Although British alternative rock poppers Everything Everything may look like the boys playing in the garage next door, as their October tour comes to a close, they show The Forum what’s for as they exuberate severe showmanship.
The lights drop then there's nothing but faint stadium noises, followed by euphoric whistling and progressive thuds, as if a giant is approaching. Then it has begun, the now five some launch into dynamic pop from their albums Man Alive and Arc. Constant key changes, as in ‘Torso of the Week’, never give the crowd a chance to look down at their watch (or phone).
Throwing constant curveballs, they strip back to the very basics, only to build the tempo right back up again. Then came the band’s third single ‘MY KZ, UR BF’, emulating The Maccabees ‘Latchmere’ with its jaunty style and alacrity – reinforced by lead singer Jonathan Higgs’ conducting of the crowd with his hands – like the Pop Pied Piper. Percussion came in the form of the audience’s perpetual clapping.
Following this build up was another swift strip down, ‘NASA is on Your Side’, which gave Higgs’ signature falsetto a chance to pierce the room. As if teasing a cat with a piece of string, the band brought the verve thundering back with their fourth single ‘Schoolin’’ an electronic, drum heavy offering, cascading into a funky, twee, electronic chorus and a break down mimicking The Smiths ‘This Charming Man’.
Organ interludes and trip-hop moments are just a few of the more breath-taking occasions, before Everything Everything launched into their first ever release ‘Suffragette Suffragette’ and Higgs tells a frank story of the band’s humble bedroom beginnings.
retending to forget the lyrics and the rock crescendo, mean that the band could walk off the stage that moment satisfied they’d conquered. Pre-encore, Everything Everything played off to their current release ‘Don’t Try’. The hook heavy pop banger was a real highlight of the set and without any instruction the crowd begin their improvised backing vocals, whilst Higgs drums and sings synonymously – causing a recherché effect on his vocals.
