The band gave it their all for their biggest ever headline show in the UK.
Late last year Aussie pop-rockers The Faim released their debut EP with Summer Is A Curse featuring their hit singles as well as a look at what more if to come from the quartet. Early last month the band then embarked on a UK headline tour to play us those tracks live with support from Halflives and Chapel.
French alt-rock outfit Halflives kicked off the evening with their very energetic set of powerhouse choruses and dance-inspired hooks. The band made every effort to get the crowd engaged and sing along to their songs with front woman Linda calling out “I know a lot of you don’t know our songs but I want you to sing along anyways even if you don’t know the lyrics.” And whether it was the emotional ballad of Collide or the extremely vigorous new single Fugitive, the audience was keen on what the Paris-based band had to offer.
At High Fives & Stage Dives it’s no secret that we’re big fans of The Faim. There’s just nothing like a young band getting us excited about a genre that has been deemed dead more times than we care to count. By adding a whole load of pop to their rock, The Faim bridge the gap between the mainstream and the alt scene perfectly. Having had the support and worked with the likes of Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, this is a band you’ll want to keep your eye on.
And they have a sense of humour too as the intro music for their set is Men At Work’s Land Down Under. And even though frontman Josh seemed to have to battle some sound issues in the very beginning, it didn’t throw off the band’s energy for the night as the fans were more than happy to fill in until it was fixed. Halfway through third song Saints Of The Sinners the mic was back on full sound and the party was on. And boy what a party it was.
What The Faim do well is add a heavy dose of drama to their songs, whether it’s the intensity of My Heart Needs To Breathe or new track Beautiful Drama. The band take a lot of their influences and mash them up into a sound that appeals their young audience on many levels. The heavier guitar riffs blend well with the anthemic pop choruses and the catchy RnB rhythms.
And while a lot of The Faim’s songs are fast-paced infectious tracks, they do have a softer side too. Songs like Where The River Runs Dry, for which Josh got right in the middle of the crowd for an intimate feel, or the gorgeous and poppy A Million Stars, that lit up the entire room, quite literally, with everyone’s phone torches on.
As the band play the last chords of Make Believe frontman Josh Raven explains “This is usually the part where we run off and hope someone yells “one more song” but instead we’ll just play you an extra song.” And once again he was off into the crowd for new track Amelie as well as a crowd surf for second to last track and hit single Summer Is A Curse.
The Faim close out their night with Ecstasy, off their debut EP Summer Is A Curse. And that’s exactly where they leave their devoted fans – in ecstasy. Watching everyone leave the venue there’s smiles all around, young fans happy as can be having just seen their favorite band rip this venue a new one.
High Fives & Stage Dives 