpretive dance routines that flow throughout the performance. Tonight, perhaps buoyed by his first Welsh crowd, he is in unstoppable form, with every slam of a drumskin or clash of a symbol seeing his body retort in a wild fashion.
Herring is an incredible sight to behold. Captivating and possessing the ability to translate his wide range of emotions not just through his words and vocals, but at a deeper level through his movement. He frequently reaches out his arm, his hand gripped claw-like reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Hamlet as if trying to stress the importance of each poetic lyric he gutturally growls. Like a tornado, his limbs revolve and sweep across the stage, and by just the third song you can see the thick droplets of sweat that line his face. Despite this Herring retains a wide joyous smile.
That emotion can be felt strongly in tonight's music. Whether that is from Herring himself, as he wistful reminisces of close family members on the touching ‘Song for Our Grandfathers’, or from the audience, who are unsurprisingly enraptured during the band’s euphoric breakthrough anthem ‘Seasons’. In which every word is bellowed back to a scuttling Herring who bends to every synth stab. It even results in an incredulous ovation which lasts minutes.
Whilst an iconic moment in the band's set, tonight's crowd are behind Herring and the group throughout the entire night. ‘A Dream of You and Me’ has hundreds of arms reaching out to the group, and when Herring slams his palm against his chest with an emphatic pounding during ‘Ancient Water’, the crowd respond in unison with thunderous accompanying applause.
This year's standalone single ‘King of Sweden’ receives an aptly triumphant reaction from onlookers as an unrelenting Herring, at this point nearly two hours into the set, is still jogging on the spot. If that wasn't enough during an intense performance of 'Long Flight' Herring can be seen doing 'the worm' across the front of a stage before attempting to shove his fist down his throat. The track concludes with his now trademark demonic scream.
The main set ends on 2010’s ‘Tin Man’ which twinkles and sparkles like a Bowie hit from the 80s, it is an enchanting finale which leaves the room stomping and chanting ‘We want more!’. The group return with Herring remarking almost with a knowing wink ‘Let’s see what I’ve got left in the tank’ once again unfurling into glittering synths as ‘Viro’s Eye’ bursts into life.
In a sign of things coming full circle, the band finish proceedings with a dark and reflective rendition of ‘Little Dreamer’ taken from their 2008 debut. It feels fitting that on their first appearance in Wales their entire discography has been given the opportunity to shine. It was an occasion that felt like a greatest hits, and the perfect display of why Future Islands are acclaimed as one of the greatest live acts in the world.
Setlist:
For Sure
Hit the Coast
Time on Her Side
Peach
Light House
Walking Through That Door
Ran
Plastic Beach
Balance
Before the Bridge
Corner Of My Eye
A Song for Our Grandfathers
A Dream of You and Me
Ancient Water
King of Sweden
Seasons (Waiting on You)
Long Flight
Tin Man
Encore:
Inch of Dust
Vireo's Eye
Little Dreamer
