Why am I seeing Fun? They have one good song; they’re just a one
hit wonder – ok, apparently a two hit wonder.
I don’t even like We Are Young
(they’re signature track) it seems to give me a migraine every time I hear it –
I’m aware that’s a bizarre and misguided justification – but that’s what I
thought when standing in the queue for almost two hours. Tickets were bought on a whim but for £12.50
I was quite content.
The band hail from New York and comprise of Nate
Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff. I
did feel privileged to discover that the gig was sold out; in fact they sold
out all UK venues and almost everywhere else on their US and European
tour. Not bad for a two hit wonder. True to the gig’s sold out status throngs of
people had turned out: the queue disappeared up the hill and around the corner;
one elderly passer by stated the obvious: “oh tremendous queue, will be full
house tonight.” Much to his envy it was
and the O2 ABC was bursting with excited fans packed in to see these new
international stars.
The
band’s first album Aim and Ignite was
released in 2009 and they remained virtually unheard of in the UK. It’s an
interesting (sometimes bohemian) indie sound with Nate’s intriguing vocal
cadences backed by powerful instrumentals.
But they shot to stardom earlier this year with their indie power- pop
record We are Young appealing to the
drunken “YOLO” generation of today’s youth. Their latest album is just as captivating;
albeit perhaps made more commercial by occasional auto-tuning and a feeling of
less ingenuity in some of the songs compared to Aim and Ignite.
As I expected, the tracks from Some Nights were the focus of the gig. Carry
on – a song of hope in difficult times – was their opener and a tremendous
crowd pleaser from the new album. They
made sure to dip in and out of their traditional material to satisfy diehard
fans. Walking the Dog was performed well and the band’s enthusiasm on
stage conveyed the track’s quirkiness.
While the mood was slowed down for The
Gambler: a sentimental track about the band’s home and family making for a charming
interlude from the overall energy of the gig.
Their cover of You Can’t Always
Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones was a fitting song choice and well
performed; however a few good songs from the first album were omitted from the
set list that I’m sure would have been preferred.
The hallmark of any great concert is the
connection between the audience and the artist on stage. Fun never failed to engage the crowd. We revelled as they urged us to introduce
melodious track Barlights with a
repeated chant of “I feel alive”; at some points they the band were very nearly
out sung – especially as they performed We
Are Young. I was convinced it would
be the encore but Nate declared “another highlight” as the opening drums for
the anthem rolled out and the audience knew exactly what they were doing. I can now say I have a new found love for
that song and any headache has vanished as I listen to it on replay.
That could only mean that the final song
was reserved for Some Nights, their
latest single: an evocative rhapsody, potentially the best song on the album –
far more meaningful than its predecessor.
Like every song before it, Some
Night was performed with style and vigour.
The crowd left chanting the lyrics - the words of Fun’s tracks resonated
with me all the way home from what was an exceptional gig.
“If
you’re lost and alone or you’re sinking like a stone – carry on; may your past
be the sound of your feet upon the ground – carry on!”
