A Night With Friendly Fires

   Friendly Fires - Jump In The Pool (off self -titled debut album)

       Friendly Fires - Blue Cassette ( off PALA)
 

Recently, a friend of mine won tickets to see Friendly Fires from one of our local indie rock and electro pop parties, Fringe in SF. I was unable to attend, but Stacy so graciously offered to do a guest posting about her experience, including her insightful conversation with the band. Learn more about where Friendly Fires derived the inspiration for their latest album, PALA. 

By guest contributor Stacy Bergdahl.

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On Wednesday, June 8 I went to see Friendly Fires at the Independent in San Francisco.  These London boys absolutely blew my mind!  Allow me to explain.

Before seeing them live I assumed they were mostly electro, using electronic music technology to make the majority of their sound.  Wrong.  These guys played their heart and soul out on the bass, guitar, drums, percussion, cowbells, saxophone and trumpet.  Out of the studio, the sound was raw, real and electric, like an electro rock show.  The drum and bass led the onstage sound.  The percussion, saxophone and trumpet perfectly accentuated their already on point, tight beats.  The level of presence and passion all six of them exuded on stage was breathtaking.

By the second song, the lead singer Ed MacFarlane’s chest was beginning to show a round sweat stain right in front of his heart.  I smiled because I could literally feel the heart and soul of the music pouring out of their entire beings.  As the show progressed, every one of them were drenched in sweat – their passion and energy was palpable.  Brightly-colored parrot wings gently flapped on the video screen behind them, an animated version of their new album cover, PALA.  Their new album rocks even more than their first, and I didn’t think that was possible.  My favorite songs were "Jump in the Pool" and "Blue Cassette".

Next, we went to the after party at Public Works where Jack, the bassist/drummer, spun a London underground house DJ set.  Just as I was understanding why these guys are destined to be A-List indie rockers and not DJs, my friend Kimo tells me the rest of the band is standing by the bar.  My eyes lit up instantly and I bee-lined over to the now-dry-again blonde curls and tapped Ed MacFarlane on the shoulder.   

As he turned around, instinctively I reached out and gave him a giant hug, looked in his eyes and started gushing like a star struck wannabe groupie.  He brushed his curls aside, smiled and thanked me.  Feeling a little more grounded, I asked him what the inspiration was for the parrot on their new album PALA.  He lit up and explained it was from reading the book Island by Aldous Huxley.  On the utopian island of Pala, parrots whisper uplifting messages to the islanders.  Ed said he was inspired by these parrots because to him, they represent the beautiful fleeting moments that make up life.  It’s about enjoying each moment for exactly what it is because nothing is permanent but everything is meaningful.  And with that, some guy grabbed Ed with his forearm and dragged him, smiling, off to the next momentary experience.  Case in point.

I’m so grateful to have seen Friendly Fires at a venue as intimate as the Independent.  Rumor has it these guys will be back to San Francisco in October.  This time I’m buying my ticket the day they go on sale.  I suggest you do, too.

Thank you Stacy! You rock!