What we were all waiting for...
Let it be said, I have seen this band a number of times, I have yet to leave unimpressed even once and tonight was no exception. Opening with 'Escape Artists Never Die', followed by 'This Years Most Open Heartbreak', Funeral For A Friend were certainly the band that most people had come to Give It A Name to see, after a long hot day the tension had built, they followed some brilliant sets and some not too good sets (ahem, Finch I'm talking about you...) Funeral put on a show well worth the wait, playing a mixture of old and new, unwavering confidence, audience interaction and pitch perfect singing in a venue though magnificent, but rough on sound, they still owned the Festival.
There wasn't a bad moment in this set, it got the pit going stronger than any of the other bands of the day, if anything this show was a taster of what's to come on the upcoming June/July tour with Gratitude and Bullet For My Valentine. It certainly left us all wanting more.
The third song on the set was 'Roses For The Dead', but it was nothing being followed up with the crowd favourite 'Bend Your Arms To Look Like Wings' which singer Matt Davies claimed was about "mating unicorns", one of his favourite subject matters apparently. Stunningly executed and thoroughly invigorating, Funeral may have been away for a while, but they sure as shit know how to make a comeback. They followed this crowd pleaser with 'All The Rage' and the sing along anthem 'Red Is The New Black', complete with matching Red Lighting, which complimented the set perfectly.
Next Up On the bill was new single 'Streetcar' from the up coming album, which Matt endearingly dedicated to his niece and nephew who were ever intently watching their uncle Matt rock the stage from the wings, impressive and a good sign for things to come for Funeral For A Friend 'Streetcar' takes them on a slightly more defined route than previous material. This was followed by the powerful tunes 'Rookie Of The Year' and an old favourite, which drew the second biggest cheer from the crowd for this set 'The Art Of American Football', damn right, Funeral showed their American emo rock counterparts how it's really done, robbing them of their own genre and doing it in style.
They proceeded on to play 'End Of Nothing' and the hit single 'She Drove Me To Daytime TV', but as could be expected the biggest crowd pleaser, and anthem of the night was the ever stunning 'Juneau'.
Funeral For A Friends star certainly hasn't fallen whilst they've been away recording as some might have expected, in a somewhat bland genre these Welsh boys stand out, all round a brilliant show.