This past Sunday, I adorned as much SPF as possible and made my way to Finsbury Park for the last day of Festival Republic. I decided not to go for the 12pm start. The 30c weather doesn’t agree with me on a good day, and I only really wanted to see Rachel Chinouriri, The Last Dinner Party and the main event, Wolf Alice.
First on the agenda was merch. I felt like I’d trekked to a far corner of the Earth once I’d got past the food and drink stalls to the merch stand. Having a singular area seems like an organisational flaw. There were too many patrons and not enough servers, making the lines uncomfortable and long. Wolf Alice recently released some new additions to their merch line, including a replica of Ellie’s iconic silver star crop top. The selection was vast, but only for two of the bands, Wolf Alice and The Last Dinner Party. It would’ve been nice to have some items from the other artists, or to have a t-shirt featuring all dates and artists. I ultimately went for a key ring which, at £10, was cheap and cheerful.
Merch secured, I hiked back over to the stage to catch Rachel Chinouriri’s performance. She looked phenomenal in a purple ensemble and somehow sounded even better. Her vocals have a quality that’s both buttery and strong, with a stage presence that likens her to Diana Ross. Her band was also on point. I could hear every instrument on stage clearly despite being outside and covering a huge area. Prior to seeing her live, Chinouriri wouldn’t have been an artist I would’ve paid to see headline, but I’ll be looking out for her next tour dates. I’d love to see her in action again.
Set List
- Garden of Eden
- Cold Call
- It Is What It Is
- 23:42
- AAAHHH!!! – Yet to be released
- Can We Talk About Isaac?
- So My Darling
- All I Ever Asked
- Never Need Me
Swedish artist Lykke Li was a different story. I only really know the two songs she featured on in Mark Ronson’s 2019 album Late Night Feelings. Her music is what I would imagine is played at last call at Berghain. It has an atmospheric tech feel that I can’t really get behind. I also found her slow, winding movements on stage a bit awkward. I think it was partly a line up mistake. Rachel Chinouriri got the crowd dancing and hyped, only to be followed by Lykke Li’s slow repetitiveness.
I’m yet to find the full set list from this performance online, which I think says a lot. There’s also some discourse amongst other music lovers suggesting she was an odd choice for this event.
I have to admit, I overplayed The Last Dinner Party when they released their first album, Prelude to Ecstasy. Their gig on the night of the album’s release at Camden’s Roundhouse was the first gig I’d ever been to alone. The drawback of this was that, when they started releasing music for From the Pyre, I couldn’t stomach it. During this performance, I realised how much I was missing out.
Their mix was a tad too bass forward during the first half, but I date a bassist so it didn’t offend me in the slightest. Their stage presence continues to be whimsical, but with added confidence and prowess since the last time I saw them. Lead singer Abigail Morris worked the stage like a pro. However, I feel the cameras loved her a little too much, thereby neglecting the other members. I especially enjoyed Big Dog. It has a rough, rock edge to it that I hadn’t heard from them before. It was like witnessing the love child of Kate Bush and Joan Jett.
Set List
- Angus Dei
- Feminine Urge
- Second Best
- Sinner
- My Lady of Mercy
- Big Dog
- The Scythe
- Knocking at the Sky – song debut
- This is The Killer Speaking
- Nothing Matters
Yet another admission. I gave Wolf Alice’s latest album, The Clearing, a scathing review when it was released. No regrets, but the songs have grown on me significantly over time. I’m sorry, Wolf Alice. Much like when I saw them at the O2 last winter, their performance was explosive. The set was a mass of silver tinsel with guest appearances from the biggest disco ball I’ve ever seen, courtesy of Mirror Ball Paul. Their 22-track set spanned their entire discography and I could hear people in the crowd who knew almost every lyric. The sheer effort that went into their performance made the ticket price worth it.
This was a homecoming event for the band and you could feel the buzz of sentimentality. Playing footage of their first, humbler gigs on on the stage behind them. All members are incredible performers, from guitars being launched into the air to mosh pits opening up for Yuk Foo.
Finishing with a cover of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit was a massive crowd pleaser, even if I heard it while making my way to the exit to avoid the crush getting home.
Set List
- Bloom Baby Bloom
- White Horses
- Formidable Cool
- Lisbon
- Just Two Girls
- Leaning Against the Wall
- Bros
- Gospel Oak
- White Leather – tour debut
- How Can I Make It OK?
- The Sofa
- Bread Butter Tea Sugar
- Yuk Foo
- Play the Greatest Hits
- Smile
- Lipstick on the Glass
- Visions of a Life
- The Last Man on Earth
- Don’t Delete the Kisses
Encore
- Moaning Lisa Smile
- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana cover
- Giant Peach
This is my favourite event of the year so far. It was cost effective, at just shy of £80 for a general admission ticket, clean, and generally well organised. That said, I’m seeing System of a Down next week, so I very well might change my mind.