Feeder rock the Koko with comeback show

With seven albums already under their belt, another one on the way and over 15 years of experience in the business, Feeder show no sign of slowing down. Having survived tragedy, the three-piece remain undeterred and keep on going, relentless and determined in their desire to share with us what they do best.

With the new single Borders available now via iTunes, and the album Generation Freakshow quickly following suit in April, you can see the boys are back in full swing again, with small tour consisting of four dates kicking off 2012 nicely. The fact that all the shows are completely sold out reaffirms the public’s love for Feeder, and shows that new and old fans are coming together once again to support their favourite band.

Last night, on a freezing cold evening on the last day of January, men and women gathered from all over the UK and even further. Why? One reason. They each had a ticket to see this band play Koko in North London, and what a place! Inside, everyone waited and watched as an eerie silence descended and one solitary, casually dressed man and his guitar took to a stage that was bathed in subtle orange light. As if to compliment his surroundings, Grant, vocalist and guitarist, went straight into Children of the Sun – a song so simple yet so enchanting. His voice was smooth and comforting with just that slight sandpaper edge to it, and gently eased everyone in for what was going to be a rollercoaster ride – slow one minute and fast the next with no stops in between. Soon the whole band was on stage and Feeder were complete.

The setlist for the show was a mixture of the past, the present and the future. Some of the songs weren’t as well known as others but the reception was exactly the same with every one. As the melody of “Buck Rogers” started later on during the night, the crowd started to surge forward, pure adrenaline driving everybody to jump to the beat like their lives depended on it. A sea of people all swaying and bobbing as one, the air was electric and the atmosphere buzzing. Rolling out song after song, with only a few short breaks to interact with the audience, Feeder never lost the attention of their fans for a second.

When the time came for the night to draw to a close the crowd went crazy and “Feeder! Feeder!” echoed from every inch of the venue’s walls. When Grant and the guys eventually returned to play two more songs as an encore, they chose to end the night on a high – literally! – with Just a Day and High completing the set for the evening. The catchy lyrics known by all could probably be heard from miles away as many sung their hearts out. It is true to say that these songs have a habit of staying in your head whether you want them to or not.

As the remnants of the last notes faded away, Grant was almost godlike standing with one hand holding his guitar high. A true rock idol, his followers all at his feet waited anxiously for one more song, one more word, anything. Then it was all over and it felt like the musical bubble had popped and it was time to come back down, crashing to earth with an almighty bump. Seeing Feeder is like eating a small meal: you end up nicely satisfied but always craving more.

Natalie Sexby

Watch the video for new single Borders here: