FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND | LIVE REVIEW
Great Hall 2, Cardiff University Students Union, Sun 27 Apr
In hindsight, I should have realised what I was in for long before I stepped into the venue. When you revisit a band that you loved in your teenage years, the tint of your glasses is very much of the rose variety. But I was excited to hear all those angst-filled Funeral For A Friend songs that used to help me after a hard day at school, and excited to get that hit of nostalgia that would possibly make me feel like I was young again. Even if just for an hour or so.
This notion was dented somewhat instantly, when I entered the Great Hall: it was operating at reduced capacity for more ‘intimate’ gigs like this one. It then dawned on me; revisiting an old favourite – whether it be a band, song, album, whatever – is a double-edged sword. Sure, you can be transported to that place in your mind where your most carefree memories reside, but on the other hand you feel a strange sadness that the thing you once loved is now irrelevant. And this is a feeling I was wrestling with all evening. Yes, it was great to hear the Hours album in its entirety, and yes the band sounded tight, but 10 years ago they were touring arenas in the UK, and that feeling was palpable.
Having said that, the assembled audience tried to make the night as memorable as possible for all concerned. Every word was sung back at singer Matt Davies-Kreye as if their collective lives depended on it, and the band were clearly appreciative of the gesture and fed off the energy being thrown at them; their smiles were beaming right to the back of the room.
The last two songs performed were from the band’s debut album, and these – tellingly – got the biggest reaction from the crowd. Juneau was that pure shot of nostalgia I was longing for. Still to this day I feel that is a perfect song, and Escape Artists Never Die brought proceedings to a euphoric close. It was a smart move to play two old fan favourites at the end, because ultimately we all left feeling a touch younger than when we arrived.
words IAN ROGERS
