PHOENIX // ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON
'PHOENIX' HEAD TO LONDON'S ALEXANDRA PLACE FOR THEIR UK PERFORMANCE OF 2017 ON THEIR EUROPEAN TOUR.
PHOTOCREDIT : SONGKICK.COM
★★★★★
I didn’t think floor envy could really be a thing until I saw Phoenix at Alexandra Place. The French four piece brought a stage-wide LED dancefloor to the people’s palace along with a floor to ceiling angled mirror leading to some incredible visuals to accompany the band’s career spanning performance. Opening with ‘J-Boy’ from their latest album Ti Amo they set the tone for the evening that dancing wasn’t optional and the crowd were happy to comply. The Great Hall at Alexandra Palace is not a small space but their happy synth-pop set apart by nuances of soaring rock riffs, from a medley of ‘If I Ever Feel Better’ and ‘Funky Squaredance’, left no one uninvolved. From the crowd at the front to the revellers at the back there were good times to be had. Little was to be said by the band who crashed through the opening songs with clear enjoyment, the stunning mirrored backdrop doing the talking for them. No one in the crowd seemed to mind, they came to hear music and so they did. Further on into the set the occasional nod to the audience was appreciated but their welcome was never overdue.
Guitarist, Laurent Brancowitz, revealed to NME that the set, which they have hauled across the world, had been heavily influenced by a “1930’s Parisian theatre show, taken by photographer Brassaï.” It certainly did not disappoint. The LED dancefloor reflected by the gigantic mirror flooded the main hall with colour, working delightfully in tune with the Palace’s dramatic draped ceiling. Mixing lighting, live action footage, and some stop motion films of yesteryear the outcome was suitably mind bogglingly perfect. With a clear acrylic drum kit and the silhouettes of the band mirrored above the stage, it is clear this tour and their latest album is reflecting on the band’s 20-year history.
VIEW NME ARTICLE HERE:
Phenomenal in their performance and technically stunning, Phoenix played a cross section of their tracks with heavy emphasis on the new album Ti Amo but never failing to give the audience what they want with tracks such as ‘1901’ from 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and ‘Entertainment’ from Bankrupt! Closing the show on ‘Ti Amo Di Piu’ ensured the crowd kept dancing after they played their last note. Lead singer, Thomas Mars, danced with the crowd through the closing few minutes proving you can never be too cool for a boogie.
PHOENIX'S WORLD TOUR CONTINUES:
OCTOBER 10TH : EXPRESS LIVE! - COLUMBUS, USA
OCTOBER 11TH : THE FILLMORE - DETROIT, USA
OCTOBER 13TH : METROPOLIS - MONTREAL, CANADA
OCTOBER 14TH : HRVST FESTIVAL - BUFFALO, USA
OCTOBER 15TH : COLLEGE STREET MUSIC - NEW HEAVEN, USA
OCTOBER 16TH : THE ANTHEM - WASHINGTON, D.C, USA
OCTOBER 18TH : LUPO'S HEARTBREAK - PROVIDENCE, USA
OCTOBER 20TH : COORDENADA - GUADALAJARA, MEXICO
OCTOBER 21ST : LIVE OUT - MONTERREY, MEXICO
NOVEMBER 9TH : EXPLANDA PARQUE DE LA EXPOSICION - LIMA, PERU
NOVEMBER 11TH : FAUNA PRIMAVERA FESTIVAL - SANTIAGO, CHILE
NOVEMBER 12TH : PERSONAL FEST - SAN NICOLAS DE LOS GARZA, ARGENTINA
NOVEMBER 15TH : POPLOAD FESTIVAL - SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
NOVEMBER 17TH : SOMA - BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
NOVEMBER 19TH : CORONA CAPTIAL 2017 - MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
DECEMBER 4TH : CAIN'S BALLROOM - TULSA, USA