Florence & The Machine @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 10th May 2010
Thousands of lungs all breathing in tune to the one pair of lungs throwing her heart out on stage.
Yep, Florence and the Machine are back on tour. This time to promote “Cosmic Love”, the final single release from the phenomenally successful debut album Lungs. It’s been barely a year since the curiously dark, eclectic and almost unfathomable sound of Florence Welch and her support band of keyboards, bass, guitar, drums and orchestra hit the indie/pop scene. And yet, despite the copious media overplay of hits such as “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” and “Dog Days Are Over”, the album has retained its eccentric charm. Listening to it has become somewhat like being haunted by a favourite dream.
So I arrive early at the Wolves Civic and, in a state of wondrous expectation, rush to the front of the stage. The audience ebb in slowly, with little anticipation building until both support acts, BabeShadow and The Drums, have finished their sets. As the stage is set and a magnificent harp appears, audible murmurs of excitement begin to ripple through the crowd. And I can see why. The stage is decorated like a subterranean fairytale, with glowing lamps trapped in birdcages, flowers edging the stage and a background screen bathed in a luminous red glow.
As the various parts of the Machine appear and begin to oil up, the atmosphere intensifies until, under the veil of darkness and to the fist notes of “Howl”, Florence emerges draped in black lace and begins to drown the hall with the most raucous and thundering rendition of the night. The following two tracks, “My Boy Builds Coffins” and “Girl With One Eye”, establish the informal grandeur so characteristic of Florence’s attitude towards her art as she kicks off her heels and twirls, shimmies and skips across the stage to complement her flawless passage through the vocal scale.
“Between Two Lungs” quickly becomes my favourite song of the night. As its gentle melody subdues the crowd, a soft rhythmic drumming replaces the heavy bass and general uproar of the previous tracks. It is now pure, authentic poetry that flows from the stage and dissipates its unearthly ambience throughout the air. From my spot in the front ‘row’, it feels like being washed over with a lullaby; ‘Between two lungs it was released, the breath that carried me’. This is exactly the Florence I have been waiting to hear. Likewise, I look behind me and find that a crowd of awestruck, motionless faces has replaced the disorderly sway that dominated during “Drumming Song”.
“Cosmic Love” is similarly entrancing and is accompanied by a blanket of brilliant stars that appear on the screen behind the stage whilst, in true anthem style, “You’ve Got The Love” necessitates a mass throwing of hands up in the air. Other songs performed from the album are “Blinding”, “I’m Not Calling You A Liar” and “Swimming”, while a new track, “Strangeness and Charm”, is selected to debut during the tour. An extended version of “Dog Days Are Over” is especially popular with the crowd and causes a riot of bouncing heads, all jumping up and down in dutiful compliance with Florence’s polite request for ‘everyone to dance’.
After a brief interlude, Florence returns to the stage (minus the hoped for outfit-change). Still barefoot, and still at complete ease, she proceeds to rock out to the guitar solo which then flows into the thundering chaos of “Kiss With A Fist”. This is followed by an electrifying rendition of the much loved “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” to complete the set list that, with unabated enthusiasm, I make sure I grab before heading for the door.
“Let’s talk about magic”, Florence once said, “because music, at its best, is a kind of magic that lifts you up and takes you somewhere else”. I couldn’t agree more. Within these tales of love, frustration, courage, heartbreak and hope there is a familiar yet mystical feel that makes Florence’s music feel somewhat nostalgic, like a forgotten memory or a lost paradise. And there is a definite buzz of connection circulating in the hall, a response of empathy and understanding. When Florence croons that ‘I love you so much I’m gonna let you kill me’, we all feel it.
This sense of rapture that accompanies seeing the band perform live can never be reproduced in recorded material. Maybe it’s the natural harmony between the vocals and the band that is showcased so perfectly in live performances of songs like “Between Two Lungs”. Maybe it’s the old thrill that still comes with seeing a favourite artist sing right in front of your eyes. Or could it just be the red bull I knocked back in the queue and the effects of an overactive imagination? I can’t quite figure it out. It must be the magic.
Review – Natalie Harrigan
Photos – Ian Dunn