Spilling Guts On Radio One
It’s a swinging Saturday night in the Radio One tent and the people are really beginning to pack in for this evening’s entertainment. In a complete ‘no-brainer’ decision tonight I do not find myself joining the hoards to watch The White Stripes grace the main stage. Instead I am geared up and ready to fight my way through a Funeral For A Friend showcase that rivals the best performances of the weekend so far. People, both young and old, as well as new friends acquired through an extended signing tent appearance, were completely knocked over by Funeral's performance tonight.
The band take to the stage on a high. The sheer volume of people in the tent, coupled with the shiny new gold records ‘Casually Dressed…’ has provided for them mean the band are on top form. ‘Red Is the New Black’ kicks everything off and the whole crowd joins in and hangs on every word and riff whilst thrashing about like people quite clearly possessed. The whole set ensues with onslaughts of well-known and beloved songs. But the band have a few tricks up their sleeve. Announcing a new song, and that no one should get "over-excited" (if you're catching my drift), they present to the UK audience ‘Roses For The Dead’. With such accomplished song writing already achieved, the band are sticking their necks out here, not knowing how the crowd will respond. But the song does to the crowd what bottles did to The Rasmus...knocked them clean away. The complete success of the song evidently rocketed the boy's spirits and left the audience gasping for more.
To follow, however, a bit of tomfoolery was in order. The band invite a lucky couple on stage to kiss for the duration of 'The Art Of American Football', which they naturally do willingly, a free date on stage with FFAF will not often be turned down. Then, as the opening chords of ‘Juneau’ ring clear, Gareth calls for ‘Funeral for a Friend karaoke’ and Matt invites anyone that can get over the barrier to come sing with him. Wrapping up with ‘Escape Artists Never Die’, the boys exit to chants for more and the crowd refuse to leave at first, either dumbfounded or hopeful for more, as this was surely up there with the best of the festival.