Friends // Norwich Arts Centre - 14.07.13
We are not Friends.
I was well excited about seeing Brooklyn hipster band Friends play in Norwich. I had very much enjoyed their first singles 'I'm His Girl', and 'Friends Crush', which then appeared on their fairly good debut album Manifest!, out earlier this year. The simplicity and 60s pop / supercool American vibe of these tracks really stood out for me amongst all the billions of tracks released each year. They reminded me of the Waitresses.
The Arts Centre is barely half full, perhaps due to a balmy summer evening and a Sunday night gig, and it's a really mixed audience; some teens, very excited, and some slightly older people with more of a critical ear. They appear on stage, lead singer Samantha Urbani in cut off shorts and short jacket looking every inch the American teenage runaway girl from 1985. She's brimming with confidence and the band seem to communicate very well between each other throughout the gig. Her voice is really something special, at times Siouxise-like, and others Kate Bush. The music is neither here nor there live, to be honest. They've decided it would be a good idea to play nothing but brand new songs on this tour, and the only songs I recognise are the two original hit tracks. I'm not entirely convinced that this was wise.
The audience grow increasingly confused as they recognise non of the tracks and their live music seems so different to their recorded stuff, much faster, with more energy and impatience. 'Friends Crush', my favourite, is played at triple time, and everyone seems disappointed. Samantha asks why we are all so quiet, and banters now and again with the audience, but somehow we are too different to her. Too old, and perhaps too uncool. They play for only 45 minutes, leading to yet more disappointment and we all drift away afterwards sadly. Sorry Friends, you'll have to work a bit harder to get us onside next time.
Lizz
