Funeral for a Friend at the Forum

Rock fans from all over the city, country and globe gathered at the Forum in Kentish Town on Friday night to bid farewell to Welsh band Funeral for a Friend at their penultimate show on the group’s final tour. Back in September 2015 the band announced that they would be going their separate ways, and now that time is upon us. As the audience began to boo at the prospect of no more FFAF, lead vocalist Matthew Davies-Kreye hushed them and said “tonight is a celebration”.

As the group leapt into a flurry of well-known songs such as History and Monsters, it was clear that Funeral for a Friend has developed a loyal fan base over their 15-year career and that these devotees have a deep love for the music that the Welshmen have produced. Early on in the evening, Davies-Kreye stated that he wanted everyone in the crowd dancing and he very much got what he wanted. Every inch of the sold-out venue was jumping, head-banging, singing and leaping. The band showed off their musical talents throughout and passionately explained the philosophy behind a number of their hits – ultimately encouraging fans to look after each other regardless of people’s faith, sexuality or race.

These final two shows haven’t exactly been smooth-running. Originally due to be held at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in April, the gigs were moved to the Forum for later dates in May because of structural issues at the original venue. It left some wondering if this change of venue affected the vibe of this final step in the Last Chance to Dance tour. Although the energy was bouncing and there were excellent performances of some of the band’s best songs, there didn’t seem to be anything “special” injected into the show to make it stand out as Funeral for a Friend’s last dance.

However, the fans were truly elated to be there experiencing loud and energetic renditions of songs spanning the group’s 15-year career and that, in itself, felt like a true celebration of Funeral for a Friend’s much-loved music.

Laura Ewing
Photo: Alterna

For further information about Funeral for a Friend visit here.

Watch a live performance of History here: