This was the first gig in years that I arrived to just as the main band were about to get in stage - no reason other than personal exhaustion, but I did counter in that I was a very new fan of half-alive and also wanted to see what viewing a band from further away was like as I believe my opinion can sometimes be clouded by the wow-ness of front row/barricade. Alas, Half Alive did not disappoint, no matter where you were in that venue.
Despite being a new fan, of course I was excited. This bands new album has been my number one album so far this year, on repeat for absolute months since it came out. I was very excited when I looked up their setlist and saw they'd split it into seasons. Immediately, I'm intrigued, then bam, they come on stage and they pull out a sheet to project different lights on, dancers are here and there and after the sheet gets pulled away, a board saying 'SUMMER' appears. Almost immediately, I knew I was in for a ride of a show.
What I loved about this band was not just their performance aspect, but that they didn't structure the show so normally, best/most well known songs very last, must include an encore, etc. I was thrilled to see something so different.
Aside from all the spectacle, on a more constructive note, a lot of the set and dances were quite low down on the stage. Unless you were front row, everybody had to strain to see. Had they performed these parts or sat down at these parts on a higher up extra stage, it would've been far better in my opinion.
Nonetheless, I feel it's hard to walk away from this concert without saying their spectacle did indeed overthrow everything else. Unique, amazing and charasmatic dancers, poetry read aloud, oh, and a surprise guest, Dodie! It's very very clear to me that this is a band that knows how to perform big time. They know exactly how to engage an audience, even if they don't particularly interact with the audience as much as other bands.
Overall, this band is an absolute must see live. Some of their songs are BUILT to be done live, and songs like still feel, which I could never really get into, suddenly made sense. Go and see Half Alive the next time you can, they are amazing.
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