Friendly Fires @ Virgin Megastore. NYC.

I headed out to Virgin Megastore in Union Square last night to see Friendly Fires for the first time. Having no idea what to expect, I wasn't necessarily excited, but immensely curious as to what I was about to witness.

Because it was an in-store performance and because they had a show at the Annex a couple hours later, the band played just four songs: Jump in the Pool, On Board, White Diamonds, and Paris. I believe the first was White Diamonds. They came onstage seeming timid, but once they began to play, it was like someone shocked them to life and they rocked the eff out. The lead singer, Ed MacFarlane danced all over the stage while the bassist, Edd Gibson, sweated profusely from playing his guitar with such enthusiasm. They were engaged in the audience as well, making eye contact and encouraging us to clap along with the music. I'm not gonna lie, there were a few moments where I felt the urge to jump on stage and dance with them, and I had fallen so far into it that I would have, had they allowed me to do so.

Prior to the show, Jump in the Pool was my favorite Friendly Fires tune, but I have to say, On Board sounded the best performed live. Oh, who am I kidding? They were all brilliant.

I had the pleasure of meeting the guys afterward and each one of them was incredibly kind and polite. They took the time to talk to each fan, sign pretty much anything and take photos. Mine can be found down below.

Jack Savidge & Edd Gibson

Yours Truly with the band


Here's a video I took of Jump in the Pool:

Another post will follow soon, as I attended the later show at the Annex as well. Stay tuned...