Flyleaf show why they are a platinum selling band at tonight’s sold-out gig hosted by London’s Islington Academy. The band perform their hearts out for enthusiastic fans who have travelled from far and wide to witness the Texan rock-metallers in action.
The gig starts later than usual and while I sit twiddling my thumbs, I observe a dude playing Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on some electronic contraption. Mr Dude a.k.a Mr Dad overshadows two ten year old girls, protecting them from any thugery: how sweet – a tad odd for a hardcore gig in north London, but still sweet. As well as obseving, eavesdropping is another great way to pass time at gigs, especially when waiting in lengthy queues or sitting through a sound-check. And I was presented with a gem this time: a group of teen girls next to me discussing whether sandwiches would be thrown at opening act The Crave, as had been done on a previous occasion. When the crowd’s agitation is signalled by booing after each the-band-is-not-ready-to-come-on-stage-yet song blearing in the background, one of the girls declares “there will be sandwiches”. Sadly (as it would have been a fun spectacle) there are no sandwiches and The Crave is met with rapturous applause and excessive cheering. Even the weirdness of Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply blasting through the sound system, accompanied by a mirror ball, just before The Crave take to the stage does not deter the crowd. I, however, am left in a state of wonderment as I tried to decipher whether the high-school-dance song/disco-ball thing is supposed to be a contrived tongue-and-cheek intro or a rather coincidental techie error. More to the point, The Crave do the job of a supporting band and achieve what their opening song dictates: they shake the crowd up, to the max.
With the crowd hyped for Flyleaf, the band’s reception couldn’t be more massive. Singer Lacey Mosley appears as a gorgeous grunge ballerina in a red dress and docs, punctuated by the occasional pirouette. Lacey wastes no time blabbing and launches straight into Fully Alive, followed by Beautiful Bride – the opening track on latest album Memento Mori. Lacey’s vocal angst contrasts with the charisma of guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya, who looks like westerm story book Jesus but with some tats and piercings … oh, and eyeliner – sweet getup. Cassie and In The Dark prove that classifying Flyleaf as an alternative rock band is not a clear cut matter: Lacey is dynamite in a small and attractive package – her screams are powerfully heart wrenching and provide a tinge of metal to the band’s rocky sound. As the gig heats up, the crowd proves itself to be a single mass of unified vocal force, as fans belt out word after word. The live performance of Chasm and Again do both songs justice as they sound far ‘bigger’ and heavier than the recorded versions. I’m So Sick oozes gravitas and fans are reminded why they love Flyleaf. The band end their set with an alternative version of John Mark McMillan’s How He Loves Us, which is well received by an adoring audience and hints at the band’s Christian ethics.
A great performance by a favoured band.
