Friendly Fries

“This barrier is really annoying me” chastises Friendly Fires' lead singer Ed Macfarlane during between song banter. The problem is it’s keeping him from his audience, and what an audience it is. Perhaps I was naïve to underestimate Friendly Fires popularity but Korova’s low ceilinged basement is rammed. I’ve never seen it this busy and I have seen some big bands play here (Foals, Klaxons). Then again, why wouldn’t people want to see Friendly Fires? Their debut album is amongst the finest of the year and it’s instantaneous pop hooks mixed with the most danceable rhythms around make for an irresistible mix.

As the sweat descends upon the packed crowd the mirrors on the wall steam up and dancing bodies rub against flailing limbs and bellowing chests. Macfarlane traverses the steel barricade to join in the melee throughout the gig heightening an already ecstatic atmosphere. 'Photobooth' with its taught bassline gets feet tapping straight away before seguing into the equally brilliant ‘On Board’. The glam stomp of 'White Diamonds' is an early highlight, it's tighter than the front rows skinny jeans and despite the bands musical virtuosity the fun the carves its way throughout.

Macfarlane introduces ‘In The Hospital’ sarcastically as “A slow burner...” before launching into three minutes of brain chasing catchy brilliance. Talk of house, electro and whatever influences you like but cut Friendly Fires and they'll bleed pop. Tonight is an unrelenting barrage of huge choruses which set the band clearly on a trajectory for far bigger venues.

The bands singles are perhaps their finest moments yet and tonight they take centre stage. The Epworth produced wall of sound ‘Jump In The Pool’ is a deviation from the more direct hits in Friendly Fires arsenal with it’s trippy sonics and afro-beat backing but it still maintains the dance pop ethic that permeates all of the St. Albans bands sound. It also works well as a partner to pretty-much-everyone's-favourite ‘Paris’ tonight - a glorious and romantic love song that wraps daydreaming plans of escapism around fast beats and shoe-gazy guitars.

Macfarlane spends more time in the audience, dodging fans crowd-surfing onto the tiny stage somewhere over the barrier. Whilst the amount of people gathered here tonight was at first surprising, the show ends feeling criminal not to have been five times the size.