Though never a band that could be accused of cockiness, compared to the ‘gee-whizz’ earnestness evident at their previous Irish gigs Fleet Foxes are positively full of swagger on their first trip to Leeside. Robin Pecknold, the previously seated frontman, now stands front and centre stage, with a self-assuredness that suggests the band have come to grips with their anointed mantle of folk superstars.
That confidence extends to a setlist that boldly kicks off with six new tunes from their second album before falling back on material from their eponymous debut and Sun Giant EP.
The occasionally questionable acoustics of the Marquee stand up well tonight. Live, the material packs a stronger punch than the flighty harmonies would suggest on record.
While there is welcoming applause for the new songs from the six-piece’s sophomore album, the roof is raised for the earlier material - the reverberations of the crowd reciprocating the “whoa-oh-ohs” and “wherever you goes” of ‘Mykonos’, for example, turns the big top into an elated echo chamber.
The hushed reverence for the more delicate melodies gives way to more euphoric crowd participation at every opportunity, and repeated chants of the opening line of ‘White Winter Hymnal’ and incessant calls for debut closer ‘Oliver James’ leave no doubt as to why many in the crowd are here.
The finale ‘Helplessness Blues’ holds up very well live, and brings about the kind of ovation that speaks volumes about the strength of the fan base here tonight. Prepare for a full-on strut come album number three.