Foals, live at The Academy

Throughout the noughties – back when record companies could still just about afford such indulgences – each January featured what amounted to an indie grand national: scores of bands were wheeled out for press duties to promote their life-changing new album, before falling at the first (dodgy debut record) or Beacher’s Brook (that difficult second album).

Oxford quintet Foals are one of the few acts from that period to have survived and thrived, for no more complicated reason than having good taste (evident in their DJ sets and mix albums), sharply honed songwriting skills and good live shows, plus a sprinkling of style and charisma, despite what Twitter foes – such as the awful Enter Shikari – might think. Make no mistake about it, Yannis Philappakis and the boys are moving on up; tonight is the first of two sold out Academy shows, ‘My Number’ is an international hit, and their latest album, the mighty Holy Fire, only narrowly missed topping the UK charts.
Always a feisty and energetic live prospect, Foals open strongly with the ace ‘Prelude’, the infectious funk instrumental that kickstarts Holy Fire. From there, they work through a groove-tastic triple whammy of punk-funk numbers ‘Total Life Forever’, ‘Olympic Airways’ and ‘Miami’, which get everyone in the place dancing. One of the standout tracks is the aforementioned ‘My Number’, as fine a single as has been released in recent times, which boasts not just a killer rhythm but also a memorable chorus – showing that Foals have the ability to, as Benny from Abba might put it, take a detour “up pop street”.
‘Spanish Sahara’ is an emotionally charged epic, whilst the uproarious closer ‘Two Steps Twice’ finds Philappakis taking audience interaction to new heights – scaling the rigging to complete a lap of the balcony, before stopping beside your starstruck correspondent and vaulting back down onto the stage.